Hiroshima, Japan

i remembering learning about Hiroshima in my high school's history class. it was where the world 1st atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. It totally destroyed the city and this is how it looks like today

for a city which had been bomb so devastating, Japan Gov has done a good job restoring the city and make it green again

From Osaka we took the Shinkanshen to Hiroshima which took about 3 hours with the Hikari. Our return train was much faster which took less then 2 hours with the Sakura

upon arrival we checked in to our hotel.

Our Hotel was quite cheap and it's the biggest room we stayed for this Japan trip. Price was about US$50 for 2 adult @ Hotel Century 21 Hiroshima and it's just opposite the main train station., so convenient and it's within walking distance to the Peace Memorial Park Area

we booked it through Expedia.com

Hiroshima is a rather quiet, and peaceful city with a population of 1.174million 

we only had 1 night here in Hiroshima. Our JRpass 7 days is almost up, we still need to use it for our return trip to Tokyo. I bet the Shinkanshen ticket from Hiroshima to Tokyo is expensive.

according to google " The regular one way fare from Tokyo to Hiroshima is 18,040 yen(US$157) for a non-reserved seat on any train, around 18,500yen(US$161) for a reserved seat on Hikari and Sakura trains and around 19,000yen(US$165) for a reserved seat on a Nozomi train" and my JR pass cost US$240 valid for 7 days......totally worth it!!!!!

Hiroshima Peace Museum, a must visit if want to know more about the atomic bomb and it's effect on Hiroshima and it's people

the entrance fee is only 50yen/adult and 30 yen/child

the red ball shows the location of the Hypocenter

the atomic bomb detonated with a blinding flash about 600m in the air. All building within 2km of the Hypocenter were crushed to rubble and burned.

and the clothes people wore were charred by intense thermal ray. Covered by blood, clothes tattered  

mushroom cloud picture took by Mr Yamada 2-3 min after the explosion about 6.5km away from the Hypocenter

Junior high student's trousers

a boy (then 3 years 11 month) loved to ride his tricycle. The faithful morning he was riding in front of his house when, in a sudden flash, he and his tricycle were badly burned. He died that night. His father felt he was too young to be buried in a lonely grave away from home, and thinking his son could play with his favorite tricycle, the father buried his son with the tricycle in the backyard.

in 1985, 40 years later, the father dug up his son's remains and transfer them to the family grave. This tricycle and helmet, after sleeping together with his son in the back yard for 40 years , we donated to this museum

these belongs to a 13 years old boy , a 1st year junior high school. His father found his body near a bridge the following day after the blast.

Many people went in the Hypoceter area to find their loved ones even though it was very dangerous and not to mention the high radiation 

soon after the explosion, a giant mushroom cloud billowed upward, carrying dust, dirt, soot and other debris high into the air. This dust and soot became radioactive, mixed with water vapor in the air, then fell back to earth in what came to be called "Black rain"

here are only a few of the picture i took. There are more about the radiation that cause cancer to the people...it really sad. From history we learn that war is an ugly event that can ever happen to the human race and nothing good ever come out from fight each other

this building was the only structure left standing near the bomb's hypocenter

the building before it was bomb, is Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition design by a Czech architect in 1915

now it's known as Atomic Bomb Dome, part of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site 1996

it still looks exactly as it did 40 years ago after the bombing

many locals wanting it torn down as it reminds them of a tragic history, while others wanted to preserve it as a memorial of the bombing and a symbol of peace. Ultimately when the reconstruction of Hiroshima began, the skeletal remains of the building were preserve

imagine this area were once torn and burned to the grown and no organic living thing can ever grow for many many years

many paper crane made by people all over the world wishing world peace

crane bell :)

flame of peace

Pond of Peace and the Peace Museum in the background

this is the Memorial Monument for Hiroshima

it is dedicated tp the legacy of Hiroshima as the 1st city on earth to suffer a nuclear attack, and also to the memories of the direct and indirect victims 

food was so so

price i can't remember but it's below 2000yen for this meal

we didn't do any homework on food in Hiroshima....so we just eat whatever we find walking around the area before heading back to our hotel

Hiroshima is worth visiting, it gives a rather different feeling compare to other popular and crowded cites like Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo. Hiroshima, a city of peace! a city with a sad history that shape Japan to what she is today! 

There is an island, Itsukushima or aka Miyajima(Shrine Island) which is about 45 minutes local train ride away from the city and a ferry ride

will be in my next post!!! stay tune~~

~ Ja ne ~