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SHOPPING > Travel > Asia > Japan > Other Destinations in Japan > Japan Experience > Hiroshima (Japan) > Reviews

Hiroshima (Japan)

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Show all Reviews for Hiroshima (Japan)

Historic Hiroshima

Feb 6th, 2003

Advantages:
A beautiful and historic city !

Disadvantages:
I can't speak Japanese !

Recommendable Yes:

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ickkate

ickkate

About me:

Three day weekends at five day a week pay should be compulsory.

Member since:05.11.2002

Reviews:65

Members who trust:39

Hiroshima is the capital city of the Hiroshima Prefecture (Hiroshima-ken) which is in western Honshu. This Japanese city is famous for having suffered the first atomic bomb on 6 August 1945. Since then it has become a city devoted to peace and the eradication of all forms of mass destruction. More personally for me it is the city where my old housemate teaches English to Japanese school children. This year I visited Japan and stayed with my friend in Kure, a small town forty minutes by bus or train from Hiroshima.

GETTING THERE

I came into Narita airport which is about an hour by Express train from Tokyo. I then changed and got on the Shinkansen, or Bullet train, destined for Hakata. The Shinkansen is not cheap, but for me this was still going to work out cheaper than flying into Osaka airport. If you do fly in to Osaka you may well still choose to take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima.

All the signs are clearly marked in both Japanese and English which makes it fairly easy to find which platform to go to. The one problem I did find is that the number of stops is listed on the departure boards along with the platform number. (In fact, for a little while I was standing on the wrong platform!) The information printed on your ticket is both useful and important to read. When you buy your ticket on the Shinkansen you reserve you seat, and it is very important that you sit in the seat allocated for you. (As in the UK there is a separate car and seat number.) The useful piece of information is the departure and arrival time. I find it very easy on long train journeys to forget when I am going to arrive.

The Shinkansen was a welcome resting point after a long flight. Not only is the train non-smoking and mobile-free. (Well, they ask you to turn them to vibrate.) It is also very spacious and comfortable. I was able to rest my backpack against the seat in front whilst having room for my legs and was able to recline my seat. The map on the back of the seat also shows you where the toilets, vending machines, telephones and bins are located.

If, like me, you have seen traditional pictures of Japan depicting mountains, that suddenly rise from expanses of flat ground, painted in bluish grey shades, and thought they were stylised depictions, then think again! The Shinkansen gave me a chance to quickly see the beauty and changeability of the Japanese countryside, and the truth in those beautiful pictures.

PLACES TO VISIT

The Peace Museum

Cost: 50 Yen (I think?!)

This Museum really brings home the atom bombs legacy to Hiroshima and raises a nasty question. If they did have to drop the atom bomb on Hiroshima (which is contentious in itself) then why did they wait only three days until they dropped the bomb on Nagasaki? Surely it would have made more sense to wait and see what kind of effect it had upon the Japanese Government and decide whether the second bomb was needed?

The first part of the Museum is devoted to putting the bomb in context, and is mainly facts and figures. The Museum is careful to state that the Japanese were far from blameless in the war, and is simply trying to act as a reminder that this kind of destruction should never happen again. It is here that I discovered that every time a test of a weapon capable of mass destruction is made, the Mayor of Japan will write to that country asking it to stop testing. This section also includes two 3D maps, one showing Hiroshima before, and one showing Hiroshima afterwards - this will shock you, especially when you think of the people who would have been where the buildings stood.

The second half of the museum is devoted to the effect on the individual people. Clothing worn by victims at the time of the blast, roof tiles, glass bottles melted by the heat of the blast, pieces of glass that were either removed or rejected by the body decades later are all accompanied by a few lines that sum up what happened to that person. It is incredible to be standing before a child's rusty tricycle trying to stop yourself from crying - I defy anyone not to be moved.

The Peace Gardens

After the Museum we were both quite shell shocked. We had decided that the best idea would be to lighten our mood by going around the beautiful Peace Gardens. Due to the fact that Japan is so over-populated there are very few parks, and this one contains many reminders that this should not happen again.

- The Eternal Flame

This burns as an everlasting reminder of the effects of the bomb.

- The Peace Bell

This bell is rung on the anniversary, the 6 August 1945 at 8.15 am, when the bomb exploded 580 meters above the city.

- The Children's Memorial

I found this to be one of the most memorable memorials that we visited in the Peace Gardens. In the Museum you will read about the story of a little girl who developed leukaemia years after the bomb was dropped. This little girl made more than a thousand origami cranes in order that she could get better. (It is believed that if you make a thousand cranes your wish will come true.) Unfortunately her wish did not come true and she died, but she became a symbol for the children of the bomb. Children from all over the world send cranes to Hiroshima to fill glass boxes surrounding a stone with a bronze crane sitting on it.

The A-Bomb Dome

In 1967, the old 'Hiroshima Prefectural Exhibition Hall' was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the few buildings which managed to withstand the blast to any degree. The building was set alight, killing thirty people inside, but the shell remains with twisted metal inside and the remnants of the dome. It is a testament to its architecture that so much of it survived.

The Castle (Hiroshima-jo)

Cost: 300 yen

I have to admit to that I found this very difficult to find. You will first come upon a building with wooden floors where you have to take your shoes off, and put on slippers. This building has a wooden model of what the Castle once looked like and many beautiful pictures on the walls. Confused by the lack of English I almost walked away but an attendant asked me if I had seen the Castle. I had to carry on through a square and a car park, past a Buddhist Shrine with a shop, (enquiring en route) until finally I found the Castle - do not fear it is there! (Strangely enough, this is the only time I couldn't find enough signs!)

This building was rebuilt in 1958 to look like part of the old Castle, and now houses a small museum. The first couple of floors are the most interesting, dealing with how the area came to become populated, and how the city came to play an important part in the Prefecture. I would definitely advise you to visit this museum before visiting Miyajima and the Itsukushima Sinto Shrine, as it helps to put them in context.

Miyajima Island and the Itsukushima Sinto Shrine

This island was once a cultural centre and houses many attractive shrines, the most famous of which is the Itsukushima Shrine which stands in the water at the edge of the island, at high tide it almost looks as if it is floating on the water. In order to get to the island you will need to take a train and a ferry. The ferry, conveniently comes in directly facing the shrine, and gives a nice opportunity to look at it from the water. Like any shrine in Japan, you should use the water and bowls provided to pour water over your hands before you enter the area. (It is better if you can get the person you are visiting with to do this for you, because in Japan you are meant to be considerate of other people and do things for them without being asked.)

- The mountain (I'm sorry I can't remember the proper name.)

Although there is a cable car that goes up this gorgeous mountain, I would suggest that you walk up the other side to reach the top. We originally intended to catch this, but by mistake walked all the way to the top, and the views we saw were well worth the two hour walk up, and forty-five minute walk down. Do be careful not to leave it too late though, because we had heard of some people who had difficulty picking their way down in the dark!

Food

Yaki okomomiyaki is a dish specific to Hiroshima, (around about 400 yen in price), which is made from noodles, egg, cabbage, pancake, bacon and a special sauce. You can buy this in the Shikenchi Plaza building, behind the Parco department store. Be careful though, this meal is very filling!

Sushi - when in Japan this has to be tried, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (apart from two pieces). The best idea is to go for a set meal, these started at 1,000 yen where we ate, but we went for the 1,500 yen set meal. A small warning, in case you don't know - sushi contains a green paste which tastes like strong horseradish, so if you don't like horseradish ask for it to be removed.

Don't bother buying Western food, it is expensive (3,400 yen in some places) and your in Japan for goodness sake!

Hiroshima in General

Hiroshima does have a couple of bars which are run by English speakers due to the number of English teachers, like my friend, and I would advise you to try out a Karaoke bar whilst you are there. (I'm afraid that I can only advise one which is in Kure which is called 'Memories' - if you do go in say 'Hi' to Kirsty!) Another warning though, drinking is also expensive in Japan!

- Travel in Hiroshima

I found all my travel to be nothing but efficient. Hiroshima is connected by trams, trains and buses. One small note for the buses is that when you get on you must take a ticket (as you do on the tram) which has a number on it. On large boards at the front of the bus are numbers with prices under them. When you get off the bus you should pay the amount under the number on your ticket. Although there are change machines, I would advise you to take lots of change with you as the Japanese do expect you to be quick when paying.

Japan in General

Provided you nod (a greeting and sign of respect in Japan) to everyone, the people are infinitely helpful. There is a great urge to understand what is being said which is sorely lacking in the UK. Although I would suggest that you take a good phrase book with the phrases written in the Japanese script as well as written phonetically in English, these basic words might be quite useful:

Arigato gozaimasu - thank you
Sumimasen - excuse me
Egoi - English
Hai - yes

As well as being very forgiving of the English not knowing their language, I found the Japanese to be incredibly helpful although you have to expect to be laughed at a little or questioned about England a great deal if they are English speaking. If they see you having problems they will volunteer help, but the laughter disguises their shyness along with showing their amusement at the silly foreigner - I would much rather be laughed at then have people scowl and dismiss me as a stupid foreigner as I think we are occasionally prone to do.

As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Japan, although it was far too short. I am intending on going back to visit my friend again, although it may be a few years before I can afford to go back again. Japan is expensive, but Hiroshima has made me want to see more - Tokyo next time maybe? I do hope that I might have convinced you that there is plenty to see in this historic city!

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Comments about this review »

inejenn 14.09.2006 18:08

I have been to Hiroshima several times and I always feel moved by the Peace Park and the museum.

Soho_Black 07.03.2003 15:38

Tokyo is well worth a visit, although the Metro is a nightmare! I didn't get to go to Hiroshima when I was there, although I did go on the Shinkhansen! Wonderful country, wonderful opinion!

jillmurphy 04.03.2003 15:03

What a wonderful, wonderful review.

read all comments

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Hiroshima (Japan) - review by Hmatt

Advantages: Mazda Factory tour, Centrally located Baseball stadium and sights & incredible Miyajima daytrip.
Disadvantages: Expensive of accomodation!

Hmatt 28.08.2002 (11.09.2002) · Read review
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Hiroshima (Japan) - review by randymutley

Advantages: Peace park, Miyajima, beautiful city
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Hiroshima (Japan) - review by emma_chan

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Disadvantages: nightlife isnt quite as varied as larger cities in Japan although it is possible to have a good night out, expensive

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Hiroshima (Japan) - review by Mattokun

Advantages: History, scenery
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Hiroshima (Japan) - review by jazzijasmine

Advantages: cool cafes, bars, nightclubs, shopping, interesting people
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