JAPAN TOUR - PART 2

Written by Darcy Curtain, Taneisha Clack, Alice Wongsakom and Agatha Beare

When we arrived in Hiroshima, we checked into our hotel, this hotel was a big shock to us after coming from our traditional Ryokan hotel in Tokyo to our grand and modern hotel.

We went to the Atomic Bomb Peace Memorial Park and spent some time observing the A-Bomb Dome, one of the last standing structures left after the bomb hit the city, now a dedicated memorial to the victims of the bombing of Hiroshima. From here, we walked a short distance to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and viewed the tragic stories of the victims and witnesses of the bomb. We learnt about the history of the atomic bomb and its creation. Some of the exhibits left us with a nauseous feeling in our gut, as the stories were often graphic containing pictures of bloody and burned bodies. One exhibit was a room of clothes from the deceased victims. Clothing of people of all ages including grandparents to infants was on display. The clothes were in pieces, the edges frayed and coated with dried blood, a reminder of this terrible tragedy.

After the museum, we took a walk along the park to Hiroshima Castle where we spent some time relaxing in the sun.

The next day we visited Miyajima Island. A gorgeous historical place, filled with temples, shrines, and wild deer wandering freely. 

We took time looking at the scenic views of the floating shrine and Otori gate. It was a beautiful island, and we enjoyed a very peaceful day, before heading to our okonomiyaki class, where we learnt how to make this popular Japanese meal, and got to enjoy eating our creations for dinner. We had so much fun during our short time in Hiroshima. Definitely a place that we will never forget.