by Stanley Baldwin O. See
August 6, 1945, at exactly 8:15 in the morning may have very well been the day the Earth stood still for those old enough to be alive then and up this day. Hiroshima and its atomic bombing will forever be etched in human history for both its role in virtually ending World War II, and for the devastation that it brought both physically and emotionally to the people of Japan.
Not too many Filipinos get to see this United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage site as most would first go to either Osaka, Kyoto, or Tokyo for their first taste of the Land of the Rising Sun. In fact, I was only able to include a day tour of Hiroshima during my last trip because of a sudden change in my flight itinerary.
The one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half hour (depends on the type of train you board), 300-plus kilometer train ride from JR Shin-Osaka via the Sanyo shinkansen (bullet train) is very well worth the time and effort to visit a very historic place that is now commemorating the 70th year of the first atomic bombing.
From the JR Hiroshima station to Genbaku Dome-mae station
Going around Hiroshima means visitors riding the public electric tram system. The ground-level ride is rather slow but has great scenic value and passengers can pay the fare using Japan’s Icoca, Haruka, or Suica smart cards.
Genbaku Dome-mae or the Atomic Bomb Dome station, 10 stations or 16 minutes away from JR Hiroshima, is the main gateway to the A-Bomb Dome, the Hypocenter and the vast Peace Memorial Park. I could easily see the A-Dome from across the small tram platform; until all repairs and fixes have been completed, current visitors would unfortunately have to bear with all the scaffoldings surrounding the structure that originally served as Hiroshima’s Commercial Exhibition Hall.
Near the vicinity of the A-Bomb Dome is the Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students, a tower built to commemorate the 6,300 or so national upper level school students killed when the atomic bomb was dropped. Walking further, the 122,100-square-meter Peace Memorial Park can be easily reached by foot by crossing the Motoyasu Bridge.
The park grounds houses several memorials, statues and museums, most notable of which are the Children’s Peace Monument, Peace Bell, Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, Flame of Peace and the Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims. With current post card-worthy, manicured landscape of the park, I could not help but imagine what the area must have looked like moments after the detonation of the atomic bomb.
During the day that I visited, I even witnessed several wreath and flower laying ceremonies by what I suppose foreign dignitaries at the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims. The neighboring, three-story (one above, two below) National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims is a must visit for anyone visiting Hiroshima.
Built in 2002, the Hall serves as both museum and memorial for the estimated 140,000
Japanese who lost their lives during that time. Inside, photographs, video interviews of survivors and relics serve as literal and physical effects of the bombing aftermath, while the whole hall itself is full of symbolic characteristics related to the event.
Hypocenter Marker
Before going back to the Genbaku Dome-mae station, I noticed a small dark red/clay color granite in front of what is now a medical clinic. It turned out to be the marker for the Hypocenter of the Hiroshima bombing: “Carried to Hiroshima from Tinian Island by the Enola Gay, a US Army B-29 bomber, the first atomic bomb used in the history of humankind exploded approximately 600 meters above this spot.”
At that time, I really could not help but to look upward and image what the atomic bomb, cutely nicknamed as “Little Boy,” looked like falling from that US Army plane.
Aside from the getting a quick lesson in history and a deeper appreciation for world peace, the best thing about all the places mentioned above is that they are all free to visit; no admission or entrance fees.
Side trip to Miyajima/Itsukushima
At mid-afternoon and still with plenty of time to spare, I made a quick side trip to the island of Miyajima to see the picturesque Itsukushima Shrine and its world-famous “floating” torii gate.
From Genbaku Dome-mae, a short electric tram ride to Yokogawa tram station brought me to the JR Yokogawa train station. From JR Yokogawa, JR Miyajima-guchi station is a mere 22-minute train ride. It takes another 10-minute ferry ride from the Miyajima-guchi pier (Hiroshima side) to the Miyajima pier.
Two things went against my way by the time the JR ferry docked at the Miyajima pier: first the tide was low and this meant the large, orange torii did not have its distinct floating effect.
Second, the sun was already setting and the amount of available light to have a decent photo is decreasing by the minute.
There are several rows of resorts and restaurants on Omotesando, the main shopping street between the pier and the Itsukushima Shrine. Do not be alarmed if deers suddenly appear as these are usually tame animals and wander freely within the area.
Aside from being a Unesco World Heritage site, Itsukushima Shrine is also one of a handful Shinto shrines designated as National Treasures by the Japanese government. The bright red/orange torii gate dates back to the year 1875, stands at about 16 meters in height and serves as a symbolic entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine.
As luck would have it, dusk is not the best time to view or photograph such as important attraction; but at least I get to have a reason or excuse to go back to this place again. Visiting Hiroshima and Miyajima/Itsukushima is definitely one of the highlights of my recent Japan visit. Wonderful places that I, just as recently, have only read in books, seen in magazines or saw on TV.
These are the reasons Japan, despite all its technological advances, is revered around the world for zealously preserving and promoting its history and culture.