A holiday to Japan would include the usual on a first-timer’s list — Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Many contemplate ditching Hiroshima because of its obvious disquieting past. However, the museum isn’t the only place of interest. Once you’ve visited the main museum building, around it are happy monuments of hope. It is the city centre that represents the real Hiroshima: what it has become today.
The city was quick in moving beyond its history and starting afresh. Hiroshima has been back on its feet with a stylish, buzzing underbelly of food and bar cultures. This is apparent from the way it has transformed into an exciting place to sample sake and local brews.
Having said that, as any tourist would, our tour of Hiroshima unsurprisingly began at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Park before moving on to its younger side.
SEE
This may be the first reminiscence from the bombing that one will encounter. The number of cranes in the area aren’t solely a form of peace offering. They have a deeper meaning through the story of twelve-year- old Sadako Sasaki. She was two when the explosion occurred. Her home was about 1.5km from where the bomb was dropped. The impact was so grave that little Sadako flew out the window. Miraculously, she survived. Her mother lifted her and fled, but both were caught in the black rain that carried sparse residues from the bombing.
Sadako grew up as a normal and apparently healthy young girl, with no signs of immediate damage. Alas, in November 1954, she developed swollen lymph nodes, a sign of leukaemia. She was finally diagnosed with acute malignant lymph gland leukaemia and was given a year to live, at best.
An ancient Japanese legend says that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes would get one wish. Sadako, with a wish to get better, used to spend most of her time in the hospital folding origami cranes.
At school, her classmates folded cranes for her. In October 1955, Sadako died at the age of 12.
Today, a stone statue of her at the Peace Park reminds people of hope and optimism. And the cranes symbolise this, saluting the girl’s spirit.
EXPERIENCE
The Peace Park was built in memory of the tragedy and designed by architect Kenzō Tange, a Pritzker Architecture Prize holder. What once lay as an open wound in Hiroshima is now a planned space of memorials, monuments, museums, and lecture halls that receive millions of tourists annually. A short walk through the park leads to the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, 600 metres south and 160 metres north-west from where the nuclear bomb was dumped on the city during World War II on August 6, 1945. Most people inside the hall or A-Bomb Dome had perished instantaneously. The dome, in ruins remains as it was post the bombing — a stark contrast to the developed surroundings of modern buildings and healthy landscape.
The Museum (open 8:30am-6pm, until 5pm in Dec-Feb; entry ¥200/₹123; pcf.city.hiroshima.jp) primarily exhibits artefacts from the bombings and its after-effects in the form of personal belongings of atom bomb victims: the tarnished lunch box of a young student carried to school on the day of the bomb, the hair of a victim that fell off months later due to the side effects of radiation, a trampled on wristwatch….
The experience of the museum can be incredibly overwhelming with details of the dark day narrated through literature and photographs. The curators have very effectively portrayed the ordeal of the atom bomb attack on civilians — before, during and after the attack.
By the end of the visit that lasted over an hour, we felt as close to the attack, as the victims did. Needless to say, it left us with a heavy heart.
Realising the sadness the display can cause its visitors to feel, the museum bid us goodbye with a beautiful poem of hope:
The autumn
in Hiroshima where it was said
“For seventy-five years nothing will grow”
New buds sprouted
In the green that came back to life
Among the charred ruins
People recovered
Their living hopes and courage.
HOPE
In 1964, Japan made a plea to the world to exist as one peaceful community without nuclear weapons and wars. An A-bomb survivor constructed a bell, hoping that each time it was struck, its sounds would replace anger with peace in the hearts of the people. On its surface is an etching of the world map without any boundaries. Next to the bell is a lotus pond that has sprouted from seeds excavated from a site estimated to be over two centuries old. It is a gesture to assuage the horrible pain the victims endured from burn injuries.
EAT
Let’s toast to Hiroshima’s resilience that has transformed its ruins to a beautiful city-scape with a buzzing nightlife and delicious food preparations.
Okonomiyaki, a Japanese savoury pancake, just happens to be Hiroshima’s speciality, and not something you would want to miss. Okonomiyaki comprises a pancake base, cabbage, noodles, a sauce and topping of your choice — the most famous being pork and squid. It doesn’t sound very appetising, but one would have to eat it to love it.
Ours were grilled in front of us by skilled chefs swishing knives to finely chop the cabbage and noodles with much agility. Once finished, they slid it to the diner’s side of the grill from where we directly indulged in the pancake.
We sampled these delicious okonomiyakis at a quaint little restaurant called Omotenashi Foodtaka (tel: +81 829235572; 5-3-36 Itsukamachi Saeki-Ku), about a 15-minute walk from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. A basic okonomiyaki starts at about ¥1000/₹618. Prices of toppings can range from ¥200/₹123 to ¥600/₹370. We gorged on the pork belly and squid okonomiyaki and washed it down with a chilled Asahi (Japanese beer).
DRINK
Speaking of beer, Japan is beginning to perfect its craft of brewing ale, and small-sized microbreweries are popping up all over the country. Raku, a charming pub (open Sat-Sun 12pm-12am, Mon and Wed 5pm-12am, Thur-Fri 12pm-2pm, 5pm-12am; rakubeer.jp) in downtown Hiroshima showcases some of these brews. It began operations in 2011 and is only one of two pubs in Hiroshima that specialises in authentic Japanese craft beer. They serve a total of 17 taps of various craft beer from all over the country. Beer inspired food such as the Raku Beer Hot Dogs and Stout Curry served here are definitely a must-try. Happy hours are from 5pm to 7pm.
It’s no surprise that Hiroshima has ample sake bars all over the city. It is the traditional drink and most still believe that sake has medicinal properties. The stylish Koishi Sake bar (open 3pm-2am; koishi-sakebar.jp) specialises in the intoxicating rice drink and is perfect for first-time drinkers and sake connoisseurs alike. It offers more then 30 sake varieties (starting at ¥600/`370 a cup) from regions known for their produce, such as Takehara and the neighbouring Saijo. To sample many types at once, choose the Sake sampler, which is a line-up of 12 fine sake of choice in little cups.
Saijo district is a 40-minute ride from central Hiroshima. The tourist office right outside Saijo’s station offers a walking map in English to all the breweries (saijosake.com). Although tastings are complimentary, it’s always nice to purchase a small bottle to show the host their sake is appreciated.
PRAY
Miyajima Island is a good option for a half-day trip and worth a visit for those interested in Japanese mythology. It is only a 20-minute ferry ride from Hiroshima port. Tickets are available near the boarding gates (¥410/₹247).
Miyajima translates to “shrine island” in Japanese due to its beautiful Itsukushima Shrine. Pay your respects on the way to the boarding dock. As you set sail, you will have a clear view of Torii or Japanese gate that greets ferries which are en route to the island.
It is believed that the “great Torii” is a threshold between the spirit and the human worlds. We set sail at high tide and the gate appeared as if it were mysteriously floating on water. At low tide you can very well walk right up to the foot of Torii. Succumbing to the urge to take as many photos while going out to the island and coming back, I can confidently say Torii and its backdrop are one of the most scenic spots in Japan.
That being done, as soon as you alight from the boat, be prepared to be greeted by many deer that roam free and aren’t shy to interact with people. Be warned, you may think these are vegetarian creatures, but if you’re holding a fish-stick, the hungry ones will come to you for a bite. Don’t feel obliged to share; but if you do, they’ll happily pose for a selfie with you in return.
GETTING AROUND
Buy the weekly JRail pass (¥29,110/₹18,000) for unlimited rides on the bullet train and any other JR station train. Train and ferry tickets to Saijo and Miyajima are included in this pass. It is available only to tourists (not Japanese passport holders) and can be purchased online from your home country (japanrailpass.net).
Taxis are easily available to move within the city. ■
Trishla Patel
