December 6 – 9, 2024, Japan. We had a long day of travel from Koya to Hiroshima, over 6 1/2 hours, from bus to cable car to Shinkansen, the fast train in Japan. Shawn was tired of Airbnbs and decided to book a fancy hotel, the Grand Prince Hiroshima, for 3 nights. I was on board. My main goal in Hiroshima was to spend a day in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and related museums. I have staunchly opposed nuclear weapons my entire life, and was part of an affinity group at UCSC that actively blocked shipments of nuclear warheads. I remembered diving under my school desk with my arms over my head and hands over my neck. We were told that our desks would shield us from glass or rubble blasting through classrooms.

We arrived in Hiroshima around 7pm. It was dark, and we had to decide whether to walk or take a tram to the hotel. Not many were running at this hour, so we started out walking, and occasionally looked back to see if one was coming. It would be a 7 km walk all the way to the hotel, so I hoped we could catch a ride for part of the way. Finally we saw one, and made a dash for the stop. We rode it until we got to a bridge to Ujina Island. The hotel was on the island. It was a 20 minute walk from the bridge to the hotel.

We were beat when we finally arrived. The hotel was so far from anything that we were forced to eat in one of the restaurants onsite. The food was expensive and not nearly as good as most of the izakayas we’d enjoyed. Ah well. After dinner we headed to bed. It had been a long day.

Next day we left fairly early for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. On the way, we looked for a good cafe. I was ecstatic to find Café Comme Moi, and wonderful little spot along the river. It was run by a couple. They offered few different homemade pastries, including Basque cheesecake and apple tartin. The atmosphere was very pleasant, with soft music playing and a relaxed feel that made it easy to chat. I talked with the owner for a few minutes, then thanked her and left. I walked along the Kyobashi River toward Shukkeien Garden. On the way I saw a few trees that had signs indicating that they survived the atomic bomb. I wanted to see the garden not just for its beauty, but because it was an important gathering spot for survivors of the blast. It had been built by a samurai in the 16th century, and had a koi pond, a tea house, and lovely flowering trees. I walked the grounds, appreciating the layout of the garden and pond. Along the river were tea plants, rice field, and herb garden.

After visiting the peaceful garden, I walked towards the museum. On the way I passed the Hiroshima Castle Ura-Gomon Gate Ruins, and went in to look at the new castle tower, rebuilt after the destruction of the 16th-century castle. It houses a history museum and views of the city. I exited out the Nakamikado Gate. Across the street lay the Peace Memorial Park, which constitutes a comprehensive memorial complex designed to convey the devastation of the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945, and to promote world peace.

Designed by Kenzo Tange, the museum consists of two main buildings:

• Main Building (Reopened 2019): Focuses on the “Reality of the Atomic Bombing.” Exhibits include personal belongings of victims, clothing, watches (many stopped at 8:15 AM), and items detailing the impact on human bodies.
• East Building (Reopened 2017): Focuses on the history of Hiroshima before the bombing, the development and dangers of nuclear weapons, and the post-war reconstruction.
• Key Exhibition Sections:
  • Material Witness: Personal items of victims.
  • Damage by Heat Rays: Items illustrating extreme heat damage, such as fused glass and scorched earth.
  • Damage by the Blast: Showcasing the destructive force of the explosion.
  • Damage by Radiation: Detailing the long-term health effects.
• Other Facilities: The East Building includes a video theater, a memorial hall, a library, meeting rooms, a museum shop, and a rest area

Surrounding the museum complex is a 42.7-hectare area formerly known as Nakajima, the city’s commercial heart before the bombing. Within it a beautiful Peace Park has been built to remind visitors of the many losses resulting from the bombing:

• Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome): The skeletal ruins of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, preserved in the exact state it was in after the explosion.
• Memorial Cenotaph (Cenotaph for A-Bomb Victims): An arched tomb (designed by Kenzo Tange) containing a register of the names of over 220,000 victims.
• Peace Flame: A flame that burns within the arch of the cenotaph, intended to stay lit until all nuclear weapons are abolished.
• Children’s Peace Monument: Dedicated to Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of children who died from the bomb, featuring a statue of a child holding a crane.
• Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound: A large, grass-covered mound containing the cremated ashes of 70,000 unidentified victims.
• Peace Bell: Visitors can ring this bell, which is decorated with a world map without national borders, to pray for peace.
• Cenotaph for Korean Victims: Dedicated to the estimated 45,000 Korean forced laborers killed in the bombing.
• Gates of Peace: Added in 2005, a series of ten 9-meter-high glass gates with “peace” written in 49 languages.
• Rest House: Located near the Motoyasu Bridge, this building was a former fuel warehouse that survived the blast; it now serves as an information center with a preserved basement.
• Other Memorials and Sculptures: Numerous smaller memorials and trees (like the Chinese parasol trees that survived) are scattered throughout the park.
• Fountain of Prayer: Located near the central park axis to offer water to victims who suffered extreme thirst. 

I walked around the park, moved by the powerful monuments and memorials. I loved the Gates of Peace, which features the word peace written in 49 languages on what look like large glass gates. The memorial dedicated to Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of children who died from the bomb made me cry. I walked over to Genbaku Dome to see what the bomb had done to the industrial hall. Chilling.

I was worried I wouldn’t have enough time at the museum complex, and headed over. I am the kind of person who reads every sign. Some exhibits were hard to take in, especially film of the actual event and interviews with survivors. In the East Building, I watched a video about people on the shore who survived and were helping those closer to the epicenter of the blast. I saw a guy who seemed ex-military crying. I could tell he was American by his accent, as he was talking to a friend. Now there were 2 things I wanted every American to experience. One, spend a day at this powerful memorial. And two, try to survive on the streets of Calcutta for a few weeks as a mendicant. That might rearrange hard to drop privilege.

I stayed till closing, my head full of images and information. It’s hard to face the level of destruction, and when I learned that the US military intentionally parachuted the bomb down to have the maximum impact on the area, I wanted to throw up. I headed to the former fuel warehouse that survived the blast, and checked out the information center and preserved basement. Everything I had seen was a powerful argument for peace.

I contacted Shawn, who was still downtown, and we found a place to eat, better and cheaper than the hotel. I had decided to take the high speed boat (Setonaikaikisen) to Miyajima the next day, and bought tickets at the hotel when we got back.

Next morning we waited for the Setonaikaikisen at the hotel pier. The 35 minute ride gave us scenic views of the Seto Inland Sea, and I loved the feeling of skimming across the water. In what felt like no time, we were there. We alighted at a dock near the Miyajima Omotesandō Shopping Street. I took my time walking through the shopping street, not realizing that the tide was about to come in, creating the spectacle of a 50 ft tall vermillion floating Itsukushima Shrine Otorii Gate. Luckily I saw people walking onto the beach, and followed.

My timing couldn’t have been better, because 5 minutes later the tide began to come in fast, and after 10 minutes the Otorii was standing in a foot of water. What serendipity! It was ecstatic since I rarely read guide books or plan to be somewhere for a certain festival or event. It felt like the universe conspired to make this happen. I took a boatload of photos and videos of the water as the tide crept under the gate. I had wanted to visit this island because of an image of the mysterious Otorii floating over the sea. And here I was, in the flesh.

Everything else felt like icing on the cake. I walked back to the viewpoint and noticed the stone lanterns offerings lining the pathway. On the hillside to my left was a large wooden hall. I climbed the stairs and gazed at the spacious hall. Hokoku-jinja (Senjokaku Pavilion, literally “pavilion of 1000 mats”) had been built in 1587 by Hideyoshi Senjokaku. It was a lovely structure, and I particularly loved the wooden floor, stout pillars, and paintings on the ceiling. I liked the incompleteness of it. It felt like a workshop.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three unifiers of Japan, commissioned Senjokaku for the purpose of chanting Buddhist sutras for fallen soldiers. The building was not yet completed when Hideyoshi died in 1598. As Tokugawa Ieyasu took power thereafter rather than the Toyotomi heirs, the building was never fully completed. Senjokaku is strikingly sparse, lacking proper ceilings and a front entrance. In 1872, the incomplete building was dedicated to the soul of its founder, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which remains its present-day religious function. Adjacent to Senjokaku stands a colorful five-storied pagoda originally built in 1407, predating the shrine.

I admired the pagoda, then descended to Itsukushima, a 6th-century Shinto shrine which seems to float on the water when the tide high, and is aptly dedicated to the three goddesses of sea and storms. During special events, such as the 1250th anniversary of the monk Kukai, thousands of lanterns are released into the water near the Otorii gate to honor the Shingon Buddhism tradition. During the Kangen-sai festival, ceremonial boats are adorned with high lanterns and decorative lanterns as they transport the deity across the sea. The shrine is the source of both the island’s fame and its name. Formally named Itsukushima, the island is more popularly known as “Miyajima”, literally “shrine island”, thanks to its star attraction. The shrine is known worldwide for its iconic “floating” torii gate.

The shrine and its torii gate are unique for being built over water, seemingly floating in the sea during high tide. The shrine consists of multiple buildings, including a prayer hall, main hall and Noh theater stage, which are connected by boardwalks and supported by pillars above the sea. Miyajima Island has a long history as a holy site of Shinto. The island’s highest peak, Mount Misen, was worshiped by local people as early as the 6th century. In 1168, Taira no Kiyomori, the most powerful man in Japan during the end of the Heian Period, selected the island as the site of his clan’s family shrine and built Itsukushima Shrine.

The shrine is in a small inlet, while the torii gate stands before it in the Seto Inland Sea. I enjoyed looking at the various buildings, and especially liked the Noh stage. I followed the boardwalk which led to the other side of the shrine and a path that continued along the coast. I wish I could have stayed overnight to watch the sun set over the sea, and the illuminated shrine and torii at night.

I continued walking until I came to Momijidani Park. The maples were still brilliant with autumn colors. The area was historically known as “Teradani” (Temple Valley), as it housed many temples during the Edo period. Maple trees were planted in the valley during the Edo period, establishing it as a scenic spot for autumn foliage. A powerful typhoon in 1945 (Typhoon Makurazaki) caused significant mudslides that destroyed part of the area. Following the 1945 devastation, the area was rebuilt with specialized erosion control, designed to blend, nature, safety, and landscape artistry. The reconstruction utilized local stones and aimed to keep the area as a peaceful natural space. Situated along the Momijidani River, the park serves as a scenic route to the Miyajima Ropeway and the hiking trails to Mount Misen.

I walked the trail up the mountain. The afternoon was getting on, and light was fading. We had signed up for the last boat, which left around 5:30. It was amazingly peaceful and I saw no one. I imagined the days when temples dotted the landscape here, and wondered what it would have been like to be a monk on this island. The place certainly lent itself to spiritual contemplation. In the middle of my musings, my alarm interrupted me. I had set it to make it back in time. Ah well. I turned and headed back toward the dock. On the way, I explored a few residential neighborhoods where tourists didn’t venture. It was nice to see the daily lives of people who lived on the island.

I got back to the boat just in time. I met Shawn, who told me he had almost been attacked by a deer. He was standing on a small beach when a deer came bounding at him, stopping 10 ft away, and waiting for a handout. When Shawn didn’t produce, the deer, probably disgusted, lost interest. So much for wild deer. The ride back was lovely. We saw the sun set as we arrived at the pier outside the hotel. It had been a lovely day, and I was so grateful to have seen the magical island of Miyajima.

We had a light supper at the hotel, then packed our things. Tomorrow we would head back to Tokyo for a couple of days. Then home. It had been an amazing trip. So much so that I returned in April, 4 months later. To see the cherry blossoms and country north of Tokyo all the way to Hokkaido. A very different trip.