Hiroshima is a city of duality. One one hand there is a people that have endured generational suffering, with tragic effects still being seen today. And on the other is a vibrant city full of people who have taken the pain and processed it, holding no observed animosity for Americans, and turning the site of a tragedy into one of peace and remembrance.
Trigger Warning: Some images in this post will not be for the faint of heart.
Food
My first ramen in Japan was at an Ichiran in Hiroshima. This was (at the time) the best bowl of ramen I’d ever had. Ichiran is a popular chain in Japan and usually has at least a few locations per city. You always order using an electronic kiosk in the front of the restaurant which prints a few tickets; one for each item of the meal. Then you’re taken to your booth which is an introverts dream come true. The back wall of the booth has a folding screen that allows you to hand off the tickets without talking to the server behind the wall, and each booth has its own water spigot. The broth is very hearty and flavorful, and when you’re done you just get up and leave.
Okonomiyaki is a famous food in Japan. It literally translates to savory pancake and typically consists of cabbage, meat, and other toppings. Hiroshima is famous for their Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki which uses noodles as a base and goes lighter on the cabbage. For those who know me, this is obviously preferred. This seating arrangement is very common throughout Japan. Lopez (the chef in the first image) immigrated to Japan and set up shop in Hiroshima, bringing a Spanish flair to this historic dish by adding Jalapenos and other seasonings. He’s very personable and will chat with everyone. The final image is a more traditional Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
Miyajima Island
Day 2 in Hiroshima I took a tram down to the port and caught the ferry over to Miyajima Island. It’s full of beautiful temples and shrines, but the most popular attractions are the floating gates and the hundreds of friendly deer that roam the island. Pro tip: look up the tide charts so that the gates are actually ‘floating’.
These small wooden blocks called Ema are all over the shrines in Japan. You’re supposed to write a prayer on the Ema and then hang it near a place of worship. I like to use google translate to read the ones in Japanese and I came across this gem. I hope all of your wishes come true!
There is a hike to the top of the island’s central peak that takes a few hours. I opted to save my knees and took a series of cable cars about 80% of the way up, and then hiked another 30 minutes to the peak.
On the way out I grabbed a few Momiji Manju which is a confectionary made of sweet cake batter outside with various fillings on the inside and always shaped like a Japanese maple leaf. It’s the specialty of Miyajima island and they’re SOOO good, especially when warm.
As I was leaving the island, the tide was out which showcases why the pro tip above is so important… Not quite the same is it?
Hiroshima Museum and Peace Park
(Skip to another city to avoid sadness)
On my final day in Hiroshima, I went to the Museum which is located just about exactly where the Little Boy atom bomb was dropped. This was a very emotionally heavy part of the trip. I consider myself fairly resolute emotionally, but about halfway through this museum I considered walking out to take a break. The bomb helped to end the war, but the multi-generational damage it left behind should make anyone wonder if it was really necessary.
The art depicting the bombing and the last effects that followed is as brutal as one might expect. The photos are haunting.
There was a large number of children working on a building demolitions near the hypocenter. There are firsthand accounts detailing people jumping into the river near the hypocenter to try and cool off, but nearly all ended up dying which created a dam of human bodies.
Acid rain with enormous drops fell all over the city shortly after the bomb erupted. The radiation from the blast felt was so hot that many of the water sources evaporated, so when the black drops fell from the sky, people drank them in as fast as they could to quench their thirst. The drops were radioactive. The white square with drip lines is not of a painting; it’s a piece of a rained on panel that was preserved to show how black the drops were.
92% of the entire city was flattened. Some managed to survive, but their lives would never be the same.
Closing Thoughts
I think that everyone who goes to Japan should take the time to visit Hiroshima. It’s a harrowing lesson in the dangers of nuclear weapons. They have only gotten more powerful over time and I believe witnessing the horrors showcased in the museum would help to dissuade anyone from wanting countries to have nuclear arsenals.
