Fall has arrived!

for auntie mia

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Cause she loves birds...

Hiroshima-Jo

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Hiroshima castle from afar

Hiroshima-Jo

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and up close!

the Genbaku Dome

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The atomic bomb dome...it was nearly directly below where the bomb was detonated. Since the destructive waves of the bomb came from above rather than from the side, the walls were not knocked down and the basic structure of the building remained intact.

A-bomb dome

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another view

peace monument

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the peace monument decorated with cranes and flowers that people brought from all over Japan.

Sadako

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Sadako was exposed to radiation as a young child. She grew normally until her teens when she developed leukemia from the radiation. Once an athletic and healthy girl, her health began to quickly fail as she went from doctor to doctor, going through medical treatments. Determined to fight the cancer, she began folding paper cranes, believing that when you fold one thousand, your wish comes true. Inspired, her classmates helped her fold cranes and eventually strung together 1000. Unfortunately Sadako lost the battle with her leukemia. This statue was erected in her memory and for all the children who have suffered as a result of the Atomic bombing.

The peace monument

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a monument that when you look through it you see the eternal flame, lit for fallen soldiers in the war, and in the backround genbaku dome.

Lunch!

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In hiroshima, they have a special type of Okonomiyaki...it includes batter, bacon, shrimp, egg, squid or something like that, and onions or somthing. I forget. It was alright...

the ferry to Miyajima

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Miyajima is a small island located off of Hiroshima- it's only about a 10 minute ride by ferry.

the floating Tori

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Miyajima is famous for the red gate (tori) that, when the tide comes in, appears to be floating in the water.

beware of the deer!!!

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The shika/deer roam the island trying to rob you of your lunch...beware!!!

the not so floating tori

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Sooooooo...the only thing with the floating gate is that when the tide goes out, so does it's floating appearance. You can actually walk right up to the gate- that's how shallow it is.

kaki

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Another specialty of Miyajima is Oysters, or Kaki. We tried them...quite salty. Oh yeah, and they don't serve them raw but grill them over an open flame.

awww

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look- the koyo leaves make a heart!!!! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

more leaves

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last one, I promise!