Trip to Hiroshima City

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Supported by his wife, an elderly Japanese man broke into tears in front of the Memorial Cenotaph at Hiroshima's Peace Park. The monument's arched shape protects the souls of the victims of the world's first atomic bomb attack, whose names are etched into its stone structure. As he limped away, it became clear to me that August 6, 1945, is not part of Hiroshima's history, but its present.

In the midst of the neighboring restaurants, office buildings and casual flow of city life, a gutted ruin bleeds like an open wound. The city has re-grown around it but the A-Bomb Dome, the shell of a destroyed building, is preserved as a memorial of the horrors of that day and its aftermath.

After spending Hiroshima day number one sipping happily away at a sake festival, these sights made for a disturbing next morning.

I was educated about the bomb, from the grotesque effects on human bodies to the impossible struggle of rebuilding the city, by the monuments and museum spread throughout the park. But nothing made it more real to me than two things: the crying man, and a small shrine topped with bottles of water left by visitors. They are for the victims who survived the initial 3,000 to 4,000 degree temperatures, but felt like they were being burned from the inside of their bodies. They spent the last moments of their lives begging for a drink.

These horrific details alongside a functioning Hiroshima prove to me the intense cruelty of the world, as well as the incredible resiliance of people. Since the devastation of the A-bomb, Hiroshima has developed into a beautiful city, and the rest of the trip was spent exploring some of its happier corners. My favorite was Miyajima, an island town with an iconic orange Shinto shrine.

When I stepped off the ferry and onto this island, the sight of several wild deer lounging next to benches and shops caught me off guard. Like furry cocktail party hosts, they mingled with all of the tourists and even let us touch them. Although one of them tried to steal a ticket out of my purse (and got a good amount of slobber on it), this was a fantastic addition to the traditional little town. Even better was when one deer followed my friend Susie for several minutes trying to get at her ice cream cone. I believe there were two headbutting casualties.

Another highlight: a guy we met on the street in downtown Hiroshima gave me the shirt he was wearing as a present. It says Hiroshima f***ing City. I am astounded yet again by how awesome Japanese people are at giving gifts.

Random highlight sidenote number two: I realized at lunch on the last day of the trip that I am not at all ready to be a responsible adult. After having worn my shirt backwards for a good portion of the morning, I ordered an offensive amount of the big-city food I'm deprived of in Tokushima "City": a mango juice ice cream float, a cafe mocha with whipped cream and a biscotti and pasta with cream sauce and mushrooms. I felt so sick afterwards. But it was totally worth it.

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Photos

A-Bomb Dome
As seen from the Peace Park

Shrine
Next to the A-Bomb Dome, this shrine has water for the burn victims.

Miyajima Shrine
The gate of this shrine is underwater during high tide.

A Wily Deer
It's trying to steal that family's food.

Best Shirt Ever
The trade: first he gave me the shirt, then friend Adam gave him the rainbow sunglasses.