HiroshimaJapan

A Guide to Hiroshima: Peace Memorial, Photos & Links for Peace

It was sunny in Hiroshima in the morning – in 1945. 6 August is the day of Hiroshima. (9 for Nagasaki)

Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, Japan

This post will be a way to pray for peace after A Sad Tale of Elephants in Ueno Zoo: a tragedy in World War 2. Let’s explore Peace Memorial with photos and my stories. Visitors’ information is at the bottom.

When I arrived at Hiroshima, I took a tram, which is the main transportation in Hiroshima City, to Atomic Bomb Dome stop.

A tram in Hiroshima City

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was very large, and silent.

A river is beside Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome). I felt salty breezes there.

Atomic Bomb Dome from a bridge

The below is Children’s Peace Monument, one of the landmarks of Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

The girl of the statue is Sadako Sasaki, a local girl who got exposed by the atomic bomb when she was 2 years old. 10 years later, she was diagnosed with atomic bomb illness. It is believed in Japan that when a person makes 1000 paper cranes, his or her wish will come true. So Sadako made more than 1300 cranes in her bed. When she passed away after being in hospital for 8 months, her friends at elementary school made up their mind to built a monument for all the children who died because of the atomic bomb. With collecting donation from in and outside of Japan, a bronze statue of a girl holding up a crane was built.

Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima, Japan

69 years have passed since the atomic bomb and there has never been times without paper cranes from individuals (including very little kids), schools, societies in Japan and many foreign countries.
I was one of them. The bundle of the middle was from me.

Paper cranes to pray for peace from the world

You can send it to Peace Memorial Museum if you made some cranes. (Not have to be 1000 cranes.)

And the next is the main monument in the park. The yearly Commemoration is held here.
I saw Flame of Peace, which will be extinguished on the day when all the nuclear weapons disappear from the world, and Atomic Bomb Dome over there through the monument.

The main monument in Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima

There are always people who bring flowers and some water here.

The message means,“Please rest in peace. We will never make the same mistake.” (my own translation)

I cannot agree more.

Atomic Bomb Dome and Flame of Peace are seen through the monument.

I was impressed that there were so many monuments in the Park and the city. Some are built by a group and other small ones were by individuals (many are survivors) in Hiroshima. I hadn’t known that since I visited there. They show us that there were people who prayed for peace in the city.

There were many bells and this is one of them. Feel free to ring it anytime.

I also entered Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Beyond words, the displays were. To tell you one of my memories there, I saw some paintings by Atomic Bomb survivors. I thought it was an ultimate art for humanity.

I saw many international visitors from many countries (including America) in the museum. I was impressed that there were so many enthusiastic people. I respect those who had a long way to Hiroshima. I like peace, everyone likes peace.

I understand that you feel helpless.

There are still wars in the world, I know this fact is evil, wars have to be stopped right now, but I can’t. I don’t have enough power to bring peace, nor even the power to solve my personal difficulties in my daily lives. I am too small in the world.

But there are small, easy, and free options to make an action.

Please just share this by 1 click. It’s the simplest way! Or leave a comment. It is not a hard task to show yourself on the web.

Then, you can show that there is one person who pray for peace in the world.
When there are people against wars, it is difficult for wars to be supported, and as a result, peace will come someday.




Links for Peace

Visitor Information & Travel Tips

How to get to Hiroshima From Tokyo

There are 2 ways; One is airplane and the other is Shinkansen (Japanese super express) Line.

Which is better?

Personally, I prefer to Shinkansen. Although it is a bit hard to sit on the train for 4 hours, I pass many of Japan’s large cities on the way as people of hundreds years ago did on foot. I saw Mt. Fuji, (Attention on the opposite side of the sea when you passed Atami, near Shizuoka, on Tokaido Shinkansen!) Nagoya (a city famous for Toyota, the car company,) Osaka (the finest city in West Japan, famous for its soul foods Okonomi-yaki and Tako-yaki,) Kyoto (had been Japan’s capital for 1000 years) and Kobe (a cool city near ports.)

How about airplane? Not bad.

It takes just 1 hour 20 minutes from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Hiroshima Airport. So you might feel it’s better than Shinkansen, but the problem is the location of Hiroshima Airport. You will on a bus for 45 minutes to Hiroshima city. I hear Hiroshima locals choose Shinkansen with considering the transportation to/from the airport and the boring hours on the bus.

However, if you have a plane ticket and thinking of changing planes in Tokyo, it is also true that airplane is fast, and convenient for your baggage. No problem.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Opening Hours: 8:30 – 19:00 in August, 20:00 on 5 & 6 August, 18:00 in September to November & March to July, 17:00 in December to February

Closed on 29 December to 1 January

Accommodation in Hiroshima

Hotels in Hiroshima on Booking.com (I saw this search results and found that all the hotels are convenient enough.)


Booking.com

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