Day 6 - Monday October 30, 2017 - Hiroshima

Posted on Monday October 30, 2017

This morning we’re on the 7.20 am shinkansen (Hikari # 491) to Hiroshima.

I think we were both somewhat dubious as to whether or not we wanted to visit Hiroshima but it would be remiss of us to shy away even if some of what we may see may be confronting.

At least it’s a leisurely way to start the day. Breakfast in the apartment with supplies we bought yesterday and then a leisurely stroll down to track 13 at the station to wait for the train. It took us probably no more than 10 minutes from the apartment to the platform. As always, the train arrives on time and then, a minute or two later, glides silently away again. It’s 380 kilometres from Kyoto to Hiroshima and will take one hour 45 minutes, so an average speed of 217 km/hour, not bad considering we have five intermediate stops before Hiroshima.

We arrived on time at 9.05 and stopped for coffee in the station before heading out to catch a street car to the Atomic Dome. We more or less figured out how the street cars work – a flat fare of ¥180 (unless you’re going a really long way), pay when you get off. We weren’t sure whether our Pasmo cards would work but as it turned out they didn’t – only the local Hiroshima version accepted.

We viewed the Atomic Dome and then walked a short way down the river and across a bridge to the Peace Park. Various memorials, including the Peace Memorial Museum.  The east wing of the museum was recently renovated and now that has been done, the main building is being renovated, re-opening in 2018. Some of the material in the main wing has been re-located to the east wing. The material in the museum is very well presented and provides a good perspective on events. Some of the material is inevitably very confronting – video testimony of survivors and their recollections of the event, various artifacts — a child’s tricycle, virtually incinerated, a watch stopped at 8.15 when the bomb exploded and so on. All in all, rather sombre and silent. I can’t say that we ‘enjoyed’ it, but I’m certainly glad that we went.

We walked back to the street car stop and got a car part way back to the station, changing street cars to visit Shinikkien Gardens. From there, we were able to walk back to the station. As we were a bit earlier than our existing seat reservations, we managed to get two seats on an earlier train – the last two the lady assured me – though in different cars.

We had time for lunch before the train back so went and did that (curry udon for A-M, tempura soba for me) and then headed up to the platform for the train home.

A fair number of photos from the day. With a couple of exceptions, I’ve not added any captions or explanations – I think the photos speak for themselves.

The following shots are from the Shukkeien Gardens plus a few from the walk back to the station, lunch and heading back to the apartment.