Viking Gems of China and Japan Day 21 – Revisiting Hiroshima, Peace and Tranquility
Today's adventure in Hiroshima, Japan, took us to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Mitaki Temple.
The day wasn't looking good with rain chances around 70% and temperatures in the upper 60s. We got lucky and caught the 30% side of the equation, only catching a very light drizzle for only a few minutes.
Our first stop was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This was a return visit for us, as we visited Hiroshima in October 2023. I went more in-depth in that blog post, so if you want more detail about the Peace Park than I put into today's entry, click here to see more.
Hiroshima Peace Park was built near the epicenter of the blast from the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945, by the United States. A key feature of the park is a building known as the A-Bomb Dome. This was the only building that survived the blast, although not very well. It has been preserved as a reminder of the horror that happened here.
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| The "T"-shaped bridge that was the target for the bomb |
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| Various memorials are all through the park |
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| Comfort the Soul |
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| A tower dedicated to mobilized students |
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| The eternal flame, memorial arch, and museum in the background |
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| Children's Peace Monument |
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| Prayer for Peace statue |
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| The East Museum on the left, connected via a walkway to the larger main museum |
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| People were in line to offer prayers and respect |
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| Entering the East Museum |
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| This clock tracks the elapsed time since the explosion - the LED digits, of course, didn't photograph well as I was using my phone with limited settings |
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| Pope Peace Appeal Monument with a passage from Pope John Paul II's Peace Appeal |
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| A photo of the A-Bomb Dome building before the attack |
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| A photo of the "T"-shaped bridge before the bomb |
The museum contained a lot of images and artifacts. I only photographed a few, as it was extremely crowded. People were moving extremely slowly because this is simply a lot to absorb.
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| A lunch box with its contents incinerated |
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| Looking out from the second floor of the main museum |
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| Scale models with figurines as size reference - Little Boy, the Hiroshima bomb on the right, and Fat Man, the Nagasaki bomb on the left |
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| Before and after models of the A-Bomb Dome building |
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| The fountain in front of the museum |
After we toured the Peace Park and museum, we boarded the bus for the drive to Mitaki-dera Temple. Mitaki-dera Temple, a historic Buddhist temple located on Mount Mitaki. It was founded in the year 809. The temple's name, Mitaki-dera, translates to "Three Waterfalls Temple," and it is named after the three waterfalls located on its grounds. The temple is dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, and is known for its serene, forested setting. The grounds feature numerous stone statues of Jizo, the guardian of women, children, and travelers, often adorned with red bibs and bonnets. The water from one of its waterfalls is used in the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony.
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| There was some kind of statue everywhere we looked |
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| The first of about a zillion stairs - it really gave the new knee a test |
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| These whirlpool charms in the pavement were said to ward off fire |
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| A marker indicating the direction to ground zero |
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| A small waterfall |
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| These stones were said to contain poetry |
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| Gonggggggg |
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| A memorial to Allied forces who lost their lives |
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| A memorial for all the Jewish lives lost at Auschwitz |
We climbed multiple long flights of stone steps, reaching several levels within the temple complex.
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| A dragon protector |
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| A thin, but very tall waterfall |
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| Buddhists used the swastika as a symbol of peace long before the Nazis used it for something altogether different |
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| For some reason, Stop! In the Name of Love kept going through our heads |
The temple complex was quite peaceful and lovely. As the fall colors come alive in the Japanese Maples in a few weeks, I'm sure this place will be stunning. We also spotted some absolutely massive cedars here. They were taller than we've seen before. Our guide said that one of them is regarded as a sacred tree.
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| Speaking of our guide, this is Taka, showing off some of her origami creations on the bus back to the ship |
Taka walked with the group, including climbing all the way to the top of the temple complex. She shocked us when she said that she was born four days after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. She is 80 years old. Wow!
We got back to the ship in time to catch the last of the lunch at the World Cafe. The skies had grown dark, and even though it wasn't raining, it was gloomy and not too inviting to go back into town. We settled in and waited for our departure around 6:00.
We hung out in the room after lunch and then headed to the Explorers Bar for a drink. The shops on the ship have been closed for the entire trip. One shop finally opened today just before 7:00. We went in because we have some non-refundable onboard credit that we must use, or we will lose it. Unfortunately, the store had next to nothing available. They said that the other stores should open by the 29th, so we'll see.
The World Cafe had a seafood bouillabaisse dinner tonight. That wasn't our thing, but they had plenty of other tasty options. We wound up striking up a conversation with a couple of ladies from Denver, and had a very nice dinner experience. It was another successful cruise dinner meeting strangers. We love that about cruising.
We returned to the room to catch Arann Smith's new show on the TV. After that, we caught up on today's port talk about tomorrow's port of call, Miyazaki, Japan. It is about a 200-mile sail, nearly due south, and we'll arrive in port tomorrow morning.
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