The trip up there (out of comfortable and fabulous shinkansen) in southern Japan, lasts a few hours (I think around 5 or 6), why can ' worthwhile to break it, perhaps with a stop in Himeji
with its beautiful white castle
of 5 floors (the only original). All
recommend stopping
2 days between Hiroshima and Miyajima (a small island in front of) maybe sleeping in a ryokan on the latter, but I say good for a couple or a family looking to relax, but for a group of girls or friends can be tedious, since at Miyajima after 17.00 down civil death ..
In any case, the stop in Hiroshima
to only applies especially to the peace museum
. The city is ugly, modern, rebuilt after the atomic bomb, with skyscrapers and modern buildings.
But the museum .. is a punch in the stomach.
Before reaching the palace can be seen
(the "
dome", ie the dome) with the dome,
only thing survived the release of the bomb, and some monuments to peace, but the real blow is received as soon as sets foot inside the museum. Built on a simple structure, by Kenzo Tange
is really well done and organized. The entrance fee is very low, symbolic.
As you enter there is a section dedicated to the release of the bomb
: with photos of the clock stopped at 8.15. The calculation of the exact spot, the model that reconstructs the city before and after, the dynamics of chemical elements / physical (wind, heat, etc..) movies from the plane,
devastating picture of the city razed to the ground by standing only the Dome and all correspondence between the various leaders state to decide where to test the atomic bomb (there are letters from Churchill and others indicate that Japan and Hiroshima in particular, because there were American prisoners.) An almost scientific approach.
The second part is heavier than the emotional point of view: it is accessed through a mock city in flames .. and from there begin the testimony. Photos, stories, articles. Things like, "Mitsuko this bow belonged to a 5 year old who was in 1.5 km at the time of the explosion of the bomb, the bow has been recognized by his mother who had hand-sewn .. "or pictures of people with deformities because of radiation, pictures of shadows on the walls, the stories of those who survived. . read terrible stories which paralyzes.
I've been in for several hours. I went out that I was different.
for a while 'I could not even speak.
Then you see the skyscrapers, modern and old tram, people want to forget, the few Japanese who speak English and ask you to make conversation .. life goes on.
A
Hiroshima not much else to do / see, at the limit you can taste the famous
Okonomyaki (a sort of pizza cooked on the plate, do you remember
Kiss Me Licia ?). So you can make a jump to the nearby island of Miyajima
connected by a ferry that takes 10 minutes (in which the JR pass). The island is small, there is not much, but worth it for the beautiful
TORI giant in the water. At low tide you can 'walk in, at sunset you can take great photos, and at night, lit is even more magical.
I
ryokan on the island of Miyajima are few and 'dear, dear is not the only uncomfortable, and to arrive after 5 pm you have to walk, as taxis and buses that there are no after hour! It is located in front of the aquarium but it is really rundown. Instead
ryokan in front of the ferry port are quite luxurious and have some great
onsen (baths) . A top floor with panoramic sea views, free (or rather we are pocketed ..) and another that is buried in mineral-rich water, which costs just 1000 yen (about 6 euro). With that figure also gave us towels and slippers ..
true relaxation!!