6.4 - 6.6
My first weekend solo trip in Japan! Hurrah! It only took about 4 months but hey, I did it so I'm happy. And I'm more than happy it was to the one, the only Hiroshima City.
This has been a place I've been wanting to go since first learning about the atomic bomb as a kid--its history has made me see the city as a major representative of who I am as Japanese and/or American. I'm not fully Japanese nor am I fully American. But I am fully some of both...essentially, not black not white but gray. And conflicts--from destructive wars to playground fights--are gray also. But it's so hard for us, who are usually on one side or the other, to actually recognize and act on empathy, on nuance. We tend to get funneled into what we believe is right and don't leave room for understanding, or in other words, for being accepting of the gray. I clearly remember relating Hiroshima with my identity when my APUSH classmates declared the morality and inevitability of the atomic bomb ... as a grandaughter to someone whose house was bombed in the war, I couldn't help but wonder if my class seriously considered what it meant to be an atomic bomb victim. But, as a great-niece to someone who fought in and could never speak of the Okinawa Battles again, I could empathize with the US' justification of allowing atrocity to prevent potentially more horror.
The sweet lil granny who managed the Fukuromachi Elementary School memorial (one of the sites in Hiroshima that is a remnant of the bomb) also pointed the "black, white, gray" out to me in our conversation about conflict and humanity. She told me her experience with the bomb taught her that the horrors of war not only comes from the physical pain, but the inability for people to look beyond their stance. She was saying how shocked and hurt she was when first told US school curriculums only spent 15-20 minutes on Hiroshima and would teach us it was a necessary war weapon. She asked,"how can students understand the loss and confusion and hopelessness the bomb brought to my family and friends in such a short class period?" But she followed that with the pain she also feels knowing Japan doesn't teach about the evils done on China and Korea under Japan's imperialist reign...she asked me why, time and time again, do we have to be so fixated on only ourselves when we're all related under the sameness of experiencing pain in one way, shape or form?
This followed with a breath of silence because I guess neither of us had an answer. But it's definitely given me lots of food for thought in terms of all the everything happening in this world today, as well as my role here in Yakage as an outsider.
Though blog-ish writing ends here, I'll try to explain my weekend adventure with photo captions more detailed than usual.
So, without further ado, scroll below for Hiroshima through the lens!
ATOMIC BOMB PEACE PARK - HIROSHIMA
statue of Sadako, the girl behind the legacy of the 1000 cranes, in the peace park
top of the dome
some cranes placed on the steps of the elementary school I visited...this elementary school was about 2km away from the hypocenter, yet a section survived the bomb and was then used as a refuge for victims, a place families came to look for/ask about missing family members, and one of the first schools to restart after the bomb.
part of a board at the school.
"hiroshima" written in katakana, which is located in front of the main peace arch
the eternal flame
school group visiting the park
ITSUKUSHIMA JINJA AND TORII - MIYAJIMA
Shots from Itsukushima Shrine, considered to be one of the holiest places in Japan, as it symbolizes the protection and presence of Japan's founding goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, since the shrine's first structures dating back to the 6th century. It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1996, and is considered 1 of Japan's top 3 most beautiful sights.
shinto priest robes
entrance hall of Itsukushima shrine
the torii seen from the shrine. 'Twas disappointing it was under construction, but alas.
HIKING MT. MISEN - MIYAJIMA
one of the peaks on Mt. Misen. This group seemed to be having a grand time looking out into the Setonaikai Sea
A torrii found on my hike down the mountain
cave of small shinto statues (ojizo-sama) on my descent
red maple leaves! this is where the island's famous momiji manju takes its shape.
cozy little rakans (supposedly Buddha's first 500 disciples) at the Daishoin temple, one of the most important singon buddhist ground I chanced upon on my Mt. Misen hike
running hands down the golden rails of Daishoin Temple for good luck
ringing the bell at the Daishoin temple
STREET SIGHTS- HIROSHIMA AND MIYAJIMA
ululu, the small nook that blessed me with scrumptious risotto and warm vibes
peek inside an izakaya street
peek inside izakaya life
enjoying night life...okonomiyaki place?
lost in thought on the streets of hiroshima
at hondori
quiet street in miyajima
bikes!
OH DEER at miyajima
OH DEER PART TWO at miyajima...a hungry deer
hiroshima's trolley lines of today
FOOOOOD - MIYAJIMA AND HIROSHIMA
And how could I make a post without talking about the food? Despite my trip being very short, I experienced a whole RANGEof local Hiroshima foods as seen below...and for super cheap? Like how is that monster of an okonomiyaki only $4 usd? I wouldn't be surprised if people ordered it or $400, it was that good. But, better to just appreciate than to speculate.
Not only was the food filling for the stomach, but the people I met behind the masterworks made such plates filing to the soul. There was a pride and joy behind every pair of hands that handed me their food, and for good reason! Plus, people were unafraid to fully interact with me.
The lady who sold me the shiso wagashi gave me her advise on which momiji manju to invest in despite the long line she definitely saw behind me (her advice was very on key because the nama-momiji manju was so good I may have had an 1/8 every night so I could make it last as long as possible); the quest to find an anago lunch came with entering a closed anago restaurant accidentally and having the owner listen to my conundrum and show me where to go for his recommended anago-meshi spot; the okomiyaki man at the small teppan spot greeted his customers-presumably locals--by name and have full on text exchanges while manning the grill for a full house; the two ladies who ran the handmade warabi mochi cafe forced me to refill my thermos with ice water when they heard I was going up Mt. Misen; the chef behind the tomato risotto literally ran out into the rain after I forgot my phone at the eat-in and then proceeded to fix my broken umbrella...even though she had customers to care for.
This kind of hospitality and care is the same as in Yakage, and I keep learning that it's not just about making food to keep a salary...it"s about making food because one loves to and one wants to be a part of the world through their food making. All these people have showed me food is a way of showing their care and appreciation for the world. Maybe that's overdramatic, but I don't kid when I say the food in Japan has been supreme thanks to understanding what goes into the making.
red bean rice cake with shiso leaf, made fresh and of season by the famous Japanese sweets company in Hiroshima.
anago bento; anago is an eel-like fish that is Miyajima's local specialty dish
grilled oyster is also a MIyajima local cuisine...the oysters are farmed right off the coast, then grilled right in front of us, served as street food. The steam was rising off and it was HOT HOT HOT but so good good good.
The amazing Hiroshima okonomiyaki...and this was "half sized." Made right in front of me on the teppan grill with such masterful skills. The hiroshima style is a combo of: thin flour crepe, mountain of cut cabbage that will cook via heat, thin strips of pork, thin flour crepe, fried egg, heaps of green onion, with lots of different spices and sauces in between.
this was a spontaneous, last minute order I just asked for because when being made for someone else, it looked and smelled so good, I needed to have it despite being already STUFFED from the okonomiyaki. And it was SO worth it.
fresh tomato, olive oil, shaved parmesan cheese and farrow risotto that was made right in front of me. It felt so personal and made with care because it was made while the chef was telling me about how he got into cooking. Felt like a home cooked meal that was perfect for the rainy gray day.
