Zach:
Woke up and ate two tuna and mayonnaise onigiri. My fellow roommates, Cory and Dayne, also ate two of the same flavor. Met up at 8:30 to take a city monorail train/bus to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The park is dedicated to the victims of the first ever nuclear weapon used in war, and is not only a remembrance of the destruction suffered by the people of Hiroshima on August 5th, 1945, but also a grim reminder of the grave danger nuclear armaments pose to the world today. The group explored many different locations of importance, beginning with the A-Dome, the ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Promotion Hall. The dome's significance lies in it's history, as it is the closest building to the hypocenter of the blast to remain standing. The A-Dome is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is visible from many different points throughout the city. We traveled further into the park. We together rang one of three peace bells located throughout the park, in hopes of world peace. We viewed the Children's Peace Monument, dedicated to the innocent children lost in war, depicting Sadako Sasaki, an innocent victim of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. Additionally, we visited the Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students, a monument to over 10,000 students mobilized to support the war effort.
A very moving piece was the Piece Flame, a fiery monument that is not only beautiful, but symbolizes the world under threat of nuclear annihilation, and will only be put out when the last nuclear armaments are finally done away with. The most picturesque moment was found at the Memorial Cenotaph, which features a view of the Peace Flame and the A-Dome through its arch. (This is the very same monument President Obama visited in his recent travel to Japan!)
We also had the opportunity to explore the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum from 10:00 to 11:00, which explores in depth the effects of the bomb on the people of Japan, along with the science and politics behind all of it. Truly an eye opening experience into the horrors of war.
After the Museum, we traveled to a huge mall complex for lunch, at Ootaya restaurant. After eating as a whole group, we went our separate ways to shop, go to arcades, etc.
Until meeting up around 12:30 to travel to Miyajima.
Miyajima was beautiful. Arriving by ferry, we made a beeline through various landmarks on the island. We had the opportunity to explore various temples across the island, including a site where Dalai Lama visited before [Daishouin Temple]. The site featured two hand-made mandalas. We spent time there until 5, at which point we traveled back to the mainland.
We spent supper together, eating famous Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, not unlike Wisconsin cheese. It was one of the best meals I've enjoyed since the beginning of my stay here.
We had a small bit of free time after dinner. Some people went shopping, some went to arcades. Dayne won a huge stuffed animal prize in a claw game in one try ($1).
Turned in for the night, and got ready for a great day tomorrow.
