Hiroshima and Miyajima

We headed out today to see Hiroshima and we somehow made it there! The Peace Memorial Museum was really interesting, and a little gruesome for little ones, but as I told them, it’s nothing more than fact. There were all kinds of things that were left after the blast including a watch that was stopped at the exact time of impact (8:15 am),

roof tiles that were melted by the heat of the blast, and a young boy’s metal lunch pail with the contents charred. There was also a diorama that showed the city pre-bomb and post-bomb. Very little was left, obviously, post-bomb but a few half-standing buildings and some burned out trees.

After touring the museum, we went outside to the park which is an open area with a prayer site, eternal flame, children’s memorial statue and gardens.

This picture was made out of origami cranes.

Chains of 1,000 origami chains are made for peace.  We've seen this at other war memorials too.

The park led you to the Atom Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings left partially standing after the bombing. The Atom Bomb Dome sits very close to the “hypocenter” of the bombing.



These Japanese girls (in typical dress!) wanted their picture with the kids.  London wouldn't partake!


After visiting this very somber and sobering place, we headed back toward Iwakuni but first stopped at the Ferry Port to catch a ferry to Miyajima. Miyajima is an island just off the coast that is known as the island of shrines.

On the ferry over.

There are oodles of shrines on this one island including a Unesco World Heritage Site.

I really liked this island – it might have been because of the beautiful fall weather and foliage, or the lack of cars, or the deer walking all around, or the quaint shops, but it all added up to a really awesome place. When you get off the ferry, you start walking down this little street full of food vendors, craft shops and souvenir shops.

The specialty items on this island are grilled oysters that are harvested fresh from the waters, fish cakes, hot beef buns

and these little filled cakes in the shape of maple leaves. Every other shop on the street was a bakery making these scrumptious confections. The main flavor of filling is bean paste, but the kids tried chocolate and apple filled ones too. Yummy!

This beautiful garden was at the back of one of the bakeries.

As you wonder the streets you see deer everywhere - really, really tame deer.

Deer, rickshaw, driver on cell phone...

Apparently in the Shinto religion the deer is holy so they let them be and consequently they are everywhere. And despite signs saying that you are not to feed or pet the deer, they are tame and realize when you have maple leaf cookies on you! We had just bought a box and a rather large male deer decided he wanted them. He bit my coat and wouldn’t let go!

At the far end of the shopping district were some of the temples and shrines on the island, including the famous “floating Torii”. It’s not really floating, just anchored in the bay which looks like it’s floating at high tide. It was such a beautiful setting.



Emmy with her deer toy with a deer



And I can now report that I saw a real Geisha walking down the street and going into the biggest temple! I was behind her so my pictures were all rapidly snapped from behind as she shuffled along, but that was probably for the best as I would have been more hesitant to take her picture from the front. How fortunate!

After our short ferry ride back to the mainland we returned to the hotel long enough for a stretch out before heading back out to try to find a funky little restaurant I had read about. I know, what was I thinking driving 3 kids out on these dark, twisty roads up the side of a mountain at 7:30 for dinner? But despite my doubts while driving there, it turned out to be well worth the effort! The restaurant is known to the Americans as the “Chicken Shack” and it was a classic. Up the side of some mountain, it was lit up like a mini Christmas village/Japanese castle. Really. There were these giant sculptures made out of Japanese lanterns

and equally giant billboards of Santa and Frosty, and other eclectic decorations.

The restaurant complex.

You had to order your food at this restaurant by marking your request on a piece of paper and taking it up to a window to pay. That would have been all fine and good, except that it was all in Japanese! Thank goodness for pictures and guessing!

Our order form - 3 chickens and 2 rice balls, I think...

The seating for the restaurant was a mix of low tables all outdoors and sort of set back into the trees. I thought we might have a problem with that since it was in the upper 50s, but those Japanese think of everything! Sitting at the table, you tucked your legs under a comforter that doubled as the table cloth and – ta da! – under the table was your own private space heater! Brilliant! Not safe, but brilliant! The kids were content to sit all night with their legs and feet all toasty warm.

For those who wanted to grill their own - tables with open grills.  Best not to seat the kids here!

Then the dinner came – chicken on a stick, literally, and giant onigiri (rice ball). The kids decided they would like to come back to Iwakuni just for the Chicken Shack!