It's not very hard to get to Hiroshima from anywhere in Japan. Just hope on a JR West Shinkansen and wait for your stop, Hiroshima Station. Enjoy all the scenery you'll be passing on your way to Hiroshima. Who knows, you may come across a city that seems interesting from your seat on the shinkansen and may want to visit that place on your way back.
Once you have arrived in Hiroshima and you have settled yourself into your hotel, you're ready to start your historical journey. You can get to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park by local train line. The park commemorates all the atomic bomb victims. There is a lot to see, but it can all be done in half a day, maybe just over half a day, if you start early enough.
First, take your time to stroll around the park. You will come across many monuments of importance. Some of the most notable ones are the Victims Memorial Cenotaph at one of the ends of the Pond of Peace and the Children's Peace Monument. These monuments are visited frequently not only by foreign visitors but by Japanese citizens. While I was visiting a few schools were there for an educational field trip. The children were well behaved and seemed aware of where they were. Many people use these monuments to pay their respects to those who lost their lives and would bring flowers as an offering. I remember standing-by for about 5 or 10 minutes just so I could watch how they would pay their respects.
It is amazing to see how involved children are in this park. The Children's Peace Monument is a statue in the middle, but on the back, outside section of the space are thousands of encased paper crane in remembrance of the victims. I am honestly unsure of when the paper cranes were made. Maybe they have children make them every so often and keep encasing them to protect it from the weather. To some people, these cranes probably just look like colorful origami. But to me, I could feel the emotions put into these paper cranes. It showed me that even though these people have gone from this world so long ago, they still mattered to many. These paper cranes are a great way to honor the victims and you can read about them in many books that have been published (I was very tempted to buy a book on it at the museum).
Before you go see the main reason why many come to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, go into these two places: the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall and Peace Memorial Museum. Both serve as a place to learn about the atomic bomb victims and attack (not the war itself). A lot of people who don't do their research assume that these places are educating people on the Japanese side of the war, but in reality it doesn't even talk about the war specifically. The whole purpose of this area in Hiroshima is to educate people about the affects and destruction of atomic bombs. Think of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park as a PSA about atomic bombs and how they should never be used again. So if you ever wanted to visit but felt like it could be awkward, you don't have to feel that way.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall is a building with a unique design on the inside, and I think the newest addition to the Peace Memorial Park. Inside they have a Hall of Remembrance where you can see from all directions how it the city looked at ground zero after the atomic bomb; to be surrounded by ruin, practically nothing. When you see these pictures it's not meant for you to feel bad for them or to feel guilty, but to think about peace in the world. Before you exit the hall there is a room with audio and film that you can stop to listen to, some from survivors of the bomb. Their stories were spellbinding, as I couldn't help but keep listening of their tragic memoirs of losing family and friends. One stuck out a lot, of a girl running with her classmate after the bomb happened. They were literally losing themselves as they were trying to run away. As you will learn from these museums, there are very serious effects with the atomic bomb.
Next, take a walk through the Peace Memorial Museum to really get a chance to absorb all that the people had to suffer. At the beginning of the exhibit there is a projected image of how far the atomic bomb blasted the city and the destruction it caused. All that is left for you to see are the people who have died from the atomic bomb. They have remarks on how they died from survivors who were friends or family. Some displays even had samples of actual clothes from the people who died from the bomb. All the stories were tragic, and not for the faint of heart. I spent an hour in the museum reading all the stories. I felt it was the least I could do for them, making sure that I was one of the people who can remember them and promote peace. But it was one of the saddest hours of my life as some stories definitely it me hard. Many of these stories were about children who didn't even know what was going on, innocent minds who didn't understand. Imagine being so thirsty from the heat of the bomb's blast that you try to drink the liquid that is coming from the sky because you think it's rain. This was actually what they called "black rain" which was believed to be radioactive rain with long-term effects.
After that emotional experience, now I suggest you go to the Atomic Bomb Dome. Take your touristy photo at Aioi Bridge (that seems to be a popular shot). This is also where you will spot the ferry that takes people to Miyajima Island where the Itsukushima Shrine is located (the famous shrine with the shrine gate, or torii, that looks as it it is floating in the water if the tide is high). For those of you wondering, you will have enough time to go to Miyajima after your day at the Peace Memorial Park.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall is a building with a unique design on the inside, and I think the newest addition to the Peace Memorial Park. Inside they have a Hall of Remembrance where you can see from all directions how it the city looked at ground zero after the atomic bomb; to be surrounded by ruin, practically nothing. When you see these pictures it's not meant for you to feel bad for them or to feel guilty, but to think about peace in the world. Before you exit the hall there is a room with audio and film that you can stop to listen to, some from survivors of the bomb. Their stories were spellbinding, as I couldn't help but keep listening of their tragic memoirs of losing family and friends. One stuck out a lot, of a girl running with her classmate after the bomb happened. They were literally losing themselves as they were trying to run away. As you will learn from these museums, there are very serious effects with the atomic bomb.
Next, take a walk through the Peace Memorial Museum to really get a chance to absorb all that the people had to suffer. At the beginning of the exhibit there is a projected image of how far the atomic bomb blasted the city and the destruction it caused. All that is left for you to see are the people who have died from the atomic bomb. They have remarks on how they died from survivors who were friends or family. Some displays even had samples of actual clothes from the people who died from the bomb. All the stories were tragic, and not for the faint of heart. I spent an hour in the museum reading all the stories. I felt it was the least I could do for them, making sure that I was one of the people who can remember them and promote peace. But it was one of the saddest hours of my life as some stories definitely it me hard. Many of these stories were about children who didn't even know what was going on, innocent minds who didn't understand. Imagine being so thirsty from the heat of the bomb's blast that you try to drink the liquid that is coming from the sky because you think it's rain. This was actually what they called "black rain" which was believed to be radioactive rain with long-term effects.
After that emotional experience, now I suggest you go to the Atomic Bomb Dome. Take your touristy photo at Aioi Bridge (that seems to be a popular shot). This is also where you will spot the ferry that takes people to Miyajima Island where the Itsukushima Shrine is located (the famous shrine with the shrine gate, or torii, that looks as it it is floating in the water if the tide is high). For those of you wondering, you will have enough time to go to Miyajima after your day at the Peace Memorial Park.
That's about everything you need to know regarding the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. I actually spent two days in the city of Hiroshima, but you can definitely stay more than two days. There is still so much to do and see in the city and the rest of the prefecture. In a separate post, I will tell you how I spent my first day in the city.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you found this helpful for hopefully planning your trip down to Hiroshima or just learning about how Japan reacts to the atomic bomb and what the people had to go through during the time.
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