Where Is Joey Today?

Hiroshima and Miyajima

Em and I left our Tokyo pseudo-Ryokan for Hiroshima. This was destined to be a fairly long day since we were headed back to Tokyo that night. The shink can make some distant sites remarkably achievable daytrips.

We arrived, threw our packs in the locker and were out. If you didn't know any better, you would not know there was ever a single bomb that fell on Hiroshima. It looks like Tokyo, Kyoto or any other decent sized city. In fact the only sign of the attack was a government building left in its partially destroyed state.

Across from the A bomb dome (seriously, this is what they call it) you have the field where the Hiroshima Carps play and on the other side of the river, the Hiroshima peace park. They commemorate the attacks every morning with a bell at 0815. They also have a before and after section within the official museum which doesn't so much blame the US for what happened but simply calls for peace and uses Hiroshima as an example of the costs of war. They wisely choose not to throw stones from their duct taped pyrex shack.


I am sure some people would think that Americans would be personas non grata in this town but we didn't find that at all. In fact, as we walked through the peace park groups of Japanese children would walk up to us say hello and then, if they were girls, giggle.

Whether you agree with dropping the bomb in Hiroshima or not (I being in the camp of the former) the photos and memorials show you that just because because a decision was right and necessary doesn't make it good. Inside the museum I came so close to blocking a few cameras. They have signs everywhere that say "No photography" in several languages. Yet here were some Nigerian military taking photos in plain site with full flash and everything. Not only was that incredibly disrespectful but the photos won't come out behind glass!

With time quickly disappearing we cut our visit to the musem short and headed to the sacred island of Miyajima. Its most famous attraction is the floating torii (considered one of the top three views in Japan; similar to wonders of the ancient world). The island is really beautiful and I wish we could have camped out there. After a few pictures we had to jump back on the shink to Tokyo. Given Japanese punctuality that makes Germany seem like Spain, when the train to Hiroshima was two minutes late we started worrying a bit.

With 10 minutes between us and our last train out we ran everywhere from the train to the lockers to the platform and made it with a few minutes to spare. Exhaustion makes for decent sleep. Around 2330 we pulled in to Tokyo station where we got the sardine treatment on the way to Ueno and ultimately to Asakusa via the Ginza line. We were actually double booked with accomodations at an Akihabara capsule hotel and the Sakura hostel and when we arrived at Sakura at midnight, I was glad I didnt have to go wandering for my accomodation.


--Joey