Hiroshima

Today Minji then took us all to the "Peace Park", which is the area commemorating the day the atomic bomb was dropped.  It poured with rain throughout most of the morning.  The remains of one building have been retained - the "atomic dome" - and a large public park containing a memorial and a museum.  Most of the area flattened by the bomb has been rebuilt, and the marker at the centre of the blast is in the middle of a built-up area.  Minji (who is Korean) told us that the anniversary of the atomic bomb, a sad day in Japan, is a national holiday in Korea, celebrating the end of Japanese oppression!

A local train took us out to the ferry to Miyajima Island, just a short distance from the mainland.  It had pretty much dried up by then, and the sea was calm.  It was a nice ride across in the ferry.  A huge orange "torii" gate stands in the bay, accessible at low tide, paying homage to the sea gods.  There are oyster farms in all directions.

Torii gate on Miyajima Island

This photo shows the whole group, except for our leader Minji (Click to enlarge) and Nouhi.  Us on the left, then Kyle (SAU), Aiden (Canada), Melissa (USA), Kathryn (USA) and Bill (USA) at the back, and Sasja (Denmark), Swetha (Australia), Suni (Australia), and Anne (USA) in front.  Nouhi (sounds like "Newey") is from England, of Moroccan descent.

The temples on the island attract tourists from far and wide.  Everyone was amused by all the little deer casually wandering or sitting about, not worried at all by the people.  We were warned that they eat any paper they can sink their teeth into.

A path up the hill to one of the main shrines is lined with hundreds of little bhudda statues, every one different.