Out of the Ashes

April 25, 2023

It's drizzly and gray today. Our delicious ryokan breakfast dispels the gloom of the weather and our sadness at leaving this enchanted island, this magical Miyajima. We have miso soup, fish, rice, vegetables, and pickles, and though it is not typical breakfast fare for us, it is very satisfying.

We pack up quickly. We sent most of our luggage to Tokyo yesterday, before we left Kyoto. We just kept out enough for two days. It has made it so much easier to navigate the various modes of transportation (including walking) this part of our trip involves. Shipping luggage in Japan is fast, easy, reliable, and inexpensive, thanks to Yamato and other  companies. You can see trucks with the the "black cat" logo everywhere. We see them on the quiet, narrow streets of Miyajima this morning. Boxes of fresh food from the mainland are being delivered to local restaurants, ryokan, and inns.

It is decided that we will go to the aquarium before leaving Miyajima - a chance to be indoors. It is about a 15-minute walk. When we arrive we learn that a sea lion show is about to start. Of course it is outdoors, in a large pool with stadium seating extending about halfway around it. At least 100 school children arrive at the last minute and fill up the venue. 

It's easy to tell this group is on a school field trip because the children are all dressed in identical school uniforms. I believe that uniforms are required in all Japanese schools. The boys usually wear pants or shorts, button-down shirts, ties and blazers. The girls might have skirts and blouses with blazers, or sailor-style outfits, depending on the school.

Close-up of students in sailor-style uniforms at the sea lion show

  Most school uniforms are navy blue, but occasionally you will see gray, black, or maroon. Girls often wear plaid skirts in muted colors. Many girls wear their uniform skirts quite short. The very youngest children often wear adorable hats, too.

Back to the sea lion show. It was your typical aquarium show, but in Japanese. I came away from it impressed by how intelligent the sea lions seem to be. The rest of the aquarium was nice, with exhibits of local aquatic life. I especially enjoyed the exhibit on oyster farming, and the penguins. I suspect the penguins were not local.

Then we picked up our very manageable small bags at the ryokan and walked over to the ferry dock. When the ferry reached the mainland, we had a 10-minute walk to the subway station, and a 25- or 30-minute subway ride to Hiroshima Station.

My knees and ankles were really tired from all the walking we have been doing, so I decided to stay in the hotel while the rest of the group went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, and related sites. (I have been to this site on a previous trip, so I was okay with not seeing it again.) They reported that it was very crowded. Here are a few photos taken by Ken.

The Atomic Bomb Dome - this building was almost directly under the bomb. It has been designated a UNESCO    World Heritage site.

   The Children's Peace Monument

                                                        

Thousands of paper cranes, symbolizing peace, have been sent to Hiroshima from all over the world

I am so impressed by the resilience of the people of Hiroshima. If not for the Atomic Bomb Dome, you would never know that this modern, prosperous-looking city was utterly devastated nearly 80 years ago. Seventy percent of the buildings were destroyed and another 7% were severely damaged.             Hiroshima, two months after the bombing. (Photo from Wikipedia entry on Hiroshima)

In 1945, before the bomb was dropped, the population was 345,000. Today, Hiroshima has been rebuilt, and the population is now 1.2 million. The city seems to be thriving. It is a place where people are busy living their lives -- going to work, strolling in parks, attending sports events, visiting art museums, dining out in restaurants.

We learned that the G7 Summit will take place here in less than a month. Here is a fun YouTube promoting the city to G7 visitors. Here is an explanation of the video, which you might enjoy, also. 

Of course, we had Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for dinner (i.e., layered). We went to a place called Okonomi-mura -- a large, multi-story building full of booths or tiny restaurants, all selling okonomiyaki. How do you choose where to eat? We tend to go with a place that looks crowded - such a place might be more popular with locals, who would actually know which places are good. 

Today's color is ash gray.