Day 8 - Hiroshima and Okonomiyaki (yum)

Lucy
Oct 15, 2024
3 min read

Now this is the place dad was most looking forward to visit, due to the amount of historical documentaries and history lessons, the wonderful Hiroshima.

Being able to come a second time didn't take away any emotional experience, it still tugs on your heart strings at the pain this Country must have endured with the atomic bomb, and yet how proud you are for them to rebuild the way that they have.

The Genbaku Dome is still as wonderful as I remember, however it looks as though the structure has been reinforced since 8 years ago, not that it's surprising. I did notice however that the UK has donated many different types of rose plants to this area, which I'm sure would look incredible when in bloom. You can see the before and after image of the dome in one of my pictures below, showing how insane it is to still be standing after the bomb exploded directly above it.

As we wandered around the memorial park here, I could see dad getting more sunk into the different statues and stories surrounding them. What was most amazing is the Childrens' memorial section with the thousands and thousands of paper cranes bringing colour to the park. The peace images are made from tiny paper cranes and so are the rainbow strands (go on, zoom in). Each crane has been donated to the park and even now, they allow more to be donated if wished, god I wish I had brought some paper. The story behind this was due to a little girl, at the age of 2, being exposed to the radiation of the atomic bomb, although she has survived, at the age of 10 she was diagnosed with leukaemia. She would act strong in front of her parents and whilst in hospital she would spend her time making paper cranes for the nurses and staff, until her hands seized up and she could no longer fold. When she died, her school class decided to fundraise as much as possible in the hope for a statue to commemorate her and other children affected by this horrific event. A few years later and with the help of other countries, their fundraising was a success and the girl arch with a crane-shaped bell was erected in the peace park, and what beauty it truly is.

Walking down to the arch, we noticed the flame burning bright and the pool as calm as ever, this allowed us to pay our respects and take in the wonderful craftmanship and architecture of this design.

The Hiroshima museum was as packed as always, so it was hard to take in the story it is designed to share, but it still provides a good understanding. They have now taken down the camera signs which is surprising, but again due to respect, I only took a few photos, including the one seen below of a 10 year old girl, I will let you read that one.

The day went by really quickly, and before we knew it, the sun was setting again, we roamed the streets for a short while and headed back to the hotel. Not forgetting food though! Okonomiyaki!

Okonomiyaki is a famous Japanese dish consisting of noodles, cabbage, egg and green onion. Most places add shrimp and squid, while others go for the pork and beef options, the second option is what we chose. Now there is also a story behind this too. Both Hiroshima and Osaka have their own version of okonomiyaki, and like to argue as to who does it better. Hiroshima provide each item as a separate layer, whereas Osaka mix it all in together. I have tried both and personally I prefer Osaka, but I'm not going to tell anyone in Hiroshima that haha.

With a full belly and a dark, starry sky, it's time to settle down and get ready for our next movement in the morning - see you in Osaka!