Hiroshima, City of Peace

Five of our original group - we and the McKinley's (John, Sue, and James) - took the bullet train to Hiroshima, led again by Oka-san. ( She was so essential to our activities and well-being that we began to wonder how we'd survive without her when we returned home.)  We found ourselves in a large, modern city.  Our walking tour of downtown took us to a world-class department store with an extensive food court on the top floor.  Of course, it's always nice to see a familiar face, so Sue and I snuggled up to Ronald to enjoy the dramatic surroundings.  (Yes, that man is eating a hamburger, talking on a cellphone and taking in the view.  Best McDonald's ever.)






Dinner was the treat we'd been anticipating - a Japanese savory pancake called okonomiyaki, a Hiroshima speciality.  Our biggest problem was choosing from the 25 restaurants in one building, all offering their own take on this popular item.  As the pictures illustrate, we think we picked the best.  Between two pancakes are sobu noodles, cabbage, sliced pork, a fried egg and special sauce.  We managed to eat it with chopsticks, a feat in itself.






MIYAJIMA ISLAND
This has been a sacred place in the Shinto religion for centuries.  The view of the Itsukushima Shrine's Red Gate floating on the sea as we approached by ferry was mystical.  The shrine stands on piers above the water, and once a year or so the tide rises through the floorboards, resulting in the monks closing it to visitors.  Oka-san encouraged us to hurry, so we could experience the shrine with water lapping at our feet.  They closed the gates behind us.






































Fun to see kayakers making their way through the gate.  We walked into town and tried a local speciality, grilled oysters.  We shared one and then wished we had tried more.





The two people below are enjoying the tickling sensation of small fish nibbling away on their calluses.  We didn't try it, but perhaps the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz can add this experience to its list of attractions.  Lots of giggling going on.











We rode the trolley back to downtown Hiroshima and ate lunch at an upscale shopping center.  The integration of old and new in Japan is one of its best features.




We learned later that after the bombing, trolleys were running within a few days, amazing considering the devastation.  Countries from around the world donated their surplus trolleys, so that's why they each have a unique look.

From a plaque at the A-Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome):

The A-Bomb Dome is the ruins of the former Industrial Promotion Hall which was destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever to be used in the history of humankind on August 6, 1945.  The atomic bomb was detonated in the air at an altitude of approximately 600 meters almost right over the hall.  The explosion by a single bomb claimed the lives of over 200,000 people and the city area of about 2 km radius was turned into ashes.  In order to have this tragic fact known to succeeding generations and to make it a lesson to humankind, the reinforcement work of the ruins has been done by the contributions of many people who desire peace both within and out of the country.  The ruins shall be preserved forever.

The Peace Memorial Rose Garden (in winter rest)

Students from Australia on a Peace Mission to
bring origami cranes to Hiroshima where they
joined millions of other paper cranes sent and brought 
by school children throughout the world.

The eternal flame

Our reverent, beautiful Oka-san praying.

Peace Memorial Park filled with visitors and students

The following photographs represent an impression of our time in the Peace Park Museum, the experience sometimes too difficult to articulate.  Our mind and hearts don't want to believe what happened in Hiroshima 67 years ago.  But it did happen.   In so many ways, though, the miracle of a people's resilient spirit also touched and inspired us.

Sadako Sasaki

A small part of Sadako Sasaki's Thousand Cranes made in her
attempt to have her wish granted.  Though she died before she
could finish them, her classmates made 350 cranes so that 1,000
cranes could be buried with her.  Her spirit and light live on
in all who remember her and come to Hiroshima to pray for peace. 

In 1981 Pope John Paul II said:
"God's hope is one of peace, not one of pain."

And in 1984, Mother Teresa proclaimed:
"So that the terrible evil that brought so much
suffering to Hiroshima may never happen again,
let us pray together and remember ---
works of love and prayer are works of peace."

The modern, expansive airport at Osaka

Our final "Waving Ceremony."  Goodbye Oka-san.
You were the best tour guide we've ever had.
We'll miss you, and we'll miss your beautiful country.

Kyoto and Nara

On our way to Kyoto we stopped at the Sea of Japan to dip our toes in the very warm water and pick up some shells.

And then, on to KYOTO!

Someday we need to return to this lovely city with its exquisite buildings and gardens.  There wasn't enough time to see the more than 1,600 temples, hundreds of shrines, and three imperial palaces. Grateful for what we did experience, our first stop was the 17th c. Nijo-jo, the medieval castle of the first Tokugawa Shogun. We walked on the famous "nightingale" floors, a creative alarm system that squeaks when walked on. Some of us peeked underneath to see how it works, but the poster explains it well. (My parents had a nightingale floor outside their bedroom door when I was in college. I had to jump over it - quietly - so they wouldn't know how late I'd gotten home.)

A photo of a photo, since photographs weren't allowed inside. Delicate, graceful paintings decorated every room of the huge palace.

On to the Ryoan-ji Temple (16th c.) where we tried to find the exact spot to stand in order to see all fifteen stones in their placid setting of white sand.  (This wasn't the spot.) A perfect example of classic Japanese design. There were too many visitors to capture the serenity the gardens inspire, but one can imagine!

The gorgeous Golden Pavilion, floating on a lake and shimmering from every angle. Originally built in the 14th c., it was totally rebuilt when a fanatic burnt it to the ground in 1950. It's covered in gold leaf from Kanazawa.

The famous tea ceremony at Kodaiji Temple which was designed by a Zen master when tea was first brought to Japan from China in the 1500s. The traditional ceremony focuses on ritual and grace.  It is a performance art which creates a calm and contented state of mind. Rob-san tried his hand at it, presenting the results of his efforts to his grandfather, Bud-san.  So touching.

These are "Tourist Geisha" - in other words, not real Geisha but young women who come to Kyoto to dress up and parade around in costume and make-up. Sometimes it's hard to tell the real from the pretend, but one thing distinguishes them - their shoes. These girls are wearing flat sandals. Real Geisha wear sandals as high as 3, 4 or more inches. Part of their training involves learning to walk in them.












The Gion District (or Geisha District) at night. Tourists were there with cameras at the ready to capture one of the Geiko (the preferred name for Geisha in Kyoto) or Meiko (apprentice Geiko) out on the street. I came face to face with one and was so startled by her beauty that I forgot to take a picture. (Besides, they all walk extremely fast in their high shoes. Good training.)























Here's the only Maiko I caught from the front. She smiled at us, more friendly than most. The Meiko wear more elaborate kimonos and hair adornment. The Geiko's dress is simpler, and they wear wigs.
















These two young dancers were performing in a cultural show we attended which also included a puppet show and the traditional Kyogen, a comic act presented during a Noh drama.






We spent the next day in NARA, the original capital of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose shrines and temples are some of the oldest wooden structures in the world. Our first stop was the Shinto Kasuga Shrine with 2,000 stone lanterns lining the paths.  It's also where sacred deer run free, reminding us of home - but not in a good way.  (Those of you who know Jerry's frustration with the growing population of deer in our neighborhood will understand.)

The poster illustrates all the ways the deer, as charming as they might seem, can create havoc - they bite, kick, butt and knock down.

There are shrines/gates honoring everything from marriage to wealth, deities to health.  The gate on the left honors the mountain beyond.  Lovely.  New babies are brought to the shrine, and marriages are performed.  We were lucky to be present for both happy events.

Todai-ji, a Buddhist Temple from the 8th century.  This huge statue of Buddha dominates the building.


A calligrapher stamped and drew in a journal I purchased.  It's the custom for Buddhists to collect such "passport" stamps in their journals each time they visit a temple.  Then, when they die, the book is placed in their coffin.


The top attraction in Kyoto is riding bikes around the town, visiting top sites.  Lots of fun.  We stopped first at the Imperial Palace.  It was the home of the Imperial family until the capital was moved to Tokyo in 1868.














The Gion District by day.


                                                                                                         The market.













And a former kimono factory.

Kiyomizu-dera has a spectacular view of the city and valley as well as sacred waters

flowing from three streams which confer the gifts of wisdom, health and longevity.  But great care must be taken to drink from only two of the streams,  otherwise the gods will be extremely upset.  So which two would you choose?

It was crowded and hot, and this sweet ice
saved our lives.


                                                                                 

As we walked down the hill we encountered more tourist geishas and perhaps one real geisha.

This one?

Our farewell dinner, always bittersweet.  We're grateful for the enthusiasm, kindness and humor of our travel mates.  Five of us were continuing on to Hiroshima, so those pictures will be in the next - and last - post.

Ted-san and Becky-san from South Carolina

Barbara-san and Mimi-san from California

Bud-san and Rob-san from Salem, Oregon

Bonnie-san from Washington D.C. area

Jerry and Sylvia, Jerry and Flo (from New Orleans) ---
who share the same wedding date, June 25, 1960!