Hey Steemit,
Carl here from FML with another episode of Xcape. I must apologise for my recent inactivity the last month. In the lead up to Christmas I’ve unfortunately been tied up with work and unable to produce new content. Thankfully I’ve had a little more time recently and hope to continue posting over my Christmas break.
In this episode of Xcape we’ll continue with our journey through Hiroshima, this time exploring the tragic past of this city. As you may know Hiroshima was the first city in history to be subjected to the devastation of nuclear weapons.
Whilst exploring the city I'll take you to ground zero of where the Little Boy atomic bomb devastated the city, tell you a little about the Atomic Peace Museum and also show you around the famous A-bomb dome pictured below.
After our morning hike up Mt Misen, we made our way to Hiroshima city, which is located 20km North East of Miyajima Island. Since we had left the island around 1pm we only had a few hours to get to Hiroshima and explore the city before nightfall. Our first stop was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, which we explored an hour prior to closing. Exploring the museum will take you back to a sobering part of history. The atomic bomb which was dropped on the city on the 6th of August took the lives of over 200 thousand people and left the city ruined for several decades.
There were a number of interactive movies and exhibits inside the museum, but the most interesting attractions were perhaps the stories of people whose lives were changed forever. I can not imagine the destruction of a nuclear bomb, but the museum painted a very good picture in my mind. I was unable to take any photos from inside the museum, however I’d strongly encourage you to check out the museum for yourself. Caution some exhibits were very graphic.
Some of the exhibits include pieces of clothing from the day and actual pieces of buildings such as roof tiles which were scorched in the intense heat. The stories you’ll read will stay with you long after you’ll leave and will serve as a strong reminder for the need of peace, free from the threat of nuclear weapons. The two photos below was from outside the Hiroshima Peace Museum.
After the visit to the museum, we also explored the A-bomb dome which was located immediately below where the bomb exploded. The building was one of the few which was left standing after the explosion, which is absolutely mind boggling considering its proximity to the blast. Perhaps the shock waves from the blast were mostly absorbed by the ground resulting in limited lateral loading on the building.
Check out my photos below from around the site.
At the site is a plaque which gives a little bit of a description of the building and what happened. A photo of the plaque is shown below and reads.
The A-bomb dome is the ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefecture 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 600m 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 the make it a lesson for humankind, the reinforcement work of the ruins has been done by the contributions of many people who desire peace within and out of the country. The ruins shall be preserved forever.
August 6, 1967 Hiroshima City
After our visit to the A-bomb dome we explored the town centre in Hiroshima which I found quite refreshing. The city has a number of trams which run through the centre of the roads and has a busy city vibe, which isn’t too overwhelming. Check out some of the photos below from around town.
For dinner we stopped by a highly rated restaurant on trip-advisor called Hassei. The food at the restaurant was amazing and the serving sizes are huge. The restaurant has a 4.4-star rating on google reviews and is apparently well known for their okonomiyaki. Whilst dining we also sampled some pork ribs which were very tasty and dripping with tender juices. Check out my photos below.
For any of you who may be unfamiliar with what Okonomiyaki is, Okonomiyaki is essentially a cabbage pancake which is usually topped with various meats and toppings. There are many variants of these dishes across Japan including Osaka and Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki.
For reference Hiroshima okonomiyaki generally uses the same ingredients as Osaka Oknomiyaki, but instead of all the ingredients being mixed into a batter and then fried, Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki is usually layered and contains ingredients such as yakisoba noodles. If you’ve tried both styles of Okonomiyaki let me know which style is your favourite. I’ll try and make this Japanese dish for you guys in my next food blog on the channel.
After our huge meal at Hassei we made our way back to Miyajima Island. Our time in Hiroshima had unfortunately come to an end, but I was left pleasantly surprised. I’d highly recommend a visit to Hiroshima to any future travellers, you won’t regret it.
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