Hiroshima

I didn't visit Hiroshima the last time I lived in Japan. Part of it was geographical distance. The other part was probably something else. I guess I thought somehow it would be weird to be there, as an American, considering the history and all. Whatever the reason or combination of reasons, I never made the trip. I was missing out on somewhere special.

Turns out, Hiroshima is nothing like I'd imagined.

In fact, it's a really beautiful city, my favorite city in Japan now, actually, for plenty of reasons. Even if I didn't know the history, it would still be a beautiful city. Knowing the history just makes it more so by comparison. If my camera captured enough to convey half the beauty that I saw with my own eyes, you'll see what I mean in the pictures below.

There was no awkwardness about being there as a foreigner, even as an American. There were plenty of us wandering around, more than in a lot of places I've been. So much was in English that it was remarkable, and so many people went out of their way to be kind and helpful, from the folks at the hotel who responded to my Japanese in English, to the passenger on the streetcar (cities with streetcars are just plain cool/convenient) who tapped my arm to point out a free seat, to the conductor who explained where and how to transfer when headed to Miyajima (which will be it's own post with more I didn't expect), to the older Japanese guy in the park that enjoyed making small talk about Chicago baseball when I said I was from there. No grudges. No weird.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park area is one of those places that just exudes peacefulness. While the A-Bomb Dome, the famous building that partially survived the nuclear bomb enough to still stand as a powerful symbol of Hiroshima and reminder of that day, sits in full view, just across the beautiful river, people stroll through the park either reflecting upon the many monuments or simply do mundane things like nap on park benches with their books open across their stomachs. Either way, there is a sense of peacefulness there so strong that it's like a soothing balm for the difficult emotions after visiting the Peace Memorial Museum (which did a nice job and cost almost nothing to visit). It's a place that makes you just want to be there and stay there awhile once you are.

I didn't expect that.

Here, then, are some of the pictures I took, though most of these images will stay in my mind forever.

Okonomiyaki - Hiroshima Style
First order of business upon arrival in Hiroshima was to eat lunch, and there was no question that it had to be the famous Hiroshima style of okonomiyaki. I talked about the other kind last post. I think I still prefer the Kansai/Osaka style that is served most places I've been, but it was pretty cool to have the real deal at Okonomimura (or official Japanese site is here), a building that houses basically nothing more than over 20 okonomiyaki restaurants.
Hiroshima, August 27, 2009


Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
They handled the tough subject well, and admission was only 50 yen (roughly less than US$0.50 currently)


Picture of a Picture of the A-Bomb Dome
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Seeing the destruction then compared to the beauty now makes me believe in the power of people to overcome and move forward and create beauty from ruins. I read in the museum that transportation was largely back up and running just 3 days after that day on August 6, 1945. Amazing.


Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
seen from the museum


A-Bomb Dome from a Park Bench
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park


Beautiful Hiroshima


Memorial Cenotaph
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
If you look closely, you can see the arch framing the A-Bomb Dome. Many people paused here to remember and to pray (even me) for peace. It's worth clicking over to read this short blurb about this monument.


Origami Cranes
Everywhere in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Surely you have heard the story about Sadako and the Thousand Cranes. If not, you must go read it now. I'll be back to Hiroshima again. When I go, I'd love to bring 1000 cranes with me. I've folded about 15 so far. I'd love it if you'd like to help. Here's a video for one way to do it, but there are other variations all over the internet. Please contact me if you'd like to help. If you mail me however many, I'll add them to mine when I go. How cool would that be?
The cranes in the middle of this collage were fascinating because they are a whole different style I'd never seen.


Another View from Another Park Bench
Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park


One of Many Napping on a Park Bench
Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park


The Hotel that Isn't an Automatic Door / Please Do Rock the Room
I'm allowed to poke a little fun at the English when they talk about rocking the room, even if I really did appreciate how much more foreigner friendly Hiroshima was by attempting more English than most places.

I'll be back soon with Miyajima pictures. They will be fun.

Toys, Costumes, Views, Food and a Frog

I'm back again from a really nice long weekend. Hiroshima was well worth the trip and was different than I thought it would be in some good ways, Miyajima was like walking into a famous postcard and also included a surprise, and the Pirate Festival was really a blast in a gorgeous place. Pictures and stories for each will be coming later in the week.

Monday morning, less than 9 hours from now, I'll give a couple of speeches at school (as in, one in front of all the teachers and then one in front of the whole school, in bad Japanese, just to make it interesting for me or them, not sure which), and then I'll start teaching classes. So, yes, I really am working here (though I do get why some of you asked!), just traveling in between work whenever possible and had the orientation out of town plus a couple of bonus days off. I've been falling behind in getting pictures posted as a result, but I've been taking tons and generally having a great time. Japan is such a beautiful place.

Since I didn't get a chance to post these before I left, below are some pictures from Yume-ga-Hara in Bisei (now part of Ibara), Okayama where there is a medieval-like Japanese village where we went way back last Wednesday as part of our prefectural orientation. It was definitely the more fun part.

For now, these pictures:

Taketombo - like a bamboo helicopter
These are much harder to make than they look, and shaving down the bamboo with a knife isn't gentle on the hands. They are fun once done, though!
Yume-ga-Hara, Bisei/Okayama
July 26, 2009

The Master
This man can shave down the bamboo to make taketombo in about 2 minutes. Most of us took more than 20 minutes to not even finish half. Thankfully, he finished ours for us. Or I'd still be there.
His secret, I think was being able to shave off long peels at once instead of bits. Even knowing that secret didn't mean most of us could do it. I was impressed at the talent this guy has.


Koma - spinning tops, made for fighting
We were given these as is, but the challenge was being able to string it correctly and then flick the wrist just right to make it work. Then there was that crazy spinning top of another type that spins even if you put it in someone's hand. Amazing.


Frogs Say Kerokero Here
I love how different languages have different words for animal sounds.
Japanese frogs don't ribbit, they kerokero.


Playing Dress Up


View from the Lookout


Kagura Performance, the Sound Guy


More Kagura
They don't always have this kind of performance there, but they did that day. And at one point the performer tossed out snacks, making it even cooler than it already was.


Dragon Slaying, Kagura-style


Okonomiyaki
After the fun part of orientation, I had okonomiyaki with some folks near me that just got here and others that are leaving. This is at a local restaurant (one of not many open after lunch), and it's Kansai/Osaka style okonomiyaki. When I get to posting Hiroshima pictures, you'll see the difference in style.
Basically, okonomiyaki is batter with a whole bunch of stuff in it, often pork or seafood. Japanese people tend to describe it as a Japanese pancake, but I've never been able to think of it like that beyond being that approximate shape. Anything you put katsuobushi (fish flakes) on is just simply not in the pancake family, not even as a crazy distant cousin.
That night I tried mine with mochi and cheese, and it was my new favorite. Of course, I still like the old favorites, too.


My Kind of Frog
(he totally wanted some coffee, obviously)

Island Paradise, Part Two

Headed out the door in the next hour for Hiroshima and then the Pirate Festival over the weekend, but for now, more pictures continued from the last post. Also, I'm not sure how many pictures make it too slow to load, so please let me know if it's a problem, and I'll adjust.

Private Beach, Shiraishi Island
(about 10 minutes from cottage)
August 23, 2009


More Private Beach


Walking Back to Ferry


More Seen Walking


And More Seen Walking


More Boats


Quiet


On the Ferry, Headed Back After the Awesome Weekend


From the Ferry as We Pulled Away


Kasaoka Delights
(the ferry port is in Kasaoka, and yes, I had some of each)


Welcome Party at a Beer Garden, Japan-style
August 23, 2009
(on top of a department store with all you can eat and drink)


Karaoke
(two nights in a row)

Island Paradise, Part One

It almost didn't feel like being in Japan anymore when we, our wonderful and just-right-sized group of new JETs, arrived on beautiful Shiraishi Island and got situated at the Moo Bar on the beach. The owners, Paul and Amy are awesome. Amy writes a column for the Japan Times, which my bloggy pal Janet told me about and to say hello, and then Amy said hello and "moo" back. Oh, and she blogs. Anyway, they handle reservations for pretty much anything you want to do on the island from a place to sleep to massages to trips to pouring yummy drinks. Not that any of us were thirsty enough on a hot day to try every cold drink on the menu.

Anyway, the island was a really nice treat with our group before meeting up with a bunch of the renewing JETs at a welcome party the night before our prefectural orientation.

I got home this evening and wanted to get these pics up because tomorrow is another day of orientation but doing some fun cultural stuff locally (likely to involved more pictures), and then it's the long weekend in Hiroshima and at the Pirate Festival (too sleepy to link back, but I keep mentioning it since it's all been all over my mind, and I know that there will be a bucket load of pictures from both).

K, pictures.

Stop Sign in My Tiny Town
August 21, 2009
(the day before heading out)

On the Bus, Start of Trek to Shiraishi
August 22, 2009


Pretty Countryside
On the Bus, Start of Trek to Shiraishi


Ferry to Shiraishi Island
Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan


Making Waves


From Ferry, Part Way to Shiraishi Island


Shrine on Shiraishi Island


View from the Cottage


Beautiful, Beautiful Day


Another Shrine, Just Off the Beach


Seen Walking


Yay, Moo Bar!


A View from the Moo Bar

to be continued...

Airing My Clean-ish Laundry

I've mentioned my laundry issues in my last post, where I linked to the other posts, and I promised a video at some point. This is that point. I've got some clothes on the line that I hope dry by morning (overnight, good luck) because that's when I'm headed out for a weekend on Shiraishi Island and all of the crazy work and then fun travel for the next 8 days. Posting will be sporadic, as will all of my blog visits, but I'll be back with pictures. For now, enjoy the laundry video. I put some translation information on there in case someone stumbles across one of these relics (not as common anymore, I'm told) and finds the information useful. If not, I hope it's entertaining. And I hope that when I come back I am still able to get that other washer because I'm no longer so entertained. I did get another (old) bike (different woes) this past Wednesday, and the brakes work kind of OK but are nice and quiet, so things are moving in the right direction.

Showtime. It's a 10 minute video. Grab a drink and some clothes to fold or something while you watch.

Part Two of Kurashiki (and Bonus Shrine Vocab!)

The bike and washer issue are still pending, but it`s hard to care when I`m getting ready to go to an island paradise this weekend! Seriously, if you haven`t checked out this link for Shiraishi Island, it`s cool. If not, I`ll be back with stories and pictures, but it could be awhile with that crazy week plus ahead and likely no internet. Knowing I have internet at home makes me less twitchy thinking about going away for however many days without it. I can still post pictures to Twitter from my phone, and Tom and I can email back and forth by phone, so that`s the main contact I can`t go without for too long. That`s all not until Saturday, though.

Tonight, I need to shop and clean and make the place ready for lunch visitors since a couple of the English teachers are coming over on Thursday. Can you guess what I`m making? It`s the one dish I`ve mentioned a million times in the past handful of days because I have all the ingredients. Yes, Maggie`s Chicken Piccata. I`ll be glad when I get time to sort out other recipes that translate well to what`s available here. I`m sure you will, too... Anyway, the teachers at my school are really nice, and I`m looking forward to hanging out and having lunch before the craziness of actual teaching classes begins on the last day of the month.

OK, on with the continuation of pictures from this post:

Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan
August 16, 2009

Omikuji at Achi Shrine


Daruma at Achi Shrine


Baseball Ema, Achi Shrine
That? Is really just kinda cool.


Pretty Ema, Achi Shrine


Rooftops in Japan are Not Boring or Plain
Achi Shrine


Achi Shrine, Heading Down


Cute and Fun and Full of Shops, Bikan District, Kurashiki


Sanrio Store, Bikan District, Kurashiki
The amount of restraint involved in me not purchasing a single Hello Kitty item from this store amazed me. I may still have bruises from where I held myself back.


Shops, Shops and More Shops, Bikan District, Kurashiki


Hard. Off.
After wandering the streets of the Bikan District in Kurashiki, I went to Nakasho, where this little gem with the dirty name is located. It`s a "recycle shop," or second-hand store, where things are mostly like new. Some prices are OK, some prices are not. I did find a treasure there, though... Since my pics are chronological, you`ll see it here in a bit, after I got the little nugget of happy home.


Summer, Japan, Festival Wear
This was the cutest bunch of older ladies, all dressed up and going somewhere. There were probably about 25 or 30 of them waiting for the train.


Bitch, You Crazy
This goes with that post. If you missed it, this might be less funny. Anyway, this is for my dear friend J.


Small Treasure
This is what I bought for 400 yen (US$4-ish) at Hard Off. I kinda needed a scale (kgs make me sound lighter than lbs, so it`s pretty OK), and when I saw the Engrish on this one, I knew that I had found what I`d been looking for to make my life complete.