Arrived there on the bullet train from Kyoto, via Himeji Castle.. Travelling at 300km / hr zipping across the countryside from a 13th World Heritage listed castle that was spared the ravages of bombings in WWII to this vibrant city of wide open streets, big tall buildings and lovely smiling people.
Walking off the train, the heads turn as these 9 gringos with backpacks and beers in hand stroll across the concourse. Immediately it seems there are smiling girls, looking at us, snatching glances and giggling ...
We hope on the local tram and get out to the Comfort Hotel.. I am sharing with Namesie, it is a typical Japanese hotel room, small .. A quick shower and change and then it is out for the night.. Go figure, 9 aussie blokes find themselves in an all you can eat Barbeque restaurant.. Oh and all you can drink.. It is a night of Nomi Hodei .. All you can drink..
The meat goes on the little gas barby on the table. the beers flow, as does the bullshit .. we are having a top time. Dr Brad, the non drinking vegetarian,is also having fun... We are lined up along a big bench 4 on one side, 5 on the other. Seems only natural that there was a boat race. Up and down, beer for the first leg, turn and return with saki.. Made a lot of sense at the time.. Am sure we might have a few beers in reception of the hotel to finish the night, just 9 mates out on the town, nothing unusual in that..
the next morning was a business breakfast, rice, seaweed, sushi, fruit.. We take the tram back to town, to the Peace Park. Nothing can prepare you for the time you first see the iconic image seen so much on pictures... The association is Hiroshima ..
And we walk around, we see the plaque that is 290m below where the bomb was dropped... We see the scorch marks on gravestones .. We see the man, an 'in-utero' bomb survivor, talking of his story, or rather of his mum as she came into the ruins of the city, 4 months pregnant, looking for her father... We walk past the Dome, take photos. It is hot. We cross the river, across the bridge, which as a t-junction was the targetting point... It survived the bomb, and was only rebuilt a few years ago
You can feel it.. This is a place where humanity took a step.. You can sense the passing of life and it is sad.. A tricycle, scarred by the blast where a 3 year old boy used to play..
More later, not really edited this but just needed to start getting stuff out....
