"But, why?" - my teammates, friends, and family
To me, Hiroshima is a place where visitors can experience the beauty of the city while experiencing mixed emotions after learning about the history of the place. The feelings you get here is irreplaceable with anything else.
Historically, Hiroshima is known worldwide as the first city to be involved in nuclear war in World War II because it was bombed by the United States. Hiroshima has a rich history of marine and fisheries with a population of around 2.1 million. After WWII, Hiroshima was rebuilt and became the largest city in western Honshu Japan.
Today, Hiroshima is a vibrant city, a symbol of peace in Japan that has several world heritage listed on UNESCO, as well as a reminder to the world of the dangers of war. There are many things to see in Hiroshima, whether it's world heritage sites, famous temples and beautiful views of ports and gardens, museums, local culture and entertainment - Hiroshima has it all.
Here are 3 places that I recommend visiting if you are planning to stay a few nights in Hiroshima - within and outside the main Hiroshima city.
1. Atomic Bomb Dome - The Most Emotional Place in Hiroshima
At 8:15 am on August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb in human history dropped on Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped near the Atomic Bomb Dome (otherwise known as the Atomic Bomb Dome), but fortunately, it avoided complete destruction and the remains of the building are still standing today. Therefore, the people of Hiroshima decided to keep the tragic memorial of this war and it was designated as the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.
When I visited here, I overheard the conversation between a Japanese father and his young son:
"Papa, why is this building so broken?" - the son
"Well, you see, our sushi country made Hamburger country (USA) angry, so we fought, and many things were destroyed. Many families cannot see each other anymore. Many houses are gone." - the father
The father tried his best to explain to his son in a child language, and educated him the importance of peace.
As I strolled along the Peace Memorial Park, this conversation stuck with me for a long time. It is indeed a building that will remain as a reminder to why we should maintain peace in this chaotic world.
2. Senkoji - Beautiful unexplored scenery
Located in Onomichi, northeast of Hiroshima, Onomichi is a small town in the Hiroshima region. Senkoji Temple located in Senkoji Park is actually a Buddhist temple located on a hill.
According to tradition, the temple was built by the renowned Buddhist priest Kobo Daishi, whose vermilion main hall was made a symbol of Onomichi city. There is also a large rock known as "Tama no Iwa". According to legend, there was once a glittering gem on a rock that served as a landmark for an inlet.
From here, Senkoji Park and observatory are nearby, and are great spots to view the port side of Onomichi of Hiroshima. Its relaxing vibe is one of the reasons why I always love coming back to Onomichi.
During spring and fall, visitors can hike or use their ropeway while admiring the beautiful cherry blossoms and fall leaves, once again with a view of the harbor city too. The hike isn't difficult, and there are stairs so you don't need special hiking equipment. It's a chill place!
3. Okunoshima - The most beautiful island in Hiroshima
Hiroshima has many ports, and about 15 minutes from Tadanoumi Harbor, Okunoshima is a small island just 4 km in circumference, but is known as home to about 700 wild rabbits.
These rabbits are attractive to domestic and foreign tourists. In fact, the Toxic Gas Museum and its various locations around Okunoshima also tell the history of how the island was once known to house a poison gas plant, and it has also served as a reminder that Japan will not fight again.
Okunoshima Island is also now part of the national park, and there are several facilities that offer accommodation, hot springs, and local food, as well as the Okunoshima Visitor Center too. Various activities can be done on this small island and tourists can feed the rabbits for a taste of healing from the stress of their world.
I hope I've shared some parts of Hiroshima that has caught your interest to explore more than just its city! If you're planning to visit, you can always get JR's Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass! If you are reading from Malaysia, I recommend consulting with the travel consultants from H.I.S. Travel Malaysia so you can purchase suitable passes for your Japan trip!
Until next time!
