Editor’s note: I’ve been to Japan twice, but have not made it down to Hiroshima. It is the single top place on my Japan bucket list for my next trip, and I’m grateful to writer Sam Spector for his brief but awesome guide to a visit. For more of Sam’s adventures, click here to visit his index page!

As this week we commemorated the 79th anniversary of the United States dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, bringing an end to World War II, I reflect back on my visit to the city of Hiroshima, the site of the single most devastating bombing in world history. I will admit that I have been to several places now as an American where I feel a little bit awkward due to the role that our nation has played in many international conflicts, and encountering people who have understandably strong feelings about the United States. For this reason, I almost did not visit Hiroshima due to my feelings of discomfort, but ultimately, I decided that it was important for me to visit this notorious city to get a better understanding of the effects of the dropping of the atomic bomb. To get to Hiroshima I flew directly from Los Angeles to Osaka and spent the night there. Many consider Osaka to be the food capital of Japan, and indeed, make sure to walk around the lively Dontonbori district with its canal and its bright lights that are reminiscent of Times Square. Make sure while in Osaka to get okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese cabbage pancake, that is phenomenal. From Osaka, Hiroshima is less than an hour and a half to the south by bullet train.

Upon arrival in Hiroshima, it was surprising to see a city that truly rose from the ashes to be rebuilt as a vibrant modern city of over a million people that had a European feel to it with trams going up and down the streets. Upon arrival in the Hiroshima train station, hop a 15 minute tram ride to the island that is separated from mainland Japan by the Hon and Motoyasu Rivers. It was here where the atomic bomb was dropped and where the memorials and museum are located. Immediately, your eye will be drawn to one of the most iconic sites of the aftermath of the bombing, the A-Bomb Dome. This building, having been built by a Czech architect in the early 20th century, was one of Hiroshima’s most famous buildings and was the only building to survive the atomic bomb in some form, which is just skeletal remains of a building with a grand dome. About a block further down you will find a plaque that notes the place where the bomb was actually dropped.

Throughout the island and alongside the river are Japan’s iconic cherry trees. The overall atmosphere and feeling that the designers are trying to capture clearly is optimism and peace as opposed to death and destruction; in fact, the area has been turned into a park that is named the Peace Memorial Park. Throughout the park there are many monuments, such as to the 6,300 mobilized students who had been conscripted to work in a munitions factory who were killed, and also a memorial to the Korean forced laborers who were killed, the latter showing a turtle symbolic of the creature that will take them to the afterlife. However, the most meaningful memorial might be the one to the children killed as a result of the atomic bomb. This memorial is covered in thousands of paper origami cranes, a symbol in memorial to Sadako Sasaki, who at age 2 survived the initial atomic bomb blast, but ten years later succumbed to leukemia that she contracted as a result of radiation exposure. As Sasaki lay dying in her hospital room, she and her friends made over 1000 origami cranes for good fortune, which became embraced as a national symbol for peace. Other meaningful memorials include the Peace Bell, which you can gently ring, the statue of Mother and Child in the Storm, which shows a mother shielding her child from the black rain, and the Gates of Peace with the word “peace” written in 49 languages. A solemn place to pay tribute is the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound, which has entombed the ashes of 70,000 of the deceased, who could not be identified or who had no surviving family to claim them. On the 6th day of each month, there is a memorial ceremony for these victims.

Make sure to spend time for quiet reflection in the memorial hall and also in front of the cenotaph outside that has a stone chest with a list of the names of all the known victims of the atomic bomb. On one side of the cenotaph, the A-bomb Dome is framed, and the other side frames an eternal flame and a pond. The flame will supposedly burn until there are no nuclear bombs left in the world. The most memorable experience at Hiroshima was the museum that is located there. The museum contains many jarring artifacts and pictures of the aftermath of the atomic blast, as well as before and after pictures and models of Hiroshima. Visitors are exposed to heartbreaking photos and testimonies of survivors and will see items like the charred tricycle of a three year old who died in the blast and watches that melted and stopped right at the moment that the atomic blast went off. As I mentioned, I felt that going as an American to this site was uncomfortable and important for me; I was surprised to see that in the testimonies, the survivors did not express anger or hatred towards the United States. Rather, they expressed outrage at their own government for needlessly starting a war with the United States through attacking Pearl Harbor, saying that had they not done so, the people of Hiroshima would not have suffered so. The reflective nature in the wake of such heartbreak and loss left a lasting impression on me.

Though Hiroshima is synonymous with the massive loss of life that came through the dropping of the atomic bomb, there is more to visit. A ten minute boat ride away from Hiroshima, with ferries leaving every 15 minutes, is the island of Miyajima. In 1643, Japanese scholar Hayashi Gaho listed Miyajima Island as one of the top three scenic attractions of Japan. Though less than 2000 people inhabit the island, millions of tourists visit every year. On the ferry ride you will pass oyster farms and see oysters being harvested in the waters. While all of Japan is known for its seafood, Hiroshima specifically is known for its oysters. Though I did not partake in them as I keep kosher, I have it on good authority from someone who loves oysters that these were the best oysters in the world they had ever tried. Upon arrival in Miyajima, you will be greeted by the most famous inhabitants of the island, its many deer who will come up to you hoping for food. While I did not have time to go to the countryside of the island to hike up mountains for splendid views or go to the Buddhist shrine of Daishoin, I did visit the most famous attractions on the island, the first of which is the Itsukushima Shrine.

This shrine dates back to the 6th century CE (though it has been rebuilt many times) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With iconic red lacquered pillars, the shrine has a vast collection of interconnected hallways and is one of the largest Japanese shrines at 431.2 hectares. This shrine is also beautiful as it is right on the water and at high tide the shrine appears to be floating. At times, there are Shinto priests engaging in ceremonial dances at the shrine. At the end of the shrine is one of the most famous torii gates in Japan, as this gate is in the water and at high tide also feels as though it is floating, but it is accessible at low tide. The torii is particularly beautiful at sunset as well and is a shrine dedicated to the three goddesses of the sea. Before heading back to the ferry, make sure you visit the main street in the town of Miyajima and have some delicious food and do some great shopping. This street, with its wooden shops, gives the appearance of an old, traditional Japanese village and is a nice contrast to the bright lights and busyness of Osaka and Tokyo.

While I had debated whether or not to go to Hiroshima, I will forever be grateful that I did. I had associated the city with destruction and thought that I would encounter animosity, but instead I found a city devoted to peace and reconciliation. It is my sincere hope that world leaders and common citizens alike will all visit Hiroshima to bear witness to the devastation that can be caused by nuclear war. Anyone with a heart will aspire to create a world free of nuclear bombs after visiting this city. While I was able to do all of these Hiroshima activities in a day, I would recommend taking a couple days to be not rushed and to appreciate what this area has to offer. Rest assured, from its tragic history dating back to August 6, 1945 to the beauty of Miyajima Island, Hiroshima is one of those cities that will leave a lasting impact on your life.

Like it? Pin it!