To most people, Hiroshima means just one thing. The city’s name will forever evoke thoughts of 6^th August 1945, when Hiroshima became the target of the world’s first atomic bomb attack.

A painting of Hiroshima at night

Late last month I mastered the Japanese transportation system and made a 4 hour trip to Hiroshima for the weekend. It proved to be the most memorable, moving and insightful experience to date and I am extremely glad I made the effort to go.

I have travelled on the bullet train a couple of times, but this was my first long distance trip. Honestly, I could rave about the bullet train all day, not only are they extremely fast, but also hyper-efficient. Routes are timed to the second, delays are declared if trains arrive more than one minute late and they stop on the platform with clockwork precision. Also on board every train is an earthquake detection system (detects an earthquake 40 seconds before the shaking), the train will come to an abrupt stop if an earthquake is detected. It was the fastest and least stressful 450 miles trip by public transport ever. Arriva Trains Wales, Virgin trains and friends you have a lot to learn.

Fresh faced and ready to explore I arrived in Hiroshima at 9am and bought a 2 day trip card (2000 Yen, roughly £14) which is valid on all streetcar lines, the ferry to Miyajima and Miyajima ropeway. It is worth every penny as one trip on the rope way will cost you 1800 Yen if bought separately.

The starkest reminder of the destruction visited upon Hiroshima is the Atomic Bomb Dome. The building was an Industrial Promotion Hall until the tremendous bomb obliterated nearly everything within a two kilometre radius. It is a tragic reminder nestled amongst a modern, thriving and international minded city. I was so lucky with the weather and got many postcard worthy photos of the dome.

Across from the A Dome is the peace memorial park, which is dotted with memorials including the cenotaph which contains all the names of the known victims from the initial blast or exposure to radiation. Over 220 000 names are engraved on the memorial.

Centotaph Memorial

The inscription on the cenotaph memorial reads – “let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.” It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima, pursuing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning for genuine, lasting world peace.

The cenotaph frames the Flame of Peace which will only be extinguished once the last nuclear weapon on earth has been destroyed.

Nearby is the Children’s Peace Monument, inspired by Sadako Sasaki. When Sadako developed leukaemia at 11 years of age, in 1955, she decided to fold 1000 paper cranes. In Japan, the crane is the symbol of longevity and happiness and she was convinced that if she achieved that target she would recover. She died before reaching her target but her classmates folded the rest. The story has spread around the world, and now, approximately 10 million cranes are offered each year before the Childrens Peace Monument.

Throughout the day, many groups of school children from across Japan came to the memorial to offer their own cranes. All the groups sang and read speeches before presenting the cranes. Even though I couldn’t understand what they were singing it was very emotional. I watched humbled, as many children shed a tear for the children they never knew who suffered at the hands of the bomb.

Group of school children singing before presenting the cranes they had made.

The Golden Crane Bell inside the memorial.

Cranes donated by people all over the world. 

A statue of Sadako Sasaki stands on the top of the memorial. 

 All visitors are encouraged to donate cranes to the memorial. I made an offering of two cranes to the monument and registered my desire for peace.

The cranes I made and donated. 

Also in the park is the Korean Atomic Bomb Memorial. Many Koreans were shipped over to work as slave labourers during WW2 and Koreans counted for more than one in 10 of those killed by the atomic bomb. The Korean victims were given no funerals or memorial services and it was said that their spirits hovered for years unable to pass on to heaven. Then, on April 10^th, 1970, the monument to Korean Victims and Survivors was erected.

After a quiet and contemplative walk around the park I headed to the Peace Memorial Museum (only 50 Yen to enter, roughly 7p). The museum presents the history of the city leading up to the dropping of the bomb, depressing displays of salvaged items from the aftermath of the explosion and the city’s redevelopment. The displays here are harrowing; amongst the displays are ragged clothes, a child’s melted lunch box and scooter, and some distressing photographs. It is really moving to read the stories of those killed by the explosion and for some visitors to the museum it was simply too much. At the end of the museum you can hear the testimonials of survivors. It serves as a reminder to not take peace for granted.

I am sure that my single signature will not create peace alone, but like millions of others; I signed a petition for world peace on my way out of the museum.

Next to the museum is Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall, a walkway circles down to a contemplative underground hall of remembrance and a room where the names and photographs of atomic-bomb victims are kept, along with testimonies from survivors.

With a mix of emotions, I decided that it was time to explore more of Hiroshima away from the crowds. I visited Shukkei-en which translates as shrunken-scenery garden. Valleys, mountains and forests are represented in miniature in the gardens landscapes. Around the main lake there are a couple of tea houses and it was the perfect setting to enjoy watching a traditional tea ceremony. I then took a short walk to Hiroshima castle, a traditional wooden castle re-build after the bomb.

Shukkei-en

Hiroshima castle 

After a busy day, I tucked into Hiroshima okonomiyaki. It consists of thin pancakes, topped with cabbage, and various other toppings such as shrimp, pork, garlic etc. Hiroshima okonomiyaki also includes either soba or udon noodles all topped with a special sauce. It is all cooked right in front of you on a hot griddle; I had opted for garlic okonomiyaki with pork and shrimp, oishii!

I took some night shots of a beautifully lit up Atomic Dome and headed back to the hostel. I intended to have an early night ready for an early start but I ended up talking for many hours and drank gin with my fellow hostel stayers. My room was a traditional tatami Japanese style room, it was basic but very comfortable.

Hiroshima at night 

As my first day came to a close I wished that visiting Hiroshima was mandatory for every person at least once in their lifetime. Many westerners often skip Hiroshima for the grandeur of the temples of Kyoto and the vibrancy of Tokyo city. The world has a constant reminder of the destruction and devastation caused by war, and worse, nuclear war. The city of Hiroshima and those who visit hope that we can, if not immediately, then perhaps with a new generation, get closer to the promise of enduring world peace. 

I am catching up with my blog! I will be leaving Japan in 3 weeks time, but watch this space, australiaismycanvas and newzealandismycanvas are next! 

I have had over 4500 views of my blog from all over the world. Thank you to all the strangers that get in touch. I am really keen to pursue a career in art, so if anyone knows of any internships starting in April in the UK or abroad please drop me a message!

Marion

It was a nice day for a fox wedding!!!

The Japanese are some of the skinniest and most gentle people in the world, so it’s a little ironic that the national sport of Japan involves two very overweight men trying to shove each other out of a ring wearing nothing more than a silk thong.

Painting of sumo wrestlers in the ring 

On September the 22^nd (yes that is how far behind I am on this blog) we went to Tokyo for the day to watch some fat men wrestle. The truth is that it’s not just flab but there is a whole lot of muscle underneath it all. These men are huge in height and weight. They weigh anything between 29 to 40 stone and they are extremely flexible.

Barton, Ali, Tom,Cheryl and I outside the Ruogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo

On a typical day they are consuming roughly 20 000 calories in two huge meals (the recommended intake for a healthy active man is 2 500). A typical meal is Chankonabe (stew filled with fish, meat, vegetables and tofu) which is accompanied by 5-10 bowls of rice and washed down with copious amounts of beer.

I was expecting to be bored after the first few matches but it was simply fascinating to watch as it’s a very unique sport that has kept its traditional etiquette and rituals. It may seem superficially simple; however, sumo wrestling is actually quite complex and requires not only strength but agility and skill.

A rikishi (sumo wrestler) loses if any part of his body lands outside the ring or if any part but the soles of his feet touch the ground.

Raising of the legs - a symbolic movement

Wrestling in the ring

Lower division wrestlers kick start the day’s events at 8:30am, however the majority of spectators (including ourselves) arrive about 2:30-3:00pm to watch the higher ranked divisions. After entering the ring the rikishi goes through a series of symbolic movements. To cleanse his mind and body, the rikishi rinses his mouth with water, the source of purity, and then wipes his body with a paper towel. He then extends his arms to the side and turns his palms upwards to show he is concealing no weapons. And finally, to drive evil from the dohyo(the ring), the rikishi lifts one leg to the side high in the sky, and then the other, bringing each down with a resounding stamp on the ground. Just before entering the dohyo the rikishi also scatters a handful of salt to purify the dohyo.

A Rikishi scattering a handful of salt

Apart from a silk mawashi, a thong to me and you, the rikishi are almost naked. They squat and face each other with their fists on the ground and proceed to glare fiercely at each other. This is called the shikiri. They engage in a kind of “cold warfare” going back and forth (for up to 4 minutes) before waiting for the right moment. The fight itself can be over in seconds! The best matches are always when there is an underdog or one is significantly larger than anther. One match we really enjoyed was a rather slim, muscular rikishi vs the largest rikishi of the bunch. Amazingly, in this match, much to the crowd’s enjoyment, the underdog was victorious!!!

What I loved most about this sport was how disciplined it all was. There was no arguing with the ref, no swearing and certainly no rolling around on the floor “crying” in pain! There is so much money to be made in this sport, but you certainly wouldn’t be able to tell by their reactions after winning a match, they take cool, calm and collected to another level.

On top of their salaries, wrestlers also earn money through sponsorships and other means. Kensho is when sponsored banners are bought up on stage as advertisement by prestigious companies. Each banner costs the company 60 000 Yen (£380) and each fight can have up to 50 banners. Once the match is over, the 60 000 Yen from for each banner is split, the winner will accept an envelope containing 30 000 Yen in his right hand and 25 000 Yen will be deposited in an account for the rikishi at his intai. 5000 Yen is used to pay various taxes. Now if there are 50 banners, you multiply those figures by 50 and that is a lot of money for a minute’s work. Best hourly pay I have heard of in a while.

dohy-iri ceremony (entering of the ring)

 Now, I am sure that if any of us won that kind of money in a minute or two we would be fist pumping the air running the risk of shoulder dislocation. Famously, a sumo wrestler named Asashoryu did just this (well not fist pumping, but gently raised his arms and smiled) and subsequently shocked and horrified the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee. He was promptly issued a warning for dishonorable and unsporting behaviour and labelled the “bad boy.”

I love how sumo has managed to survive with its formalized rituals and traditional etiquette intact. It really is unique. Amongst the ceremonies that take place is the colorful dohy-iri or entering of the ring. Before the tournaments being the wrestlers enter the ring wearing a glorified apron which are made from silk with elaborate embroidery and cost anywhere between 400 000 – 500 000 Yen (£2550 - £3200).

It is a great day out and the cheapest tickets only cost us 4000 Yen (£25) and I highly recommend going! It’s another thing ticked off the “things to doing Japan” list!!

Marion 

p.s I forgot to mention about my day cooking! As most of you know I am a pro in the kitchen, I am the next Mary Berry *cough cough*! I recently went to Izu-nitta, a small village nearby for the day. I met up with some lovely girls and had a Japanese cooking lesson. We learnt to make pressed sushi, Japanese spring onion and tofu soup, tempura vegetables and prawns and a jelly and red bean dessert. The event was free and the kindness of the Japanese still continues to touch me. The volunteers picked us up from the station, bought all the ingredients and took several hours out of their Sundays to teach us. I met some lovely people and it was great. Master chef I am coming!!

The girls!

The team!