March Adventure Day 3: March 7th, 2013 – Hiroshima and Miyajima.

Our third day was our earliest start. We were up by 6am to catch the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Hiroshima. This is another place that I have now visited 3 times and it is my second favourite place after Nara.

I was very excited for this day, so this might be a long and wordy blog post.

My bag of cranes in front of the Atomic Dome

3 years ago after I had visited Hiroshima I said to myself that if I ever were to return to Japan I would bring with me 1000 folded paper cranes. (On that trip I was given paper to make one crane and I placed it there.) I was following in the tradition of Sadako Sasaki and countless others who have brought cranes for wishes and peace. I had made a small box full at home, but I didn’t bring them with me as they would have taken too much space in my suitcase. However with the Daiso selling origami paper for 100¥ I was able to stock up.

The first crane I made during training (all the way back in June) and the last crane I made, in February. I finished 1000 cranes within a year and just in time for this visit with Mom. Unlike some crane batches mine had no set colour scheme or style, I just wanted to reach that goal. And I was so happy when I did.

At the park I carried my bag of cranes past the Atomic Dome, where a woman who thanked me for making the cranes and asking how long it took to make them stopped me. I told her that I started back in June with the goal of bringing them to Hiroshima. She once again thanked me and then told her friends in Japanese what I had said. They gave slight bows in thanks.

From there I walked to the children’s monument where cranes are taken and left in class boxes on display. I unpacked my two bundles, attached them together and included a Canadian flag to the offering, something to show in part where the cranes came from.

I felt really good after I placing them. It was great to be able to be a part of something like this, something that has such history and something that means a lot to people.

From the Children’s Monument we made our way to the museum. I still can’t get over how much I like this museum. It’s haunting and informative and a must see if you ever happen to be in Japan.

After our time at the Peace Park we hopped on the streetcar and made our way to the harbour to catch a ferry to Itsukushima.

Itsukushima or Miyajima as it is more commonly known is a small island just off of Hiroshima. My last visit with Dad happened late on New Year’s Eve, but this time we got there just after noon and were able to see the island in the daylight. With the bright sun the island was quite busy.

The island is known as a shrine island with quite a few temples and shrines. The most striking sight is the giant torii standing in the water, leading to the old entryway to the main shrine. The main Itsukushima Shrine was something that I wanted to walk around and see, as my two previous visits I didn’t enter the shrine. Our stop into the shrine yielded a surprise as a wedding was being held. I was able to get some shots of the traditional Shinto outfits of the bride and groom, as well as a great shot of the wedding party with the shrine and pagoda in the background.

From the shrine we took a walk around the island. I was looking for this little pathway that to one of the temples that is lined with statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Unfortunately I couldn’t remember how my friend and I found it all those years ago, so we didn’t get to see that. We did get to see more deer and to see the first hints of cherry blossoms of the season.

After our time on the island it was back to train station where I took Mom and Donna to eat my favourite Japanese food. Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki. They both enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of the cooking area. I know that I will be going to Hiroshima again – maybe just to eat.

After that it was the Shinkansen back to Osaka. A tiring day, but really fun and fulfilling.

Up Next: Day 4 – Kyoto.

As always full photo album on Facebook.