Hiroshima: As Vast as Its Name

Posted on November 29, 2024  •  3 minutes  • 605 words  • Other languages:  Korean

Although my schedule for Hiroshima spanned three days and two nights, I arrived late on the first evening and left early the last morning for Himeji.
This meant I had only one full day to explore Hiroshima.
Looking back, though, it was a day packed with memorable experiences.

My First Encounter with Okonomiyaki

When I arrived on the first evening, it was already dark outside, but I couldn’t let the day end without ticking off one of my plans: okonomiyaki.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is quite different from the Kansai version, and I was determined to try both during this trip.
That’s why I made my way to Okonomimura, a building packed with okonomiyaki specialty restaurants.

Okonomiyaki with draft beer.
I thought to myself, this alone might be a good enough reason to visit Hiroshima.

Itsukushima Shrine: Torii on Water

The next morning, I headed to a must-see destination in Hiroshima: Itsukushima Island.

That morning, the weather was partly cloudy but mostly clear, with the tide high enough to showcase the iconic torii on water in all its beauty.

The friendly, wide-eyed deer added a warm touch to the island’s scenery.

As one of Japan’s three most scenic spots, the torii on water was captivating—I can’t even count how many photos I took.

Shukkei-en: A garden as expansive as Hiroshima itself

In the afternoon, I returned to central Hiroshima and, without pausing to rest, made my way to Shukkei-en Garden.

Although clouds filled the sky, obscuring the vibrant beauty of a sunny day, the garden had its own atmospheric charm.

Arguably, the hidden gem of Shukkei-en is the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum.
It’s located right next to the garden, and I walked in without much expectation, only to discover an impressive collection of art pieces that left me amazed.
Unfortunately, photography was prohibited for most exhibits, so I couldn’t fully capture or preserve my memories.

I particularly loved Kodama Kibo’s works, which were on display in a dedicated exhibition.
However, no photography was allowed for his pieces, making it even more regretful.
To remember them, I purchased a set of postcards from the museum’s gift shop.

📸 Select Exhibits at Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park: Traces of the Atomic Bomb

Hiroshima has a noticeable number of Western tourists—more so than any other city I visited during this train journey across Japan.
This is undoubtedly because Hiroshima is the first city in history to suffer an atomic bomb attack.
Naturally, I had to make the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park the last stop of my visit.

The reason the Atomic Bomb Dome remains standing is ironically due to its proximity to the bomb’s hypocenter.
This tragic “luck” preserved the building as a somber reminder of the horrors of war.

In front of the Children’s Peace Monument, I saw Western visitors singing songs of remembrance.
It made me realize just how much this place signifies to people from all over the world.

The Flame of Peace, located at the park’s center, has been burning continuously since 1964.
Though I don’t know the logistics of keeping it alight during storms, it stands as another testament to Hiroshima’s many layers of meaning and remembrance.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was haunting.
It vividly showcased the aftermath of the atomic bomb in excruciating detail.
While photography was allowed, the images I captured were too graphic to share here.

When I stepped outside, the sun was setting, marking the end of my sightseeing in Hiroshima.
For my final meal, I didn’t think twice before returning to okonomiyaki.
This time, I visited Nagata-ya, a renowned okonomiyaki restaurant near the Peace Memorial Park.