Last Wednesday to Friday, my second daughter took a three-day field trip with her high school class to 広島 (Hiroshima).
Hiroshima is on the other side of the country from 東京 (Tokyo). I imagined that they’d go there by 新幹線 (bullet train)…but they took an airplane flight.
Here are some of the photos she took. (She took many more photos, but I’m not including any of the pictures that have her or her classmates in them.)
This is a famous landmark and symbol of Hiroshima. Before 1945 August 6th, it was an industrial exhibit hall.
The atomic bomb dropped in WW2 detonated directly above it, killing everyone who was inside…but the building was still standing.
It remains exactly how it was after the bombing but the name was changed to 「原爆ドーム」 (“Atomic Bomb Dome”). It’s now a peace memorial and a World Heritage Site.
「原爆ドーム」 ("Atomic Bomb Dome")
This (below) is a statue of Sadako Sasaki who died of leukemia when she was twelve caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima (her hometown). While she was in the hospital, she tried to fold 「千羽鶴」 (1000 Paper Origami Cranes) which are a symbol of health and luck in Japan.
She died before she could complete them.
Click here to read a post that I wrote about her story (and another young Japanese girl with a big story, too).
(Some of young Sadako’s paper origami cranes are in the WTC Momument in New York. Click here to read my post about that.)
"Children's Peace Monument" with statue of Sadako Sasaki.
The 「広島平和記念公園」 (“Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park”):
In the Peace Park, there is the “Peace Flame” which will remain lit until there are no more nuclear weapons in the world, “Peace Bells” which can be rung be visitors to the park in a wish for world peace, and the “Cenotaph (empty tomb) For The Atomic Bomb Victims”…this monument lists the names of all of the victims of the bombing of Hiroshima and has the words 「安らかに眠って下さい 過ちは 繰返しませぬから」 (“Rest in peace, for we will never repeat this mistake”).
The "Cenotaph For Atomic Bomb Victims"
Looking through the Cenotaph For Atomic Bomb Victims, the "Peace Flame" and the "Atomic Bomb Dome" can be seen.
My daughter’s class took the ferry to nearby 宮島 (Miyajima), which is called the “resting place of the gods” and is another World Heritage Site.
The ferry to Miyajima that my daughter's class took.
There are deer on Miyajima.
Miyajima is most famous for 「厳島神社」 (“Itsukushima Shrine“) and it’s wooden Torii gate in the water:
Another landmark of the area is the wooden 「錦帯橋」 (Kintaikyou Bridge) with it’s five arches:
My daughter’s class also got to visit a cave. When they exited the cave, they saw this magnificent view:
All of the photos in this post were taken by my daughter. Please do not use or duplicate any of them without her express permission (which can be obtained through me).
Tags: Atomic Bomb Dome, Genbaku Dome, hiroshima, Itsukushima, Itsukushima Shrine, Iwakuni, Japan, Japanese, Japanese landmark, Miyajima, Miyashima, monument, Peace Flame, Peace Park, Sadako Sasaki, Torii, ww2, WW2 Monument, wwII, Yamaguchi, 原爆ドーム, 宮島, 山口, 岩国, 広島
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