Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
For most Japanese the first thing mentioned about a trip to Hiroshima is ….
okonomiyaki!
Japanese pancake/pizza/serious wodge/gut filler/yummy!
Cooked on a grill and eaten with a metal spatula, okonomiyaki is pure comfort food.
calorie note: “wodge” as defined by planetross: a pasta, potato and lard sandwich.
The next things Japanese people think about Hiroshima are: the Hiroshima Carp baseball team, Momiji Manju snacks, the Miyajima shrine, possibly a tv drama that was shot in Hiroshima … and then just before they have to take off their socks and shoes and start counting out things on their toes, they say “Gen-baku Dome” Peace Memorial and the A-Bomb Museum.
It’s something from the history books … and most people come and expect to be solemn and miserable, but it’s hard to do in a vibrant city like Hiroshima.
There are many paper origami cranes on display as a memorial to Sadako Sasaki in the park outside the museum.
At the far end of the Peace Park there is the A-bomb dome or Gen-baku dome as it’s called in Japan. One of the few building to not be completely obliterated near ground zero on August 6th, 1945.
Here is the dome in better times.
There is a “peace flame” and memorial in this large park. The museum is behind anyone who takes this photo.
It’s only about 50 cents U.S. to go in to the museum. It’s interesting, informative, sad, horrible, depressing, and a great reminder that life is very fragile.
… whether young or old; innocent or guilty, life is very precious and needs to be enjoyed every moment.
I’ve visited the museum a few times, but this stopped watch and these words say it all.
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After being bummed out in the morning, I was back to being stupid and off to Itsukushima Island and the Miyajima Shrine. A tram and a ferry ride brought me there.
I can’t resist a “dead end” sign.
Arriving at low tide kind of sucked for taking pictures. I was very concerned about taking a photo of the bulldozer while the floating torii gate was in the background, but it was not to be.
There was someone under the shrine digging out excess sand and shooting it out to the bulldozer driver who unloaded it and then scooped, scraped and relocated it to another area. I imagine the guy under the shrine must have been a college student.
Then I was concerned about taking a stupid photo of the floating torii gate on my head.
Then I pretended vandalism.
Then there were monkeys. It can’t get any better than monkeys!!! … can it???
Then I wished I had this on a t-shirt.
Then there was a photo opportunity. Hey! I call them as I see them!
Then I wanted this sign as a bumpersticker on my van.
Then the tide was really out at the shrine and I touched it … and everything.
After that it was back on the ferry and tram, a big okonomiyaki feed and a few beer … and then off to the next destinaton.
note: I may just put on a silly short stupid entry tomorrow … as obviously I don’t have essence … because time is of that stuff … and I don’t have much of that possibly … tomorrow.
I Am The Cheese 
Amazing photos.
1. I WANT a wodge!
2. You look good with a gate on your noggin.
3. When I think of dead ends I don’t think of you.
4. I reckon you wanted to post snaps of your relatives but since they aren’t there in Japan you snapped the pic of monkeys because of the close family resemblance. Too harsh?
5. I also hit people if they stare at my eyes. Doesn’t everybody?
6. You absolutely look the part of a warrier except, of course for the goofy grin on your gob!
7. The last photo is so cool I can’t come up with anything stupid to say about it except for the obvious about holding it up single handedly.
What does this okonomiyaki consist of? hmmm.. looks very intriguing.
I like all the cool pictures, even the signs lol.
I think the sign about the Monkeys is hilarious, good thing it’s written in more than one language huh! It doesn’t say what will happen if say…a tourist comes and stuffs a monkey in their coat and goes home with it!
You look like you’re having a lot of fun.
A fabulous post full of thought (and laughter) provoking tidbits. Thank you!
My favorites are the words about the dragonfly next to the stopped watch, and then the monkeys who don’t like to be looked in the eye (wonder what they are hiding?). So how’s that for two opposites?
Hmm, “etc.” covers a lot of reasons why a car might stop … including giant radioactive monster attack …
The ” wodge” looks delicious! Also, like the head shots. It takes talent to position your head under a floating torii gate.
Poor monkeys. Why is the guy holding his nose while staring at the monkey?
I like S. Le’s no. 5.
To have the opportunity and the insight for the “pulse” of Japanese life is a true gift….Thanks!
Thanks for all the comments.
okonomiyaki link here: http://japanesefood.about.com/od/holidaytraditionalfood/a/aboutokonomiyak.htm
S. Le: thanks. One of my sisters visited Itsukishima before me and thought that monkey sign was pretty funny.
There is a strong family resemblance! … but my family are more “camera stealers” than the “get mad” types.
sweetiegirlz: the monkeys are at the top of the mountain on Itsukishima. After a cable ride to the top, there are free lockers to put your stuff in so the monkeys don’t have a chance to liberate your belongings.
The last time I visited there was a sign saying, “the monkeys are in the forest feeding: you are safe“.
Donald Diddams: thanks.
There was a case with that watch in it, but I couldn’t get a good picture of it.
There are so many displays describing what happened to the initial survivors, that end with “they died 6 days later”.
On a weirder note: I found it amazing that some of the tram lines in the city were fixed and running the next day.
Dennis the Vizsla: I think my medical insurance has that “etc” at the end of it.
Tammy: the wodge/okonomiyaki is delicious: lots of cabbage, noodles, and whatever else you want thrown in there.
The man is touching his nose because the gesture for “me/I/mine/my” over here is pointing at your nose, not pointing at your chest.
Doraz: thanks.
After a while I take a lot of cultural facts for granted.