Jap Blog 15th of July 1996

Today we rose at 4am to catch a festival which started at 5am. Yamakasa was the name of the festival. A few thousand men with sumo-type dress running down the street, pulling a float and chanting “Eisa!” The streets were lined with people to cheer them on and TV cameras were there also. We then took the chikatetsu to Hakata and paid 8030 yen for the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Hiroshima. Normal cruise speed was a miserable 240 km/h. At least the TGV in France rattled along at 300 km/h. The mountains along the way were completely covered with trees and the ground has only rice paddies. Our traveling time was less than 1 ½ hrs. I am really disappointed about not being able to keep my Shinkansen ticket. Wayne said it was so that people didn’t throw their litter on the ground but I thought that it would make a great souvenir.

Once in Hiroshima it didn’t take Wayne long to find the Oho residence. We dropped our baggage off and had a quick meal. It turns out that Kiyoko, the daughter, was an exchange student in Mt Gambier, South Australia, and Mrs Oho has also been there. It’s a small world.

Our first visitation was to the A-bomb Dome. Another pic. Humbling is how I would sum it up. Introspective perhaps. Wayne and I rang the Peace Bell. There was the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound where the ashes of tens of thousands of people were laid. Children’s Peace Monument is dedicated to a girl, Sadako Sasaki, who died while making paper cranes in the belief that if she made one thousand her leukemia could be cured by the one wish that she would be granted.

Wayne specifically wanted to see the Monument in Memory of the Korean Victims of the A-bomb. Twenty thousand Koreans died because of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Also saw the Flame of Peace and Hiroshima Peace City Memorial (Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims). Wayne and I spent three hours in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Building. I found it to be quite moving. I also find it very funny when the Japanese bend down to walk in front of you. Mainly because they are so short that they don’t need to duck. Schoolgirls find our appearance to be funny.

A quick look at the hypocentre stone and then lunch. Okonomiyaki. Quite nice. Hiroshima Castle (and again) next and then Shukkeien Gardens where I could veg out for the day. Shrine inside Hiroshima-jo. After that it was back to the Oho residence for some octopus, seaweed, eggplant, cod, gobo, tofu, etc. We sat down afterwards with Kiyoko and Mr and Mrs Oho. Very friendly people. Mrs Oho brought in some homemade sake. And even I had some. Pretty strong stuff at 35% proof. What a long, hot day.

Finally found a petrol station. Fuel is 105 yen/litre and there are no bowsers. Everything is suspended. And no leaded petrol is available for sale. It is all so weird. Japanese aren’t yellow, I have discovered. They are brown. Everyone has a deep tan.

- posted by Hammy @ 8:42 am