CLAUDIA & CARSTEN'S WORLD EXPEDITION

Last train from Tokyo

After coming back from Zao Onsen, we spent one last night with our friends in Tokyo and then moved on with all our baggage to catch the Shinkansen to Hiroshima.

Okonomiyaki for dinner

My friend Moto introduced me to okonomiyaki in Tokyo and he said it was a Hiroshima meibutsu (local speciality), so we tried it when we were there.

Okonomiyaki

Cabbage, eggs and bean sprouts tortilla mixed with squid, shrimps, bacon, cheese and spring onions covered with okonomiyaki sauce.

I also found Goku in Hiroshima

Hiroshima Palace

A-Dome and Motoyasu river

Hiroshima is now called the "Peace City" and the Atomic Bomb Dome is the symbol.

A-Dome

The A-Dome are the remains of what once was Hiroshima's Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall built in 1915.

A-Dome

Hiroshima after the bomb

On August 6th, 1945, the Enola Gay from the United States Airforce, dropped "Little Boy", the code name used for the Atomic Bomb. It contained 64 kg of enriched Uranium. The bomb exploded 600 meters above the A-Dome and less than one kilo of Uranium underwent nuclear fission. It was more than enough to destroy the city and kill 70.000 people. The number of casualties increased to more than 140.000 by the end of 1945 due to the radiation effects.

In memory of Koreans

Korea was in Japanese hands until the end of World War II, so around 45.000 Koreans were living in Hiroshima; most had been enlisted by force by Imperial Japan. Around 20.000 Koreans died in the bombing.

Peace Memorial Park

Peace Memorial Park from the Museum

Sadako's cranes

Sadako Sasaki was 2 years old by the time of the bombing. She survived, but developed leukemia and died in 1955. A friend told her about the Japanese legend that says that anyone that folds 1.000 origami paper cranes will be granted a wish. Sadako wished for life and started to fold cranes. Paper cranes became a symbol of the innocent victims of nuclear weapons and you can see them all over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This picture of the original cranes folded by Sadako was taken in the Museum.

Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb

Memorial Hall

The hall is made of 140.000 ceramic plates representing the total number of victims of the bomb. Many of them died begging for a glass of water. Thus, the water fountain is made in the shape of a clock signaling 08:15 AM, which was the time when the bomb exploded.

View from the river

Daytrip to Miyajima

Miyajima is an island in front of Hiroshima. We took a day trip to visit.

Rickshaws

The last time we had seen these carried by people was back in Kolkata in India.

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine

Miyajima

Mariachis in Miyajima

Rice with oysters

View from the top of Mount Misen

They have funny shrines in Japan

The best oysters in Hiroshima

Hiroshima's oysters are famous, so we decided to give them a try in this restaurant we saw the day before when we walked to the A-Dome.

Grilled oysters

Salted oysters

Salted with spring onions and ginger. They are oysters, not chicken sushi as it looks like!

Conger eel sashimi

A-Dome by night

We went after dinner to see it illuminated. This Peace Park is very special and the visit to the Museum is very emotional. More politicians should visit Hiroshima, so they would understand what they really risk when discussing the possibility of using atomic bombs.

Going to Nagasaki

Chinatown

Spectacled bridge

Called so because the reflection on the river makes it look like a pair of glasses.

Peace Statue

This statue was built in 1955. He has a hand raised up to make people aware of Atomic Bombs, one arm extended to symbolize peace. His eyes are closed, offering a preyar for the lost souls. One leg is bent symbolizing meditation and the other one is ready to stand up if needed.

Hypocenter of the A-bomb

On August 9th, 1945, "Fat Man", a plutonium bomb, was dropped over Nagasaki. It contained 6.2 kg of plutonium and exploded around 500 meters above the city. Only less than one kilo of plutonium underwent fission. More than 70.000 people were killed. Nagasaki is surrounded by hills, so this prevented the damage from being as extensive as it was in Hiroshima. On August 15th, 1945 Japan announced its surrender.

Hypocenter area

Approximately 500 meters above this area is where the bomb exploded.

Testimony

Paper cranes

Statue

In memory of mothers and children who were the main victims of the nuclear bombing.

How Nagasaki looked before

Devastation

Old remains

This is how the ground looks like under the current modern constructions of Nagasaki.

Ceramic tiles

Same as in Hiroshima, the atomic bomb of Nagasaki released a heat wave that reached up to 4.000 C degrees. This heat melted the exposed parts of the tiles. The part that was covered by another tile, remained undamaged.

Memorial Hall for the victims

In the back there is a file with the names of all the more than 170.000 victims.

Tram in Nagasaki

Nagasaki has an operational tram line which dates back to 1915. We used it to get to and from the train station and around the city.

Japanese days are very long

It seems like days in Japan have more than 24 hours. So, this restaurant closes at 26:45, which means 02:45 AM.

Dinner

Sakurajima ferry

We did a trip to Sakurajima island while we were in Kagoshima.

Sakurajima volcano

Small submarine

To remind us that most of the southern parts of Japan were occupied by Allied forces after WWII. These forces were commanded by General Douglas McArthur, who is very respected by some people in Japan because he pardoned the life of Emperor Hirohito when the war was over.

Us

View of Kagoshima

Portrait of a scream

The statue pictures artist Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi and it is a remembrance of an all night concert that took place in Kagoshima on August 2004.

Sakurajima volcano

Still active today. Some days strong ashes are released and the island inhabitants need to wear masks.

Some snacks

Traditional dinner

Kagoshima's main dish is Tonkatsu. Deep friend pork cutlets. You eat with cabbage, mustard and rice. Very good!

Greeting the samurai

Saigo Takamori, born in Kagoshima, was one of the most influential samurai. The battle of Shiroyama was his last stand against the Meiji government and the movie "The Last Samurai" is based on it. The Meiji government in its efforts to modernize Japan, eliminated the samurai's privileges and ranks, so they revolted against him in a period that was called the "Satsuma Rebellion". In the end the Empire won the battles and the samurais lost. This statue pictures a samurai.