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| Hiroshima, Miyajima, Iwakuni (Part 2) |
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| 18 June 1998 - 19 June (for 2days) |
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Part 1 <===> Part 2 | --------------- |
| Part 1 | Hiroshima City Area, Shukkeien, Hiroshima Castle, Hiroshima Art Museum, Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine |
| Part 2 | Iwakuni, Kintaikyo, Hiroshima City Area, A-bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park |
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Please be careful of the man who try to buy a ticket by other person's
money! In the morning, it had much rain. I got up at 5 o'clock, and checked out at the hotel around 6:00. When I proceed to Hiroshima station, a man of homeless requested me a cigarette?!! Surprised! As I am a non-smoker, I said I did not have it. After I bought a ticket for Iwakuni by vending machine at the station, a old man said, "I want to buy 650 yen ticket. But I do not have enough coins, but I have a 10000 yen bill only. These vending machines do not accept 10000 yen bill (accepting at present). Can you buy a ticket for me by your money?" I had been surprised twice in the morning! So I said I had not understood what he said in English. He was surprised and believed I was not Japanese in his mind, and he did not know what to say. Maybe he always request it at the station. He should go to ticket office. In Japan some people experienced this troubles. From JR Hiroshima station, I took the local train on San'yo line, and arrived at Iwakuni in 50 minutes. Then I took a bus (about 15 minutes), and went to Kintai Bridge (This translation may be "Kintaikyo Bridge" there). |
 Kintai Bridge |
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| Kintai Bridge (Kintaikyo) 210 meters long, 5 meters wide, without nail. It was built in 1673 by feudal lord "Kikkawa, Hiroyoshi". Though was carried away by flood and typhoon in 1950, it was rebuilt in 1953. Access 1 : Take a bus from JR San'yo line from Iwakuni station, get off at Kintaikyo bus stop (about 15minutes, once per 5-10 minutes) Access 2: Take a bus from JR San'yo Shinkansen, get off at Kintaikyo bus stop (about 15 minutes, once per 1 hour) Time Required: 1 hour around Kintaikyo only. 3 hours for Kintaikyo & Iwakuni Castle including ropeway. SASAKI, Kojiro There are many kinds of his theory. They contain true theory and make-up story. According to one theory, he was born in present Fukuoka prefecture. According to another theory, he was born in present Iwakuni city Yamaguchi prefecture. On the book of Miyamoto Musashi, Musashi defeated Kojiro. But they say that SASAKI, Kojiro was assassinated by Musashi. There are many kinds of theory regarding his age. As well he was extremely good-looking. So we do not know which theory is true. |
 the statue of Sasaki, Kojiro (near Kintai Bridge) |
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Going to Hiroshima City Again From Kintai Bridge, I took a bus to Shin-iwakuni station of San'yo Shinkansen. And I changed my reservation at ticket office. A clerk was confused to see my ticket because I would stopover at Hiroshima. I took the "Kodama" super express on San'yo Shinkansen, and got off at Hirosima, the next stop (about 20 minutes). After arriving at Hiroshima, I took the Hiroshima Railways (Hiroden, street car), and got off at A-bomb Dome station. |
| A-bomb Dome This Dome was used as the name of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall before A-bomb was dropped. At 8:45, on 6 August, 1945, it was largely collapsed and entirely burned out by the atomic bomb that exploded almost directly above it (580 meters high). On December 1996, the A-bomb Dome was recognized as a symbol of humankind's pledge to seek the abolition of nuclear weapons and world peace through its registration on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Access: 1 minutes on foot from A-bomb Dome station of Hiroden Time Required: 20 minutes (only A-bomb Dome) Link:
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 A-bomb Dome (left) |
| the Threat of Nuclear Weapons The A-bomb dropped in Hiroshima was called "Little Boy". It was filled with uranium. And the A-bomb dropped in Nagasaki was called "Fat Man". It was filled with plutonium (exploded at 11:02, on 9 August, 1945). They say that about 15% of the relesed energy was turned into radioactive rays, 35% into heat rays, and 50% into the power of the blast. About 140000 people were dead by the end of December, 1945. And 90% of them were dead within 2 weeks. Everything was burned by heat rays emitted by the explosion, houses, cloths, etc. The powerful heat rays burned exposed human skin. Thousands of people were killed or injured when they were hurled through the air or crushed under their collapsed houses. Some people went there to help A-bomb victims, and they also suffered from residual radioactive rays. Some of them lost their hairs, others bleeded on their gums, purple spots of hypodermal bleeding appeared, others vomited blood, then they were dead. Invasion by Japan While Japanese policy was millitalism, some countries were invaded by Japan, and many people especially in Asia was killed by Japanese soildiers. As well Japanese Air Force attacked Pearl Harbor suddenly. All the people have to pray for the World Peace. What happened, war is not allowed. And nuclear weapon should not be manufactured, because it is NOT necessary for us. Hatred Japan had invaded Asian countries in the past. Because some people living or lived there think that Japanese soildiers had treated them cruelly during Japanese millitalism, they think that to strike and kick the Japanese are allowed by them at present, and they hate Japanese people forever. Wars and attacks cannot change any people into peace. Restoration in Hiroshima In those days, it is said that grass and tree had never sprung up for 75 years in Hiroshima. At present, Hiroshima city has highly developed, and there are many trees. Hiroshima city, Nagasaki city and organizations related to them have appealed the World Peace and anti-nuclear weapons. Whenever wars happened or attacks happened in one country, they have made a strong protest. World Peace is very important, isn't it? |
 Peace Memorial Park center of this photo: Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims |
Peace Memorial Park This park was completed on 1 April, 1954. It covers about 122,100 square meters. Many people of the world visit here. In this park, flowers and paper clanes are offered everyday by some of them. There is the "Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum", that is very good to study World Peace, life in those days, damage, A-bomb, and so on. Access: 5 min on foot from A-bomb station of Hiroden Time Required: 3 hours at least (including museum) Link: Peace Memorial Park (map & explanation) |
 the "Nozomi" of series 500 (San'yo Shinkansen) |
| Taking Shinkansen, the "Nozomi" Super Express While I was waiting for the train the "Nozomi" at platform of Hiroshima station, I met that old man again who took a ship from Miyajima. Though he wanted to board a plane, his flight was cancelled due to wind. So he rode the Shinkansen. I took the "Nozomi" of series 500 from Hiroshima. Top speed of this train is 300 km/h (about 187 miles per hour). But this train is running at 270 km/h (168 miles per hour) on rail for passing (not for platform). In Japanese law, Shinkansen should run less than 75 decibels, and 70 db in residence area. That is why this train reduces speed into 270 km/h when passing thorough the station. TGV and Eurostar are 91 db. In comparison with the "Nozomi" of series 700, series 500 is shaken. The Japanese word "Nozomi" means "hope" in English. Let's move and pray for the World Peace with "hope"! About train travel by Shinkansen (Edited on 18 November, 2002) |
| Books related to Hiroshima A-bomb or World Peace |
| Barefoot Gen: The Day After (Hadashi No... |
| For the Sake of Peace: Seven Paths to... |
| Choose Hope: Your Role in Waging Peace... |
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Part 1 <===> Part 2 | --------------- |
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