Hiroshima

I left off at Friday...we spent Saturday, Sunday in Hiroshima, then took the bullet train back to Osaka early the next morning after a substantial breakfast where we visited the aquarium and the world's largest Ferris wheel (or so it advertised).

But more on Hiroshima (pronounced "Hi-RO-shi-ma"). Nagasaki may be anti-American finger pointing (and perhaps justifiably so, am not going to touch that), but Hiroshima is anything but. It is not an embittered desolation; it is, in fact, a beacon of world peace.

Bill and I took a leisurely walk around the Peace Park, at least I believe that is what it is called.

But the museum was what really hit me.

There was bits of paper with characters burnt out iron doors blown out, wax figures skin dripping off bodies. And yet, I was most impressed by the vision of peace, no hint of guilt or finger pointing, even an upfront admission of the fact that Korean and Chinese slaves were also killed in the blast, followed by a lengthy presentation of Hiroshima's development as a significant military city before beginning to talk about the bomb. The only times the words "American" or "United States," came up was a single bilboard presentation with the question, why did the US bomb Japan, answered very matter of factly.. because of feeling threat from Germany and so forth, and also included what was described as a "suprise attack" on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Very simple, clean. This is why war is horrific. And now a sincere wish for peace. The thought crossed my mind, what changes a city from a war stronghold to a city of peace, an atomic bomb.

It's amazing. I wrote in the journal put there for visitors to the museum

This may sound strange but there are few times that I am genuinely moved by humanity and this was one of them. As an American I did not feel ashamed but rather informed of the horrors of nuclear war and moved to strive for world peace as a worthy endeavor not hopeless. I admire Hiroshima and wish the best in their vision

I want to write the NYT about this. How i felt, why Hiroshima is worth visiting.

At night we took pictures with the full moon in the background behind the A Dome and pictures of our shoes on the T-bridge where the bomb was supposed to hit.

Japan...A Real Update

Alright, now that that silliness is aside, I shall provide a real update.

Well, first, off, despite God`s best intentions, I have arrived in Japan at long last. I`m not kidding. First, there are NO ships leaving the week I have vacation. I manage to delay my vacation till now, and there is ONE ship leaving that I can get to Japan in time to make it back to Korea without missing more than a day of classes. The day before my boat leaves, I come down with fever. The morning I leave, my neck muscles spasm, leaving me in extreme pain (thank God, oooh, guess I owe him something for that, for having a wonderful boyfriend along to carry my bags when it gets too painful and constant little massages).

Then the boat breaks. No. Really. Bill and I meet up with a bunch of foreigners and we drink in the bar and make jokes and watch some magician perform street tricks. We all figure we aren`t going anywhere and may as well make the best of what we have. I go to the sauna six times to relax my neck and back muscles. We do leave...nine hours later, after waiting a good hour and a half just to get on board. The company says they`ll recompensate us 7,000 JPY (something under 70 USD) and Bill gets us a room with a shower (love the lovely hot water).

But the point, is we did get to Japan.

We get in, find our hostel, get settled, find something to eat. We find what turns into what Bill refers to as "our favorite noodle place." Its a casual udon sitdown. You put money into a vending machine and press a button under the menu item you want. It spits out a ticket, you turn around to the counter and there`s your meal being set out on a tray. And the bathrooms! I got back to our table after washing up, and the first words, practically, I announce in Japan are "The bathrooms. I could live here." For one they`re clean. And there`s a little sprayer on the side with directions to wipe off the toilet when you:re done (which I rather felt obliged to do) and the automatic hand dryer actually DRIED my hands.

Did I mention Japan is quiet, too? Bill still cannot get over that. Korea is just so loud and noisy, in the way that Japan just....isn`t.

The next morning, we checked out a flea market being held at a shrine. The plum blossoms are JUST coming out now, and its absolutely gorgeous. I found a very cute little wooden Japanese doll, and after much soul searching, found the perfect white and blue ceramic with overlaid silver dragon artwork perfume bottle, both for quite good prices. I fell in love with a stunning white kimino which, if I were getting married, I would have bought in an instant, but I just couldn`t justify the cost at present. And took dozens of pictures of the flowers. I practiced my Japanese and become quite confident at pointing at an object and declaring "Kore wa ikura desuka..." (How much is this?)

I actually quite like speaking Japanese, the little I know. And I LOVE the Japanese word for yes, or "hai." It`s not "Hi, hey what`s up?" It`s a very strong, deep "HAI." Not necessarily loud, but firm.

That same day, we also visited the Golden Pavilion and chatted with a group of Indonesian, Malaysian girls living in Australia, visiting Japan for a fortnight. The pavilion was absolutely beautiful. We were both impressed, and spoke of returning when there was snow to see the snow covering the shrine and surrounding pond.

We also walked through another shrine at night. I love the contrast of walking out of a very old, asture Buddhist temple into a street full of cars and buses and mart shops.

The next day we checked out the monkey park and the manga museum before catching the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Shall update more on that later, though I am rather tired now. We were lucky to find a hotel quite close. We didn:t even have to walk. We took the electric cable car and our hotel was right at the corner. I took a long soak in the bath, since the "onsan," or public bathhouse in the hotel, was closed to women when we arrived. I guess there:s only one and it alternates usage between men and women.

Oh, and the woman at the hotel lobby taught me to say "I am in Japan," hence my earlier post.

Good night from Japan! Going to walk down the shopping street tomorrow to the War Museum and Memorial Park.

JAPAN!!! (How about another exclamation mark?...I dont know if thats necessary...No, its probably not necessary)

I am in Japan! (Watashi wa Nihon ni imasu!)