Japan Photos 14

This is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, or as it is also called the Atomic Bomb Dome. This was kind of the reason I wanted to come to Hiroshima.
It was originally the Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Promotional Hall and was used for exhibitions. Since it was located very close to the hypocenter of the blast, which was 600 meters above, most of the building structure remained intact. Rather than demolish the remains, it was left as a memorial.
The Aioi Bridge was used as an aiming point by the Enola Gay. While the bridge was not destroyed, it was rebuilt in 1983.
This is the Children's Peace Monument. It is dedicated to a girl called Sadako Sasaki. I learned at the museum that she was a girl who survived the blast but ten years later died of leukemia. While she was in the hospital she made little paper origami cranes.
I couldn't really think of a funny name for this statue, but then again it is in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Not the funniest place to be.
The Memorial Monument for Hiroshima, City of Peace. It's kind of neat. When you look through it frames the Peace Flame (which you can't really see too well in the photo) and the A-Bomb Dome.
I'll just transcribe what the sign says. Let all the souls here rest in peace for we shall not repeat the evil. This monument embodies the hope that Hiroshima, devastated on 6 August, 1945 by the world's first atomic bombing, will stand forever as a city of peace. The stone chamber in the center contains the Register of Deceased A-bomb Victims. The inscription on the front panel offers a prayer for the peaceful repose of the victims and a pledge on behalf of all humanity never to repeat the evil of war. It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima - enduring grief, transcending hatred, pursuing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning for genuine, lasting world peace.
I would have to put Japan on my list of best national flags. Sure there's not much to it, but it excels in its simplicity of design.
The Hotel High Up isn't really that high. And if you had a room on a lower floor it really doesn't live up to its name.
Here is the entrance to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. See, I told you everything was called peace something. It is easily the second-most depressing museum I've ever been to, behind the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Shinichi Tetutani, almost four years old, loved to ride this tricycle. He was riding it in front of his house at 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 1945. He died that night. His father buried him in the backyard along with his tricycle and metal helmet. When his remains were transferred to the family grave the tricycle and helmet were donated to the museum.
What's left of a junior high school uniform.
It might be hard to notice it at first but there is a shadow burned into the stone. A person was sitting on these steps to a bank waiting for it to open when the blast happened and he was exposed to the flash. The person would have died on the spot from massive burns. The surface of the surrounding stone steps was turned whitish by the intense heat rays, leaving the place were the person was sitting dark like a shadow.
An abalone-shaped bowl with adhered dirt on the left and a deformed glass bottle on the right. But then you could have just read the signs. They were on display to be touched. It was weird touching something that was melted by an atomic blast.
More stuff damaged by the you-know-what.
The roof of a house about 3700 meters west of the hypocenter was dislodged by the blast, allowing in drops of black rain that dripped down and left traces on this white plaster wall. Analysis of this rain revealed that it contained radioactive fallout from the atomic bomb explosion.
A look back to the park from a window in the museum.
I don't know, but it's probably called the Peace Fountain or something.
Below here is the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.
It was right up there, almost 2000 feet up, that on August 6, 1945 hell was unleashed. This is the hypocenter of the blast.
Now lets look at some of the stuff that got built in the aftermath. We're walking back to the station.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima was one of the clubs I saw play in the Xerox Cup in 2008. It wasn't the team I was rooting for in the supporters section. That was Kashima Antlers. But Sanfrecce Hiroshima won on penalties. And they have done pretty good for themselves since then. After winning promotion to J1 League that year they have since won the first division three times, including last season. I realize no one else cares, so I'll just stop there.
There are some fancy French shops in this building, such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
Yikes, it's the coppers!
We didn't go down there, but this is a party area with lots of bars, pachinko halls and adult establishments.
Karaoke in a shopping center. Now that's entertainment.
Time for a little lunch. I got a little pizza-like pastry from here and a chocolate cake doughnut from the Mister Donut next door.
Where in the world is there not a Starbucks?
The women pushing the carts through the shinkansen trains also bowed entering and exiting the train cars.
Before heading back to the apartment we took a quick trip to Shinjuku to see the lights of the city.
A narrow pedestrian street with lots of signs.
At least there's pretty lights, and though there's little variation, it nullifies the night from _________. Ten points to the house that gets the right answer.
It's pretty busy for around 9:00 on a Thursday night.
The middle poster is for The Martian. No clue about the others.
If you can't find a place in a shopping center, you can go to a joint like this for your karaoke needs.
I was disappointed to find out after Googling it that "Tragedy", the song at number one on the Japanese Billboard singles chart, was not a cover of the old Bee Gees song.

TO TOKYO