Taking a trip to Hiroshima from Osaka is a great way to experience the history and culture of Japan. One of the best ways to travel between the two cities is by taking the bullet train, also known as the Shinkansen. The Shinkansen is a high-speed train that can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h and is known for its punctuality and efficiency. The journey from Osaka to Hiroshima takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and costs around 10,000 yen ($75) one way. Another option for traveling between Osaka and Hiroshima is by using a Japan Rail Pass. A Japan Rail Pass is a discounted train pass that can be used on most Japan Railways trains, including the Shinkansen. The pass is only available to foreign tourists and can be purchased in advance before your trip to Japan.
In preparation for this trip, I watched a really helpful video that laid out the timeline of events and leaders involved in the decision to use the atomic bomb:
Once we arrived in Hiroshima, you can visit Peace Memorial Park, which is dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. My recommendation is that you enter the park and visit the following monuments, before visiting the museum:
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (also known as the Atomic Bomb Dome), which is the only building that survived the atomic bombing and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a tangible link to Hiroshima's unique past. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial is free to visit.
The Children’s Peace Monument was built to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of other innocent children who died due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. When Sadako was 2 years old, the atomic bomb was dropped and she was exposed at home about 1.7 kilometers from the hypocenter. Even though she had no apparent injuries soon after the bombing, ten years after the bombing, she was suddenly hospitalized because of leukemia. After eight months in the hospital, she died surrounded by her family. In the hospital, she continued to fold orizuru (paper cranes) with her desire to get well. The story of Sadako and orizuru has spread around the world. Today, Orizuru is known as a symbol of peace. The monument was built to commemorate the thousands of innocent children who died due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. On the stone underneath the pedestal is inscribed, “This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in this world.”
Continuing toward the museum, you will pass by the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims and the Eternal Flame of Peace. The Cenotaph is an arched tomb for those who died because of the bomb, either because of the initial blast or exposure to radiation. Below the arch is a stone chest holding a register of these names, of which there are over 220,000. Every year on the anniversary of the bomb, a ceremony is held at the park and a moment of silence is observed at 8:15 am, the precise moment of detonation. The Flame of Peace has been burning since 1964 when it was lit and will keep on burning until all nuclear bombs on earth have been destroyed and free from nuclear weapons.
End your experience by visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which is a must-see for anyone interested in learning about the history of the atomic bombing and its impact on the city and its people. The museum surveys the history of Hiroshima and the timeline of the creation, use, and efforts to end the use of nuclear weapons. Its main focus though is on the events of August 6: the dropping of the bomb and its outcome in human suffering. The personal details displayed are quite upsetting and serve to remind us that we should not take peace for granted. The museum is open from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm and admission is 200 yen ($2).
The most impactful story for me was the personal story of Sachiko Mitsutani, a teacher at First Hiroshima Prefectural Girls High School. She was demolishing buildings with her students (after the aerial attacks earlier that day) and suffered severe burns from the bombing. The evening of the following day, Sachiko realized she would soon die. She asked a student who came for her in the relief station to write down her last words: "At the worksite in Dohashi, I suffered burns over half my body from a single bomb. I could have died at that moment, but I endured great suffering to survive for the sake of my students, who were clinging to me for help." The student's hands were smeared with blood and stained the paper. Sachiko died on August 8 worrying about her students.
One of the reasons I connected with this story is because it is a demonstration of the complete and utter interruption of civilian life that this bomb caused. The museum was incredibly emotional and feelings of guilt and shame as an American were uncomfortable. This is because the nuclear bombs that the United States used to incinerate Hiroshima and Nagasaki were an expensive gamble that did not pay off. They were dropped on civilians, intentionally, per the flawed strategy of morale bombing to force Japan to surrender unconditionally before the Soviet Union became involved in the war. In this, they were a complete failure. The lie that the bombs were used only to avert an invasion of Japan was a post-war construction intended to provide justification for a completely avoidable and indefensible slaughter of innocent civilians. The civilian deaths were entirely unnecessary and we owe to them to admit that.
After exploring the park, you can grab lunch at one of Hiroshima's famous okonomiyaki restaurants. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake that is popular in Hiroshima and is known for its unique style, which includes ingredients such as yakisoba noodles and fried egg. Some famous okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima include Okonomimura, Kaba-chan or Nagataya. Prices vary but expect to pay around 1000-1500 yen($9-13) per meal.
After lunch, we took a short trip to Miyajima Island, which is a beautiful island located just a short ferry ride from Hiroshima. There are two main options for getting to the island: the Aqua net ferry and the regular/public transit ferry. The Aqua net ferry is a high-speed ferry that takes around 45 minutes and costs 2,200 yen ($20) round trip. The regular/public transit ferry costs 180 yen ($1.60) one way. The main attraction on the island is the Itsukushima Shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its iconic "floating" torii gate. The shrine complex consists of multiple buildings, including a prayer hall, a main hall and a noh theater stage, which are connected by boardwalks and supported by pillars above the sea. You can easily walk to the area (with stores, shrines, and friendly deer) from the ferry terminal.
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