Hiroshima with children… will it be appropriate? Child friendly? How to explain the atomic bomb to a kid? I had asked myself this question, before leaving, and after getting some information, I had decided not to go.
When we arrive in Kyoto, during the cherry blossom season, the crowds are overwhelming – so many people everywhere, and we regularly have to wait over an hour to get on a bus. Well, that was not exactly child-friendly either. We need an alternative plan but luckily we have the JR pass so we can afford to be flexible.
I suggest a trip out of town to the nearby city of Osaka (about ten minutes away) to see its beautiful castle, visit the puffer fish museum and a sake distilllery … in short, an alternative suitable for adults and children. But no, Dad disagrees, and the little one – as always – agrees with him. And what does Dad suggests instead? Hiroshima, of course. I try to convince them to change their mind but there’s nothing to do… the little one is sold on this idea and so the next day we are off go to Hiroshima, a little short than two hours away.
Arriving in Hiroshima
We arrive to find a beautiful modern station and look for a way to reach the place where the atomic bomb exploded on August 6, 1945. Someone suggests the tram, which is not so easy to use if zou don’t read Japanese, but eventually we find a person who speaks enough English to help.
If we had read about it before we would have known that with the train pass we would have been entitled to use for free the Sightseeing Loop Bus “Hiroshima Meipu ru-pu” which leaves from the station and drives you to all the places of interest in the city, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
On our way to the Atomic Bomb Dome we note how much the city has been rebuilt: it’s all brand new and you could describe it as “delightful”, with its shops, its long boulevards, and the delta of the river Ota. In short, a very pleasant place, in contrast with its troubled history.
A-Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
As soon as one reaches its destination, the perspective changes: suddenly you are standing next to the A-Bomb Dome. As the only tangible evidence of that day, the authorities have decided to leave the remains of the structure and the bronze dome of the most important trade fair in the city. A place like this really gives you the creeps. We try to explain to Stefano what had happened in 1945, but we are not sure that he fully understands.
We continue our visit, walking through the Hiroshima Peace Park. In one corner there is a memorial dedicated to the many children who had died during the war and where you can admire colorful drawings made with thousands of origami cranes, artfully crafted by school children from all over the country.
The genius of Einstein leads to Hiroshima.
Pablo Picasso
At this point my son starts to understand: each crane represents a dead child, and even if my little one can’t count very well yet, he immediately realizes that there had been an incredible number of children who had died. It is hard to leave. The following stop is the cenotaph with the names of the approximately 200,000 victims.
The Hiroshima Peace Museum
After the cenotaph we head towards the Peace Museum. The construction is quite extensive and full of objects, photos, shreds of clothes, movies. As soon as one enters, a large model illustrates the radius of destruction of the atomic bomb, then the real visit begins.
Now my little one wants to understand, he has thousands of questions for every single object; in particular he notices a shredded jacket more or less his size – so he wants to know what had happened to this child who could have been his classmate, and why it had happened. It wasn’t an easy visit, and it took almost three hours to explain and translate everything.
Was the visit suitable for a child? I don’t know, but I believe so… my son’s great regret now is that he had not gone to Nagasaki, the other city destroyed by the second atomic bomb. We had to promise to take him there in the future. Of all our “Japan” visits Hiroshima is the one he remembers most clearly.
Hiroshima in 2 days
Thinking back, my advice is to spend two days in Hiroshima – which we have not done. In the city we would have been interested in seeing the castle dating back to 1593, the Shukkei-en park and the Mazda museum, but our day was entirely taken up by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial area.
With one extra day we would have certainly visited to neighboring island of Miyajima, with its immense red Tori that emerges from the waters, then head to the Itsukushima sanctuary, which is the highlight of the island.
written by Augusta
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