Snuck out of the hostel early this morning while everyone was still asleep, stopped at a local grocery store for some goodies and headed off to Peace Memorial Park for a picnic breakfast.
I sat on a bench by the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims enjoying my picnic breakfast as I watch people from all walks of life and cultures come and pay their respects. I met and had a lovely chat with a Japanese man. He had an adorable dog named Peace. : )
I took great pleasure in a leisurely stroll around the park.
Peace Flame
Peace Flame in front to Peace Museum in front of Hiroshima Skyline
We had missed the Bell of Peace yesterday, so I make sure to give it a ring for peace today.
Bell of Peace
Gong! Gong! Gong!
And one last look at the A-bomb Dome. Being here was such a gift.
I then met up with Veronica, Kara, and Megan back at the hostel. They headed off for breakfast and I started walking to our next destination: Shukkei-en Garden and Hiroshima Prefectural Museum.
Had no idea Hummer actually made a bike, too. Pretty nice ride!
View down Aioi Dori
As I walked to the museum and garden, I took a little side trip to find the World Peace Memorial Cathedral.
Once at the cathedral, I learned about this Memorial Stone. "In the summer of 2005, this Memorial Stone was pulled by human power from Nagasaki to Hiroshima to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the atomic bombing and the termination of the Asian-Pacific War. A total of 1500 multinational volunteers pulled this stone 600 kilometers to honor all civilians killed in war, with special remembrance for the atomic bomb victims in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and to express their desire to create a peaceful world by means of dialogue and reconciliation, ending the vicious cycle of violence and retaliation."
"This stone is not an object for worship, but rather a symbol representing a deep prayer for the civilians who suffer as a result of war and for the hope for peace to spread from Hiroshima to the world. May the world become free from all violence."
World Peace Memorial Cathedral
I sat inside the cathedral in tranquil reflection and said a prayer for world peace.
I met up with Kara, Veronica, and Megan at the Hiroshima Prefectural Museum. Kara and Megan decided to wander the museum while Megan and I decided to meander through Shukkeien Garden.
Shukkeien Garden was constructed in 1620 by Ueda Soko, a famous master of the tea ceremony, for Asanu Nagaakira, Hirohima's Daimyo (feudal lord). Shukkeien literally means "shrink-scenery garden", which expresses the idea of collecting and miniaturizing many scenic views. Shukkeien is modeled afer Xihu (West Lake) in Hangzhou, China.
We see this everywhere, both here in Japan and back home in China...trees wrapped for the winter cold.
Most of the buildings and trees in the garden were lost to the atomic bomb, but since the garden was a designated air raid refuge, many victims came here shortly after the bombing. A great number died before they could receive medical attention and their remains were interred here in the garden. Restoration work began in 1949 and the garden reopened in 1951. A clue obtained from a photograph taken shortly after the bombing led to the excavation of certain areas in the garden. As a result, the remains of 64 people were discovered on August 1, 1987.
In the center of Shikkeien Garden is Takuei Pond, which contains many islets (small rock islands). Around the edges of the pond are miniature mountains, valleys and bridges. There is a circular path weaving its way around the garden dotted with tea houses and arbors.
Beautiful scenery with Hiroshima's high rises peaking through the trees.
Tea House
The trees were just starting to blossom in the plum orchard. What a glorious sight to see...spring!!!
And two adorable kitties adding to the grace and beauty of the landscape...
This makes me smile. I would love to go back when spring is in its full glory to see this garden come to life.
While strolling through the garden, Megan and I ran into a young couple dressed in traditional Japanese clothing taking wedding photos.
Her gown was breathtakingly stunning!
Koko-kyo ("Straddling Rainbow Bridge") spans across Takuei Pond...great photo op!
Another beautiful couple in the garden taking wedding photos. : )
Love the hair!
Doesn't get much more traditional than this...
Lunch time! My choice was the three piece rice "boll." : )
It was delicious!
Megan and I met up with Veronica and Kara, made our way back to the hostel on public transportation to collect our bags, and headed back to Hiroshima Station to catch the Bullet Train to Tokyo.
Japan whizzing by at 100+ mph...
We were hoping to catch another glimpse of Mt. Fuji on our way back to Tokyo, but is was dark by the time we passed by.
We had our last supper all together near the Tokyo train station (can you believe I didn't take any pictures!) and said our goodbyes to Megan and Veronica. They had an early flight in the morning and needed to get to the airport before public transportation stopped running at midnight. Kara and I weren't leaving until tomorrow, so we were heading back to the Dormy Inn.
Kara and Kimberly lost in the Tokyo Station. Man, that place is a maze!!
We thought we were on the right train, but when everyone cleared out at one of the stops, we got a little concerned. Luckily, a very sweet passenger guided us to the train we wanted to be on.
Back at the Dormy Inn! We were loving our room...much bigger than our rooms we had the first time around. It even had a washing machine!
It was late, but Kara and I decided to venture down to the grocery store to get water and goodies for breakfast in the morning. We had also seen a Starbucks as we hauled our bags from the train station and I wanted to go back to see if I could find collector mugs for my niece. (Sorry, Lesley, no luck.) As we were strolling along, Kara and I spotted THE SUSHI RESTAURANT we had been pining away for since arriving in Japan!! (Funny...it was right down the street the whole time we were in Tokyo and none of us noticed.) Since it was after midnight and we had just consumed a huge meal with Megan and Veronica, we vowed to come back the next day for lunch. As we walked away, I suggested to Kara that we better check to see what time they open so we wouldn't miss out. Luckily we did, because the restaurant was only open from 5 p.m until 2 a.m. This meant no sushi for us, unless.... Yep, with very little hesitation and an abundance of glee, we bellied up to the sushi bar and ordered up sake and a variety of our sushi favorites!! We didn't care how full we were or how late it was. We were NOT going to miss out on traditional sushi while in Japan. We even loaded up a to-go bag for breakfast the next morning! Since I thought we were only going to the grocery store and Starbucks, the camera stayed behind at the hotel, so no pictures folks! : / Lesson learned: never leave the camera behind cuz ya never know what life is going to throw in your path.
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