Our trip to Hiroshima, Japan, in October, was a bittersweet experience that D and I have anticipated for a long time. Whilst our initial plans to visit in 2020 were abruptly halted with the onset of COVID, 2024 was the year we finally had the opportunity to tick off this destination from our travel bucket list, and the wait proved to be well worth it.
From our overnight stay at Kurashiki, Japan, we took the train back to Okayama Station, from which the shinkansen on to Hiroshima would pass through. This time, D and I learned how to reserve shinkansen seats in advance, so we got to enjoy the smooth and speedy ride to Hiroshima, which we reached just 36 minutes later. At the train station, we had a quick but yummy sushi lunch.
There was a light drizzle on the day we arrived at Hiroshima, but that did not stop us from walking all the way from the train station to our Airbnb which was located a couple of blocks away from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. En route to our Airbnb, we walked through the Hondori Shopping Street, where this caught my eye as it was so cool:
This is a short clip of the Airbnb we stayed at in Hiroshima:
After settling in our home for the next two nights, we set off to the Atomic Bomb Dome. As we gazed at the remnants of the building, I contemplated how it was once a symbol of life but now represents loss. I felt a blend of sadness and respect for those devastated by the tragedy, which would pretty much be the sentiment that would resonate in me throughout the next couple of days of our visit.
Next to the Atomic Bomb Dome was the Hiroshima Orizuru Tower. When we purchased our JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass from Klook, it came with a free visit to the Hiroshima Orizuru Tower. At its rooftop observation deck we marveled at the beautiful views of the city.
A floor below the rooftop observation deck, we had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Japanese art of paper folding, origami, where D and I each created a crane. I learned during that session that the crane is a symbol of peace and hope.
I took the slide to descend to the ground floor, which was quite fun as I got to see the colorful and artistic walls on the way down. When we got to the ground floor, however, we discovered that one of our umbrellas were missing, but we considered that as a minor hiccup in an otherwise enriching day.
As we wrapped up our first day, we eagerly anticipated what tomorrow would bring as we continue to immerse ourselves in Hiroshima’s history and culture.
Making Each Day Count 
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