Hiroshima: The Peace Memorial, Miyajima's Floating Torii, and Oysters

Hiroshima Port (Ujina) is 5 km from the city center; trams and buses run from the port to the Peace Memorial Park and central Hiroshima. The tram (streetcar line 1) takes about 20 minutes to Peace Memorial Park from the port tram stop (¥180 per ride). The Peace Memorial Park covers the island between the Motoyasu and Honkawa rivers that converges at the hypocenter; the A-Bomb Dome stands at the north end of the park, preserved as it appeared after the blast. The Peace Memorial Museum (admission ¥200) opens at 8:30 AM and is the essential part of the visit — the exhibits on the bomb's development, the testimonies of hibakusha (survivors), and the physical artifacts are presented without sentimentality. Allow 90 minutes minimum.

The bomb detonated on August 6, 1945, was a uranium gun-type device codenamed "Little Boy," the first nuclear weapon used in armed conflict. It released the equivalent of 15 kilotons of TNT at 580 meters altitude. The immediate death toll is estimated at 70,000–80,000; total deaths from blast, burns, and radiation effects by the end of 1945 are estimated at 90,000–166,000. Of the approximately 350 buildings within 500 meters of the hypocenter, only the A-Bomb Dome (designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel, completed 1915) survived — its reinforced concrete dome absorbed and redistributed the blast force rather than collapsing. Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced surrender on August 15, 1945, nine days after Hiroshima and three days after the Nagasaki bombing. The A-Bomb Dome was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996; the Peace Memorial Park opened in 1954.

Miyajima Island (Itsukushima) is a 30-minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi, which is 25 minutes from central Hiroshima by JR San-yo Line or 50 minutes by tram (line 2 to the terminal). At high tide, the 16-meter vermilion torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine appears to float offshore — the shrine complex itself is built on the tidal flat and extends on piles over the water. At low tide, visitors can walk to the torii gate from the beach; at high tide, boats approach it. The island has tame deer, several temples, and the town of Miyajima with food stalls selling grilled oysters and momiji manju (maple-leaf-shaped cakes filled with red bean or custard). A roundtrip to Miyajima from Hiroshima takes 3–4 hours; JR Passes cover the ferry.

Hiroshima Prefecture produces 60% of Japan's oysters; the Seto Inland Sea's nutrient-rich water produces oysters that are large, briny, and not subtle. They are served raw on ice, grilled on the half shell with ponzu or garlic butter, fried as kaki-furai (fried oysters), and incorporated into rice (kaki-meshi). Ondo no Seto and Miyajima both have grilled oyster shacks where ¥1,000–2,000 buys a full tray. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (savory pancake) differs from Osaka-style in that the ingredients are layered rather than mixed — a crepe base, then cabbage, then noodles, then pork and egg, topped with okonomi sauce, bonito flakes, and aonori. The Okonomi-mura building near the Hondori shopping arcade has three floors of okonomiyaki restaurants and is the standard introduction. A full meal runs ¥1,200–2,000.