A Week in Hiroshima

 

On August 6, 1945, the U.S. Army Air Forces dropped “Little Boy,” the atomic bomb that devastated the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Including the lingering effects of radiation sickness, up to 160,000 people were killed by the end of the year, including many of those who came from outside the city to help with rescue efforts and the care of the survivors.

My wife, Kim, and I spent a week in Hiroshima in December 2024. I had an astronomy conference to participate in, plus we wanted to spend some time exploring Hiroshima and the local area. It was my first trip to Japan and the first trip to Asia for Kim. We were excited to immerse ourselves in a completely new environment with an incredibly interesting and proud culture. But as an American physicist headed to this historic site, my thoughts as the airplane touched down were on WWII and that August day nearly 80 years ago.

The profoundly kind embrace we received from the locals put us immediately at ease. True to their reputation, every interaction we had with Japanese citizens was characterized by politeness. Imagine travelers in DIA courteously queuing up along the lefthand side of the airport escalators so that those in a hurry might scoot up the steps to catch their next connection! This was our experience from the moment we touched down.

Our time was split between the conference and exploring the surrounding city, and both abounded in cultural experiences. The conference dinner included a silly but fun paper-rock-scissors game to winnow down a select few to have the honor of donning a traditional haori jacket and busting open the large sake barrel with wooden mallets. This ceremony symbolizes a new beginning and hope for the future. And the largely seafood-based food provided was the best I have ever encountered for a conference dinner.

While out in the city, we were amazed by the cleanliness and orderliness of this city of 1.2 million. Sidewalks were swept clean every day, trash cans seemed to always be empty, and no unpleasant smells emanating from unkempt alleyways.

Being in Hiroshima, we were able to see the unique interaction of culture and history. The conference center and our Airbnb were both within a half mile of ground zero of the atomic bomb drop, and thus every day we walked by some form of WWII ruin, including those of the Atomic Bomb Dome. The conference badge came with a free pass to the nearby Peace Memorial Museum, which we toured one of the days. My emotions while walking through the somber exhibits reminded me of my reaction to touring the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Exploring the local cuisine is always a fun aspect of traveling. Hiroshima is known for its savory okonomiyaki ‘pancakes’ made from a wheat flour batter and a wide array of additional fillings such as cabbage and seafood. Cities in Japan are punctuated with omnipresent 7-Eleven convenience stores and their equivalents. These convenience stores provide the expected array of products, but they are also popular places to grab quick (but excellent!) to-go meals that are locally produced and packaged.

One of our favorite memories from the trip came after an afternoon of touring the nearby sacred island of Miyajima. We got confused when trying to navigate the local public transportation system and ended up underground beneath a large intersection. All of the signage there was in Japanese characters, and there were no maps of the tram system at that particular location. Fortunately, two teenage girls approached us with ‘Do you need help?’ displayed on their phone’s Google Translate app. After nodding ‘yes’ and giving our best attempt at the pronunciation of the name of the desired tram station, the girls kindly escorted us through the correct subterranean corridor, up the stairs back to ground level, and pointed us to the tram station. Absolute fearlessness in their politeness.

From taking part in a tea ceremony on Miyajima to visiting the iconic Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni, we immersed ourselves in the food, the thoughtfulness, and the heritage, making the most of our brief stay in Japan. 

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Dr. Danny Dale
The College of Engineering & Physical Sciences
Department of Physics & Astronomy