As soon as we got off the ship in Kobe, we started making our way to Hiroshima. Luckily, the information booth at the port terminal had a sheet that showed us which stations we needed to stop at and what trains to take to get there. We decided to take the bullet train, which would get us there in an hour and a half instead of a 4 hour regular train ride. We asked an adorable elderly main for directions to the Shin-Kobe station. He didn't speak any English, but offered to walk us most of the way there! It was only about a 10 minute walk, but this is another example of the amazing kindness of the people in Japan. Everyone was so helpful!
We ran into an SAS alumni on the way to the station. His name was Mark and he sailed during the Fall 1988 voyage. He has been teaching at a University in Kobe for about 10 years now. This was the first alumni I've run into on the voyage and it was really great to hear his story! It just confirmed once again how incredible of an opportunity this truly is and made me wonder about what might be in store for my future.
Shin-Kobe Station
Waiting for our Bullet Train!
This is what the front of the Bullet Train looked like as it was arriving at the station. They actually look a lot like airplanes on the inside.
Our seats on the bullet train! These are my friends Alexa and Kaitlynn. Dahana took the picture. :)
After arriving at Hiroshima station, we took a short tram ride to Hiroshima Memorial Park. A lot of people have asked met to describe what the experience was like. Honestly, it's very hard to explain. I'll sum it up in one word: powerful.
We first saw the Atomic Bomb Dome, then walked around Memorial Park, saw the Hall of Remembrance, and went through the museum. At one point in the hall we were the only people inside, which made the experience even more real and powerful. Watching the videos, seeing the memorials, reading stories of the victims and survivors, and seeing the clothing worn by some that perished and other items found in the rubble from the bombing was very overwhelming. The story that stuck out the most to me was of a young girl named Sudako Sasaki. A picture that tells her story is included in the following pictures of my experience in Hiroshima.
Atomic Bomb Dome
Children's Peace Memorial
Sudako's Story
Hall of Remembrance
After leaving Hiroshima we found a place to eat and then took a short walk to see the Shirakami-Sha Shrine. The professor of my Anthropology of Religion course recommend it, so we decided to check it out! I wish I knew more about the Buddhist religion so that I could have made more sense of all of the structures and symbols. I knew enough to understand some of it, but it would have been great to know more. I'm excited to learn more about it in my class.
After visiting the shrine, we did some shopping at an outdoor shopping center. We got plenty of snacks and a few great souvenirs!
We took the bullet train back to Kobe and spent the rest of our evening walking around and finding a place for dinner and dessert. :) The food in Japan in amazing! Here's an example of some of the desserts we tried.
On the second day in Kobe, I walked around the city and spent sometime in Starbucks so that I could get Wifi to use Viber and call my family. It was the first time I got to talk to all of them since starting the strip and it was great to hear all of their voices. :) I do miss them and will definitely be ready to see them all again when this incredible adventure is over.
"On-ship" time was 6 p.m. that evening, but by 3 that afternoon I was exhausted and ready to head back. I ran into my friend Wade in the port terminal, so we got back on the ship and went up to the top deck to talk about our Japan experiences, write in our journals, and enjoy looking out over the city. I've found that it's really great to take some time like that to reflect on everything!
Here are some random things that stuck out to me in Japan:
- Every single person is so incredibly kind. They tried their best to communicate with us and help us even if they didn't speak a single word of English. Dahana sat by an older Japanese woman old the train named Hiroko Toyodome. She hardly spoke any English, but tried so hard to have a conversation with us. It was a lot fun! She knew the word "beautiful," which she said many times as she pointed to Dahana's hair. :) She also understood numbers and ages in English. We told her how old all of us were and she told us she was 52. She gave us snacks to eat on the train and we all signed a postcard that had a picture of our ship and gave it to her. The little things like that just make the whole experience better. :)
After arriving at Hiroshima station, we took a short tram ride to Hiroshima Memorial Park. A lot of people have asked met to describe what the experience was like. Honestly, it's very hard to explain. I'll sum it up in one word: powerful.
We first saw the Atomic Bomb Dome, then walked around Memorial Park, saw the Hall of Remembrance, and went through the museum. At one point in the hall we were the only people inside, which made the experience even more real and powerful. Watching the videos, seeing the memorials, reading stories of the victims and survivors, and seeing the clothing worn by some that perished and other items found in the rubble from the bombing was very overwhelming. The story that stuck out the most to me was of a young girl named Sudako Sasaki. A picture that tells her story is included in the following pictures of my experience in Hiroshima.
Atomic Bomb Dome
Children's Peace Memorial
Sudako's Story
Hall of Remembrance
After leaving Hiroshima we found a place to eat and then took a short walk to see the Shirakami-Sha Shrine. The professor of my Anthropology of Religion course recommend it, so we decided to check it out! I wish I knew more about the Buddhist religion so that I could have made more sense of all of the structures and symbols. I knew enough to understand some of it, but it would have been great to know more. I'm excited to learn more about it in my class.
After visiting the shrine, we did some shopping at an outdoor shopping center. We got plenty of snacks and a few great souvenirs!
We took the bullet train back to Kobe and spent the rest of our evening walking around and finding a place for dinner and dessert. :) The food in Japan in amazing! Here's an example of some of the desserts we tried.
On the second day in Kobe, I walked around the city and spent sometime in Starbucks so that I could get Wifi to use Viber and call my family. It was the first time I got to talk to all of them since starting the strip and it was great to hear all of their voices. :) I do miss them and will definitely be ready to see them all again when this incredible adventure is over.
"On-ship" time was 6 p.m. that evening, but by 3 that afternoon I was exhausted and ready to head back. I ran into my friend Wade in the port terminal, so we got back on the ship and went up to the top deck to talk about our Japan experiences, write in our journals, and enjoy looking out over the city. I've found that it's really great to take some time like that to reflect on everything!
Here are some random things that stuck out to me in Japan:
-The toilets were a lot different from America and were difficult to operate at times. I wish I would have taken a picture of one. Many had buttons for heating the toilet seats and could actually even "wash you" so that you wouldn't have to use toilet paper. I didn't experiment too much, but it was definitely different!
- Everything is so clean! There was hardly any trash anywhere. Interestingly, there are no trashcans in outdoor public places or along the sidewalks. I learned this was because a bomb went off in a trashcan several years ago. Since then, all trashcans have been removed.
- People don't really talk to each other in Subway stations or while walking along the streets. It was always very quiet and I felt as if I always had to whisper if I wanted to start a conversation with someone.
We arrive in Shanghai, China tomorrow morning! We've only had two days back on the ship. Since we have so little time in the classroom, I'm starting to get overwhelmed with homework and studying for exams and projects. I have an exam in my Music Cultures course the class period right after China, which is pretty stressful! I'm actually glad that I decided to stay on the ship during the two in-transit days between Shanghai and Hong Kong. It will be a great time to relax and catch up on school work.
I am really excited for China! The Kindergarten Visit I signed up for got cancelled, which is disappointing. But I have many other things planned including an Acrobatic Show, a Cantonese Opera, a field lab with my Health Promotion and Behavior course, and more! :)
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