January 15, 2024

After breakfast at the hotel we walked down to the Peace park.

The first stop was the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Museum. It was a moving experience. The scope and scale of what happened is hard to grasp. Both of us were very moved and it really causes you to reconsider the cost of actions that are justified by a greater good. It is a path that once you start walking down can lead to dark places.

An interesting perspective difference was around the rationale for the use of the bomb. Growing up, our history always framed it as a necessary action to avoid a land invasion of the island that would be costly to invading troops and the population. In the museum, the listed reasons did not include that justification. They had one that was not taught in my history classes – the government needed to use the weapon to justify the exorbitant cost of the program.

Overall it reinforces the horrors of warm and the suffering that is inflected on all involved. The root of the museum is that peace is the thing we need and must have.

After the museum we explored the Peace Park and the memorials.

For lunch we attempted to settle something more light hearted this world peace – Hiroshima vs. Osaka Okonomiyaki! When we took the class in Osaka Keiko gave us a quick tour of Okonomiyaki and told us that both Osaka and Hiroshima claim to be originator of the dish. She assured us that Osaka was right and theirs was better either way. When we checked into the hotel yesterday the agent at the desk unprompted told us that we had to eat Hiroshima Okonomiyaki because it was invented there. I began to think that they take this seriously in Hiroshima. When I went to find a place to eat Okonomiyaki I found Okonomimura. This place was 3 floors of stalls serving Okonomiyaki.

We picked one and ordered. The style was really different. While Osaka mixes everything in the batter the Hiroshima version keeps them separate.

It was yummy but just totally different…this I will not weigh into this battle between two cities. I will say that Hiroshima seems to be trying harder.

We had a quiet afternoon and then went to try the next type of food on our list – Shabu Shabu. We found a place nearby (we had managed to make reservations yesterday) Mozen Bekkan. The food was good and we had a nice time…we just had to take our shoes off to get to the table.

The whole time we have been here I keep pointing us in the wrong direction. On the way back I did it again and was corrected by Owen. I asked how he knew and he pointed up.

We have been enjoying the Hilton. The doors are meant for us and the ceiling is high. We have enjoyed all of the places we have stayed but it is good to have something familiar. Well that is it for tonight. Let’s see where it goes tomorrow.