I arrived in Hiroshima last Wednesday, February 25th. It was a 4-hour Shinkansen (bullet train) ride from Tokyo to here. Would it be faster and cheaper to fly? Yes, but traveling by train is much more fun, and you can also see Mt. Fuji along the way.

Arriving in Hiroshima, one of the first things I noticed is how extremely wide the streets are, and the sidewalks too, at least on the main streets. This is because the city was completely devastated by the atomic bomb, and they had to start from scratch.

Here I also notice a lot more people riding bikes. In Tokyo it seemed like there were a lot more bike enthusiasts, here the streets are dominated by people who are not so bike enthusiasts, it seems.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

I knew the atmosphere at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum would be heavy, I knew, but I went anyway. I confess that I regretted a little when I left there yesterday. I had already seen many of the photos in the museum's collection in books and on the internet, but being there, seeing the photos and other items from the event, and especially reading about them, reading people's stories, is distressing.

Humanity really has problems.

There is a park surrounding the museum, contrasting with the heavy atmosphere of the museum itself. The park conveys a message of peace and hope for the future. No more Hiroshimas (and Nagasakis).