We got up Saturday morning just after 6am to find our computers bursting with messages, positive thoughts, and prayers. We were overwhelmed by the love and support. We are so very blessed to have wonderful family and friends. I was also very touched by hearing from friends from high school and college...friends I haven't talked to in many years. We definitely feel the love across the world here in Japan. Thank you.
At this point, we learned that the Shinkansen was working on time, and that Hiroshima and Miyajima were untouched by earthquake or tsunami. We decided to go on the trip, though Phillip and I felt guilty. How could we go on a vacation trip while all these people are suffering? How could things go on as normal with all the devastation so close by? We knew that we could not physically go help right now. If we stayed home, we would likely watch CNN all day. We knew that we needed to continue to pray and ask others to pray. So, we left at 7:30am. The trip turned out to be a good distraction for a while.
The bullet train "Nozomi" was fun for the family. You don't have to go through a line at security. The seats are big. We turned a row around so that our family all faced each other. The train goes FAST - 300 kilometers per hour!
I found Hiroshima to be a very pretty city. We ate okonomiyaki (specially made the Hiroshima way). Then, we spent quite some time in the Peace Museum, where the history was detailed. There were many very sad displays, including pictures and items that belonged to those who died when the bomb was dropped. I found 2 sections to be incredibly emotional. First, there were 2 models that showed Hiroshima before and after the bomb. The entire city was destroyed except for an elementary school and part of a dome. To see this in model form was just awful. Another section had stories and personal belongings of innocent children who died: school clothes, lunch box with food inside that was completely charred, a sandal that still had a little girl's foot imprint. The stories were just awful... children burned to the point of no recognition, dying in agony, ... helpless parents. We walked around peace memorial park and stopped by the children's memorial to see the statue of Sadako. We talked as a family about peace in the world. This is the message of Hiroshima today.
Hiroshimiyaki
Cenotaph for the A-bomb victims
Peace Memorial Park
Atomic Bomb Dome
Sadako- Children's Peace Memorial
We took a train and a ferry to see Miyajima, a small island less than an hour from Hiroshima. Miyajima is most famous for its giant torii gate which at high tide seems to float on top of the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views. While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine-island". This is because the island is so closely related to its shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, in the public's mind. Like the torii gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water. The area was just beautiful. There are deer that walk around freely. You can pet them and take pictures with them. There are many shops and restaurants. Miyajima is famous for oyster season, so we, of course, had to eat them - grilled and fried. We took the train home. An exhausting day after an exhausting night. While we are glad to be able to see 2 very famous sights in Japan, we had a sick feeling in our stomachs all day. The best part of the day was just being together as a family and really appreciating time together.
That sick feeling continues. We have only been in Japan since July. Yet, this country is our home right now. We have developed such a great respect and fondness for the Japanese people. I hope that the world learns from the Japanese culture of honor, pride, and discipline even in the face of this horrible crisis. We feel so badly for the people of northern Japan. It is truly unimaginable that this can be happening just a few hundred miles away. We have actually heard several Japanese people compare the current disaster to that of Hiroshima - complete devastation. Yet, we can go on with life as usual? School... work...doing laundry.... going to the grocery store. It is frustrating to feel like we cannot help. We can help though. We must keep praying for those who have died, those who lost loved ones, those still trapped and trying to survive, and those who are working so hard with search and rescue and managing the nuclear plant emergency. Our financial donations will also be very important.
I cannot fully express my family's gratitude for your prayers, messages, and support. Thank you. Please continue to pray for Japan.
Peace and Love,
Tina
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