Hiroshima

My main motivation for coming to Hiroshima was of course its history, being one of the two cities destroyed by an atomic bomb. 

The atomic bomb exploded about 600 meters above the Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few remaining structures that withstood the shock from the explosion. Was this because the bomb exploded directly overhead and the shock waves expanded outwards? Detonation at 600 meters was done specifically because the propagation of shock waves would cause maximum damage when originating from this height. Whatever the cause, this building was one of the few remaining after the explosion, and was kept as a reminder and memorial of the attack. The museum was of course very moving, evoking emotion with relics and photographs in a similar manner to the Holocaust museum. It was interesting to see the descriptions of why the bomb was dropped from a Japanese perspective. Words were not phrased with any animosity, simply the facts were presented. The two main reasons presented for dropping the bomb were 1) to bring an end to the war before the Soviets got extensively involved and made a claim to more of East Asia, and 2) the cost of the Manhattan Project was so large that using the bomb to end the war was necessary to justify the program. 

Before heading to the museums, I took a look at Miyajima, housing the Itsukushima Shrine, one of the most photographed sites in all of Japan. 

A visit to Miyajima also consisted of a trolly ride to the top of the mountain. 

5 if run really fast

Nightlife in Hiroshima was interesting to say the least. There seemed to be an unnaturally high concentration of scandalous bars in the nightlife district. We were fortunate enough to run into a local self-proclaimed otaku at the Mac bar, and he proceded to take us to a maid cafe. Maid cafes are the Japanese equivalent of hooters, except the girls dress in maid costumes, sometimes with cat ears. We made the most of our 30 minutes of unlimited drinks, and then headed back to the hostel.