Samantha Kosai – “Barefoot Gen” and Hiroshima

By: Samantha Kosai

Today we discussed the atomic bomb, primarily through the first two books of Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen series. These books follow a closely-autobiographical journey of a boy named Gen and his family right before the atomic bomb drops on their hometown, Hiroshima, and its aftermath. Nakazawa writes in the form of a comic series; we read the first two and saw the 1983 animated movie. When we discussed the animated film, Lela brought up an excellent point about the use of animation in depicting the initial moments after the bomb drops. The horrific effects of the bomb slowly paint onto Hiroshima civilians and leave them looking somewhat like zombies.

This is the movie cover for the 1983 animated version we saw in class.

The class agreed that animation was able to show the destruction of the atomic bomb in a manner that allowed viewers to recognize and grieve its effects while not being too gory, like what might happen in a live-action remake. Bright colors and cutting between freeze-framed scenes also let viewers take in the damage done to Hiroshima victims in ways that are particular to an animated style. We discussed the differences between Barefoot Gen and “A Grave of Fireflies,” which we read Friday. We also read an article by Susan Napier that compares the two and agreed with her argument that both have different tones. Keenan shared that Barefoot Gen has an overall more uplifting tone that is reflected in Gen processing the war by taking care of his mom and younger sister, the only other survivors of his family. This reinforces a distinction Napier makes about victimhood and suffering. By being the latter, Gen does not enable victim consciousness to form. 

This is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

We read two other articles about Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Park. An article by Rinjiro Sodei posed the question: “Is the A-bomb known more for its power or misery?” which I asked the class as well. Keenan answered that it depends on who you are asking and the rest of the class agreed. The atomic bomb is internationally known but means different things based on your relation to the history of the war. I thought this was a really great point. We also read Ran Zwigenberg’s article and focused on the ethics of preserving the A-bomb dome, the use of calling the park sacred in political discussions, and student protests. One of the biggest takeaways I got from this part of our discussion was Lela’s recognition that it is not really our place to decide the ethics of how these issues are handled since we are not part of those communities. This is an important thing to remember as we continue to study history and go forward in creating it. 

I am working with Gabriel Galanti for our research project to study the depiction of comfort women in the Korean film Spirits’ Homecoming. This film is critical of the discriminatory actions comfort women faced and those who reinforce this system. We finished a draft of our paper last week and submitted it to Professor Uchiyama in lieu of a preliminary research plan to receive feedback on our work. It has been really nice working with Gabe; he is very dedicated to both this project and being a responsible and communicative writing partner. I’m looking forward to reading Professor Uchiyama’s comments and revising our paper based on them. 

Sushi and the Korean Identity

By: Thomas Kim

Hello there!

My name is Thomas, and I’m a rising senior majoring in International Relations with a minor in Environmental Studies. Welcome to the June 4th edition of What and Where Has Global East Asia: Japan Eaten and Been to Today! On today’s edition, we indulged our taste buds in sushi followed by a personally interesting visit to a Korean school.

After a late night of working on my final paper draft, I woke up, hungry and ready for sushi. I held out, mentally fortifying myself against the thoughts of warm toast and butter in the lobby. In what seems like an eternity later, we finally made it to a revolving sushi restaurant in Shibuya.

Heaven on a Conveyor Belt

Growing up, my grandparents owned a sushi restaurant, so to see my childhood favorite, tamago (egg) sushi, made every bite even more wonderful. The food exploded with flavor, and we spent a blissful hour there, stuffing our faces with wonderful sushi and our eyes with little trains delivering orders across the restaurant.

Tamago sushi

Marinated Salmon sushi

Now to the big event from today: our visit to a Korean school. For some background, the ethnic Korean population in Japan is referred to as the zainichi, and they are historically treated as second-class citizens within Japan, even today. They originally came to Japan for economic opportunity when Korea was a Japanese colony from 1910 to 1945, and now the zainichi population has been here for several generations. Post-World War II, the respective North and South Korean governments began funding schools for the Korean diaspora that continued to live in Japan. Fast forward to the present, and there are only 9 such Korean schools left around Japan. In this time frame, the North Korean government has financially supported many of these schools.

“Tokyo Korean Middle and High School”

Junior High and High School Building

As soon as we walk through the gate, the buildings loomed a little ominously. What could we expect from a school that has received financial support from the North Korean government? Our guide for the visit escorted us into a conference room where he introduced the school and some of its history. The school, Tokyo Korean Middle and High School, is the largest of the 9 Korean schools still in Japan, with about 113 middle school students and 358 high school students. Established on October 5, 1946, the school is celebrating its 73rd anniversary, and most of the students are 3rd or 4th generation zainichi. The students’ nationalities are split between South Korean, North Korean, and Japanese. Our guide mentioned that the school is not geared academically towards funneling its students to college; rather, it seemed like the school wanted to bring athletic prestige as he rattled off the rankings of its various sports teams. Officially, the school has 3 pillars: Intellect, Ethics, and Athletics, and its main goal is to nurture the spirit of Korean culture by learning its language and history. Students are not allowed to use Japanese while at school, except for the younger ones who enter because they would only know Japanese. The students also come from all over Tokyo; some take a 2.5 hour commute because they take it seriously on behalf of their parents’ passion for them to better understand their heritage.

Student art depicting a chima-jeogori

After this general orientation, he took us to various classrooms in the junior high (7th to 9th grade) and high school floors (10th to 12th grade). I do not know what I expected, but I did not expect the students to look at us in the hallway and start smiling and waving at us. It could have been the traditional chima-jeogori that female students were wearing as well as the more elaborate ones that female teachers were wearing. It could have been the portraits of deceased North Korean dictators Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il hanging up at the front of the high school classrooms, or the teachers speaking to their students with a clearly North Korean-dialect. This showed me that even though the teachers themselves are zainichi, the North Korean influence is visible. Interestingly, the junior high classrooms did not have the Kim portraits, and the junior high English classroom was full of laughter and fun. Keith, who wrote about our earlier visit to Miyajima Island, was brought up to the front for the students to practice a conversation with a native English speaker! But as we traveled between classrooms, there were signs everywhere saying the same thing: “우리말”, which basically translates to “Our language”. This refers to their policy of using only Korean at school.

“Let’s use Our Language very well!” aka: USE KOREAN

After touring several classrooms and many waves and smiles later, we returned to the conference room, where our guide brought 8 high school students. The 4 guys and 4 girls split the table, so that they were separated by gender. Then began an awkward attempt at questions and answers from between our two groups, as the language barrier made it so Kyohei, Professor Katada, and our guide had to translate and facilitate conversation. When asked about how they, as zainichi living in Japan, see the North vs South Korea issue, they stated that they feel sad because all three groups of Koreans are all one ethnic group. They have a strong desire for reunification and seek to help play a role in that future. Because my project with my partner, Kenny, focuses on the immigrants’ perspective on living in Japan in the context of discrimination and anti-immigrant sentiment, I asked how they felt about discrimination as zainichi. The captain of the girls’ basketball team said that when they play against Japanese schools, sometimes the Japanese teams are normal and amicable, while others could seem cautious and wary about them because of who they are. She later went on to say that once she revealed her zainichi heritage to her Japanese friends in her youth, some stayed friends with her while others became fearful and hesitant to talk to her after that. She even experienced some bullying from it before she entered the Korean school.

At the end of our visit, we took a group photo and gave our thank you’s for the opportunity to learn about the school and talk to the students. I personally could not articulate how I felt. Even while sitting in the hotel and writing this blog post, I cannot find the best ways to phrase this tension that the visit gave me. As a Korean American, whose grandma fled North Korea when the Korean War broke out, I was honestly never super patriotic about my Korean heritage. This was made worse by living in South Korea for four years, a place I do NOT miss. Yet as a Korean American who had lived in South Korea before, the heavy North Korean influence bothered me. However, what I saw and heard from the guide and students was a completely different worldview. If anything, my perspective of South Korea as the “right” side because of my past and my knowledge of South Korea as a key American ally felt wrong. There was no North vs South. It was all one Korean people, living in an unfortunate and difficult situation to where our people are pitted against one another. These students are roughly half North Korean and half South Korean by geographic heritage, yet they do not feed into that notion. They consider themselves Koreans, albeit Koreans living in Japan. For me, as someone who still struggles with his Korean American identity at times, seeing these Korean Japanese students confirm their identities as simply Korean astounded me. Additionally, seeing Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il’s portraits at the front of the classrooms made me feel conflicted. Some of these students are proud to have North Korean nationalities, but it seemed like they had no idea about the plight of the North Korean people under these past dictators and the current dictator. Yet they are not the cult-like devotee citizens that we in America are taught about.

“Put your hand to your heart!” A message on pride for your Korean heritage

If anything, this visit truly opened my eyes to another worldview. I was raised in a North vs South Korea ideology by my Korean relatives and the American education system. To see another view, one that speaks to the Korean people as a whole, held with such strong conviction shocked me. While I still need some time to consolidate my feelings, identity, and thoughts after this visit, I can say that this visit was one of the most impactful events thus far on my Global East Asia Japan journey, as it shook me to the core, rattling my perception of my identity as an ethnic Korean. But why else do we travel if not to challenge our own preconceptions on identity and worldviews?

Mount Fuji

By: Momo

Hi friends!

Today our team had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Mount Fuji. Departing from Meiji University, the drive to the iconic volcano was filled with vibrant energy as we connected with our Meiji supporters. From Tokyo, the drive took a little under three hours. This put the speed of the Shinkansen into a new light as we had zipped by the beautiful mountain in what seemed like just half an hour the week before!

As we ascended the mountain, a heavy fog shrouded the windows, only adding to the anticipation. Professor Katada then announced that if we listened carefully, we would hear the music of Mount Fuji. I had never heard of this before, but the whole bus went silent in an attempt to hear the mountain’s song. The faint chimes coupled with the fog created a mystical atmosphere that had me in awe of Japan’s natural landscape.

Winding around the mountain, Professor Nelson from Meiji informed us that we would stop at the 5th station, which was bustling with tourist shots and (hopefully) a good view of the summit. Passing by lush evergreens, a clearing finally opened for a brief second, and we could see just how far we had driven. Then, we parked at the fifth station and disembarked the bus to observe all the location had to offer.

Getting off the bus, the fog thickened, and an icy cold enwrapped our bodies. After just experiencing a heatwave in Tokyo, I was thrilled by the refreshing cold and crisp mountain air. We could not yet see the summit, so our group decided to explore.

Walking into the main store, I was taken aback by all of the delicious goodies the vendors had on sale (I am sure you’ve heard this before, but I will say it again— the food, especially the sweets, are so good in Japan.) My eyes were first drawn to these scrumptious Mount Fuji Melon Cakes that were stuffed with custard. Since we could not yet see the actual mountain, a few of us purchased the little cakes, which proved to be a delicious alternative. As the yogi in me randomly decided to be healthy, I kept looking for a snack that would satiate my desires and commemorate the moment. After passing by rows of candies and pastries galore, I found a vendor at the back of the store selling apples. Fuji apples to be precise. Since Japan is an island, fruit is hard to come by and proves quite expensive! In fact, each of these apples cost the equivalent five US dollars! Since I had been craving fruit, and since the pun was just too good, I decided to splurge a little, and let me tell you, the apple was juicy, fresh, and delicious.

Mount FUJI Apple :^)

Fuji Cakes. Yum!

After the group finished wrapping up their purchases, we exited the store to a beautiful sight. The sun had broken through the fog for a brief moment and we were able to see the stunning beauty of the mountain. Tourists swarmed to get pictures in before the fog overtook the snow-capped summit. I quickly pulled out my phone to try and sneak some shots, but alas, the fog once again returned. At this point, it was time to head back to the bus to continue our journey to the Kiyosato retreat. Despite only seeing the summit for a brief moment, the aura of the environment, coupled with Mt. Fuji’s physical beauty, has me yearning to return to hike the mountain in the future. Until then, I cannot wait to experience the rest of the sights Japan has to offer. 

Fifth Station Store

Kiyosato First Day

By: Lane Belton

After spending our first night in Kiyosato, and getting to experience what it’s like to sleep on a Japanese futon, we all got up bright and early for our group presentations.

Everyone got to do some really exciting fieldwork here in Japan, supplementing what we’d learned in our classes in Los Angeles with first-hand, on-the-ground-experience. Now it was time to share our findings with each other. People’s research methods ranged from roaming around Tokyo searching for subjects to interview, to participating in a traditional tea ceremony, to visiting gay bars and LGBT community centers, to sending out online surveys with the help of our Meiji supporters, and all sorts of other fascinating experiences and sources of information. The Meiji students also helped us prepare and deliver our presentations. They provided really helpful insights and perspectives. While each group came at the problem from a different perspective, we were all trying to answer the same kinds of questions: What does diversity mean to Japan? Where is the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation? What are the experiences of people who exist outside of the mainstream Japanese society? How is Japanese society changing, and in what ways is it resistant to change?

GEA scholars, Shon and Krystal, and Meiji students presenting their research

We presented our projects for a couple hours, broke for a delicious curry lunch, and then presented for a couple more hours. Once the final presentation wrapped up, everyone needed to rest their brains for a while. We used our free time to play some ping pong and badminton, catch naps, relax in the ofuro, and go hiking. The seminar house is in a beautiful area with lots of trees, greenery, and hiking paths, and while Tokyo has been a lot of fun, it was nice to get to spend a little quiet time in nature.

Beautiful area where the seminar house is located

Then we met for dinner—all that hiking and badminton had worked up an appetite. The previous night, the seminar house had treated us to standard Japanese dinner (one of the Meiji students mentioned that the food was a little boringly familiar for them, but it was cool to us!), but that evening they tried to make us feel at home with dishes like fried chicken, corn on the cob, and mac and cheese. After dinner, the Meiji students kindly gave us a calligraphy lesson and taught us how to write our names in kanji.

And then it was party time!

We had already gotten to know the Meiji students through shared meals, icebreaker activities, and working on our projects together, but it was really fun to get to hang out with them in a more casual setting. We took turns choosing the music, which was a great chance to talk about our favorite bands and artists, sing along to ABBA and Queen (apparently everyone knows all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody in Japan too), and bond over our varying levels of dancing skill.

After an early wake-up, the adrenaline of our presentations, and a late night partying, everyone finally crashed. Hopefully, now that we’ve had a chance to relax and let off some steam at the retreat, we’ll be ready to write our papers.

Leaving for Kiyosato

By: Asha Rao

Today my roommate, Shon, and I woke up at a glorious 7:00 am to get ready for our departure to the Kiyosato retreat facility. The morning meeting time may not have been the most favorable for my coffee-depleted body, but I have been waiting for this chance to travel and bond with all our Meiji supporters! We get to experience the beautiful mountainside, the precious moments with our supporting students, and (of course) the gorgeous yellow and white facade of google slides. To head over to the retreat facility, we hunkered down road-trip style and all filtered into a giant bus. I was honestly surprised at how many people were able to fit themselves and their luggage into one vehicle, but perhaps that is my American mind speaking. I honestly wish I could report more about the bus ride itself, but I was insanely tired and passed out. From my few waking moments, however, I can attest to the incredible beauty of the Japanese countryside. The green is almost overwhelming; a huge contrast to my perpetually dehydrated lawn back in Texas!

This picture was taken at our first pit stop along the ride.

We took our first pit stop about an hour down the road and we were allowed to grab a meal. I had an enormous bowl of soba and some tempura on the side, and I feel like I must say that the Japanese portion size is not always smaller than the American one! If it’s even possible, I slept way harder on the next leg to the retreat center with all those delicious noodles in my stomach. Our bus finally pulled into the parking lot of the retreat center around 3:00 pm, and we shuffled into the building to get checked in.

I honestly can’t believe that we were given the opportunity to spend time in such a gorgeous building. It is so spacious and peaceful, and the amount of natural light makes it look even larger. My roommates are named Haruno and Kaori. They aren’t the supporters for my project, but I’m really looking forward to getting to know people outside my immediate reach. Learning how to bypass this language barrier has provided such valuable lessons, both in my deliberateness with speaking, but also my creativity in explaining things! I have, of course, been constantly in awe with Japan and the opportunities this visit has offered me, but I think something about sharing a home with this crazy, diverse lot has really struck me. I will absolutely cherish my time here in Japan, and although we have a week left, I’m already starting to miss it.

The inner courtyard of the Kiyosato retreat facility!

After being served a strikingly DELICIOUS dinner, our entire group went outside to celebrate the start of the retreat with some sparklers and fireworks! I never imagined trying to light sparklers on fire could be such a social activity, but I think we really began to bond while shoving flammable fire sticks in each other’s faces. Once the fireworks finished, we headed inside to work in our groups to finish and/or polish our presentations for tomorrow (eek!). I imagine I’ll have to stay up late to finish my preparation work, but my excitement from finally seeing everything my friends have been working on these past couple weeks is giving me the energy to stick it out. I hope tomorrow is a collective win for all us USC and Meiji students!

Sparklers at the retreat

GEA Japan scholars and Meiji Students enjoying the sparklers and fireworks

A Day Roaming Around Tokyo

By: Taryn Akiyoshi

The biggest Starbucks Reserve in the World!!

Today marks the second free day we have in Tokyo! I still haven’t adjusted to the time change so I wake up at 7:00 in the morning. On any regular day, waking up that early in the morning would have been met with fatigue; however, it works in my favor as I now have more time to explore the city. Having some work to do for class, three of the other Global East Asia Scholars and I went to the largest Starbucks Reserve in the world located a few stations away in Naka-Meguro. As I walked down the street I encountered a beautiful, four-story, wooden building, dressed with hanging plants and guarded by security. To my surprise, this is a Starbucks. Walking into the doors opened by the guards, I was in awe as giant coffee roasters embellished with copper cherry blossoms fill the air with the scent of coffee. Each floor of this Starbucks had a different theme. The first floor was for coffee, the second for tea, the third for cocktails, and the fourth for lounging. The pastries were gourmet, providing spectacular savory and sweet treats that were incomparable to those I received on my way to class each morning. Every area of the cafe was filled with the natural lighting provided by the large glass windows, making it a fantastic place to study. I ordered a Hazelnut Latte and a prosciutto croissant and was ready to finish my presentation.

After finishing some work, I went to Meguro station to meet my friend from USC who was studying abroad at Tokyo International University. I have not seen her in months, so we caught up as we walked along the Meguro River. The river was pristine and lined with vibrant trees. In addition to being a beautiful place to take an afternoon stroll, it was also accompanied by cute boutique stores and cafe shops. My friend and I biked down the riverfront, explored the city and bought several souvenirs to take home to LA.

Tonkatsu Tonki in Meguro

Working up an appetite from the day, we went to eat tonkatsu at Tonkatsu Tonki. I was amazed by the layout the moment I walked through the door. A carefully crafted wooden bar faced an open kitchen that allowed diners to experience the efficiency with which the restaurant was run. Each person had their own task. One chef would only take orders, another would only cut the tonkatsu. It amazed me to see how many of the restaurants in Japan do not serve many dishes but rather specialize in one. The tonkatsu was perfectly golden served with pickles, rice, miso soup, and cabbage salad. It was easily one of the best meals I had ever had. Despite having a full and satisfying meal, I made a stop at Family Mart before heading to my home away from home. Here I bought water and a waffle ice cream. The waffle was crunchy, lined with dark chocolate and filled with rich vanilla ice cream inside. Satisfied after dessert and tired after a long day, I went home to rest and plan my activities for the next day.

Exploring Tokyo

By: Kayla Folts

It’s currently the second week of our stay in Japan and I can’t believe that our time here has flown by so fast!  After all of our exciting travels around Kyoto and Hiroshima, it’s great to be back at our home base in Tokyo near Meiji University. In addition to guest lectures by the Meiji University Professors, or Sensei, and doing research for all of our respective projects, sightseeing in such a vibrant city with my classmates is definitely a highlight of this trip. With so many different neighborhoods in Tokyo, there’s never a dull moment.

One of my favorite places that I have visited so far in Tokyo was Shibuya. The Meiji students unanimously agreed that this was their favorite area that was a “must see” when visiting Tokyo. Many of the students remarked that Shibuya has everything you could ask for and it is a great place to shop. Not only that but, upon doing some research before visiting, Shibuya is home to Shibuya crossing or “scramble”, which is the busiest intersection in the world and has been equated to be the Japanese “Times Square.”

On the first full day that we were in Tokyo, a group of my classmates and I decided to go visit Shibuya and tackle the daunting task of taking the Japanese metro system there. Because the metro is such a popular form of transportation, getting through the crowds and figuring out which line to get on when I don’t speak Japanese seemed like an impossible task but, luckily, we got to Shibuya without getting lost in Tokyo. Thankfully my classmates’ sense of direction is better than mine.

When we came out of the subway, we popped up right at the Shibuya crossing and I was immediately impressed and overwhelmed by all of the billboards and people concentrated in that one area. As we traveled around to different sections in Shibuya, the place was buzzing with people from all over the world shopping and taking in the culture. One of the shops by the scramble is 7 stories high and only sells Japanese brands. In addition to this, there were a lot of international brands that were familiar.

Shibuya Crossing

Harajuku is a section of Shibuya that is so large and has so many things to do that we decided to spend the entire next day and explore that area. This neighborhood is known for its young energy, street art, and fashion. Everywhere we looked, there were upcycled vintage stores and young Japanese people enjoying the atmosphere and shopping. A common theme in a lot of the stores was to have Lakers shirts and jerseys. Even in Japan, there is a little taste of home.

Harajuku at night

Throughout all of my travels through Tokyo, my research partner Momo and I have been trying all of the matcha tea and sweets we can find. Our project is a socioeconomic analysis of matcha’s globalization, so while going around and interviewing people for our project, we get to enjoy some tasty treats. I can’t wait to continue to explore the city for the next week and a half!

Our Second Day in Kyoto

By: Madeline Clasen

On our last day in Kyoto, we all woke up to eat breakfast and check out of our hotel. Then we were off to explore the offerings of the city. My research project partner, Athena, and I decided to check out Gion, the geisha district in Kyoto. We were hopeful that we might spot a few maiko, or geisha apprentices while there. Sadly, we didn’t see any geisha or maiko, but we did see a lot of people wearing yukata, a lighter cotton version of kimono worn in the summertime.

Gion is a neighborhood with many narrow twisting streets and traditional wooden houses and buildings. While there we visited various craft and souvenir shops and also stopped for some green tea flavored ice cream. It was also very hot outside so I stopped in one of the shops specializing in Japanese paper fans. With the weather as hot as it’s been these past few days, I think it will definitely come in handy.

One of the popular streets in Gion

We also visited the nearby Yasaka Shrine and took a walk in Marayuma park. We also hiked up to a Buddhist temple, where we took our shoes off outside before going in to take a look at the temple’s statues. In the park, we saw some koi fish swimming in the pond, and some beautiful traditional bridges and architecture.

The main gate to Yasaka Shrine

On the way back towards the station we were delighted by the roadside Buddhist statues and alters. Nearby signs instruct visitors to touch the statues for good luck and merit. We made sure to touch the ones we passed by. Hopefully we accumulated a lot of luck and merit to help us with our project here in Japan.

Instructions for touching roadside statues

One of the roadside statues near Gion

After a long day of walking through Gion and visiting shrines and temples, we hopped on the train and headed back to Kyoto station to catch our Shinkansen, or bullet train, back to Tokyo. The train travels at speeds close to 320 mph, meaning the trip that would take more than 5 hours by car, takes less than three hours by train.

Before getting on, we stopped in a shop in the station to buy an ekiben, a pre-made bento box available on trains and in train stations in Japan. There were lots of options to choose from and often times train stations sell bentos with regional ingredients or foods specific to the area. I decided on a Kansai region bento box, with lots of different types of vegetable side dishes.

Opening the bento to eat on the train

After our train ride back to Tokyo station, we all rode back to Sakura hotel and checked back in for some rest and relaxation before we start back to class at Meiji University on Monday morning. Kyoto was a wonderful experience jam packed with exciting things to do, see, and eat. I definitely hope to return to Kyoto in the future.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

By: Jessica Idenoshita 

Upon our return from Miyajima Island, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. On our way to the museum, we walked through the Heiwa Koen (Peace Memorial Park) where we saw the Atomic Bomb Dome. The Genbaku Dome or Atomic Bomb Dome, which used to be the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, was the only building near the hypocenter of the atomic bomb blast left standing. While walking past the Genbaku Dome, we were greeted by several Japanese high school students who were collecting signatures to prevent the use of nuclear weapons so that there are “No More Hiroshimas.” It was my first time signing a petition in a foreign country and I’m glad that I got to help the local students who are advocating for a more peaceful future so that such a devastating tragedy never happens again.

Genbaku Dome at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Another memorial within the park

Once inside the museum, the exhibits graphically illustrated Hiroshima city before and after the bomb, along with personal stories of the victims and families in great detail. Every piece of artifact on display, from pieces of clothing and name tags, belonged to many young innocent civilians whose family members were also heartbreakingly affected by the bomb. Although this was not my first time visiting the Peace Memorial Museum, it was still such a powerful and moving experience seeing all the artwork, photographs, and reading the detailed accounts of the disastrous aftermath. The accounts that illustrated how the victims asked those who came to help for water because of their severe burns, made me feel emotional because they were similar to the story my 80-year-old grandpa told me, who is also a hibakusha (survivor affected by one of the atomic bombs dropped on Japan) since he entered the hypocenter to aid civilians and lives in Hiroshima to this day.

Exhibit of everyday items in the hypocenter when the bomb was dropped

Towards the end of the exhibit hall, there was a display of tiny origami cranes made by Sadako Sasaki, a twelve-year-old who passed away from leukemia due to the effects of the radiation from the bomb. Sadako folded one thousand cranes hoping that her wish for getting better would come true. Seeing such intricate and beautiful cranes that Sadako folded throughout her life despite pain, the paper cranes will forever symbolize courage to me. It was touching to learn that when Sadako was in sixth grade, her classmates founded the Unity Club to visit Sadako in the hospital and started the Thousand Cranes Movement, which eventually helped create the Children’s Peace Monument that we visited during our walk through the Peace Memorial Park. Even after more than 60 years following her death, Sadako’s classmates wanted to keep their kindhearted classmate’s story alive so that people would know of her strength throughout her short life and how such a devastating event can never occur again.

Paper cranes folded by Sadako exhibit

I am very glad we got to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum because it is important and valuable to know of the tragic history and stories of the victims of the atomic bomb that took the lives of more than 100,000 people. I was able to get a much greater and deeper understanding of the impacts of what happened the morning of August 6th, 1945 that textbooks cannot fully convey.

Miyajima Island

By: Keith Leach

What’s popping y’all? My name is Keith Leach, I’m a rising senior studying Communications and I’m currently in Japan (yay!). But you’re not reading this to learn more about me (although you really should be—I’m extremely interesting), you’re reading this to learn more about the trip and what we’re doing out here! So without further ado, here’s my account of our day at Miyajima Island.

View of Miyajima from the boat.

When traveling to Miyajima, you have to take a ferry from the coast of Hiroshima on the mainland to get to the island. Once we were on the ferry, the rest of the cohort and I were absolutely floored with how beautiful the mountains looked. It was an extremely sunny and clear day, so everything looked amazing.

 

Deer walking across the island.

 

The boat ride lasted about 10 minutes. And as soon as we got off, we saw the islands main attraction—the deer. Miyajima is inhabited with what seemed like thousands of the most adorable and unbothered deer in the world. They roamed freely and pursued anyone who had any type of food. They were nice enough to be touched and petted, but one of them did buck a little bit at my friend Joe when he tried to take a picture. As we continued up the dirt road towards the “real” main attraction of the island, the Shrine, we passed a multitude of shops until we finally got to its gate. The gate was actually in the middle of the water, but conveniently had a little area where we could snap pictures in front of it without getting wet.

View of the shrine.

Finally, we were able to trudge up to the gorgeous (and thankfully shady) shrine, where we were directed to throw a coin and say a little prayer. Beforehand though, we had to perform a cleansing ritual: pour water over your left hand, then your right, pour some more into your left palm to swish it in your mouth, and lastly, hold the ladle upright to wash the rest of the water over the handle. There was a similar ritual we had to perform for the prayer: toss a coin into the trough, bow twice, clap twice, pray, then bow a final time to finish. All of these rituals may sound like a bit too much, but I personally loved them. The Shinto shrines we’ve been visiting in Japan are so rich in history you can almost feel the years coursing through your feet with every step. Entering each shrine and observing the masterful architecture makes you want to be respectful towards every ritual that’s sacred to the people who built it—for them and for the spirits.

View of the streets behind the shrine.

After we finished walking through the shrine, we had lunch at this amazing okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake) restaurant. The portion was honestly huge, which we all needed after a long and eventful afternoon walking everywhere. Finally, we had a little bit of time to kill before leaving the island, so we walked through the streets around the shrines and picked up some souvenirs and drinks—a satisfying end to an amazing afternoon on Miyajima.