Kure: April 1, 2024

I visited Kure, a navy city in Hiroshima Prefecture, and had many opportunities to think about war and peace.

Kure's history as a navy city started in Meiji era. One of the navy headquarters was placed here. Ship building and ather related industries developed.  

 

Battleship Yamato and other famous ships were built in Kure before the World War 2.

In the post-war era, one of five regional bases of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force was placed in Kure. Shipbuilding and related industries prosper here.

There are bases of Marine Self-Defense Force and naval dockyards along the port.

We can see several submarines mooring alongside a pier.

Some crews were on the submarines.

A ship was places in a dockyard.

 

Battleship Yamato was built in the place between 1938 to 1940. It was the largest battleship in the world when it was completed.

Yamato was sunk by the attacks of U.S. forces in 1945 during the World War 2. Various information was displayed in Yamato Museum, in central Kure. There is a 1/10 size model of Yamato in the Museum.

 

Marine SDF has a information center near the museum. A part of the facility is a retired submarine. It is76 meter long.

An anime movie titled “In This Corner of the World,” made in 2016, was widely watched and made an impact in Japan. The movie was produced based on a comic published in 2009.

The movie draws the daily lives of ordinary people in Kure at the wartime. Their lives were torn apart by massive air raids and a drop of atomic bomb.

The main character is a young woman named Suzu-san. The site of her house is preserved. 

We can see the port from the house.

 

 

Miyajima; March 31, 2024

It is not only the Atomic-bomb Dome. Miyajima is also a must-see place in Hitroshima.

I visited the island.

The island locates about 20 km west from Hiroshima City. It has a world-famous Itsukushima Shrine and attracts tourists since ancient time.

Japan has about 80 thousand shrines, but Itsukushima Shrine is unique in many points.

Its main gate (O-torii Gate) is placed in the sea.

It is 16 meter high.

The base parts appear when the tide is low.

 

The shrine buildings are built on the shore. They are in the sea water when the tide is high and stand on the sand when the tide is low.

The island was worshipped by people in the ancient time and the shrine was first built in the late 6^th century.

In the 12^th century, Taira no Kiyomori, the ruler of the nation at the time, developed the shrine. Many historical events, including the Itsukushima Battle in 1555 took place in the island.

Many people visit the shrine to pray for happiness and safety in the Edo era (17-19 century).

 

Now, the island has about 1400 residents and attracts more than 4 million tourists every year. It takes about 10 minutes by ferry to go to main island.

We can find various aspects of history, culture, religion, nature, and people’s life in the island.

 

I found many tourists in the island. The shopping street was very crowded.

 

I also found deer hear and there.

 

 

Hiroshima：A-bomb Dome & Peace Memorial Park: March 30, 2024

Hiroshima is one of must-visit places in Japan. I visited the city for the first time in about 40 years.

The Atomic-bomb Dome is world famous.

It used to be a building for industrial activities and exhibition. The first atomic bomb exploded about 600 meters above the building on August 6, 1945.

Hiroshima City decided to preserve the dome as a memorial of A-bomb in 1966.

Since then, total 4 preservation works were done in 1967, 1989, 2002 and 2015.

 

There is Peace Memorial Park in the south of the dome. A cenotaph for the a-bomb victims is placed in the center of the park.

I saw many people praying for the victims.

The G7 and G20 summit meetings were held in Hiroshima in May 2023. The global leaders made official visits to the park.

The Peace Memorial Museum is in the park. 

The exhibitions show what happened in Hiroshima on August 6 in 1945 and thereafter.

They tell us the inhumanity and danger of nuclear weapons. Visitors watched the exhibitions in solemn atmosphere.

 

I found many foreign tourists in the park and around the dome. Knowing Hiroshima and Nagasaki is, needless to say, very important.

 

 

Dressage competitions in Equestrian Park: March 17, 2024

 

 

The season is turning to spring. It is getting brighter and warmer in Tokyo,

I visited Equestrian Park in Setagaya City.

The weather was fine.

I found many families enjoying their times in the park.

 

There were dressage competitions held in the park.

Young riders from universities and horse-riding clubs participated in the event.

The facilities in the park were renovated after the Tokyo Olympic games in 2021.

The left is the main arena, where the competitions were held.

 

There were many horses in the waiting arena.

Many people were watching the horses and riders. (See also the top and 2nd photos) 

 

 

 

 

Yaizu: Feb 10, 2024

I visited Yaizu City in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The city is famous for its fishing industry and a legend of Yamato Takeru, a hero of  ancient Japans.

 

There are several fishing ports in Yaizu city. Many ships and boats stay at the quays.

Yaizu is one of the largest fishing ports in Japan.

Its landing amount in value terms was the largest in 2023. It was the 4^th largest in volume. Other large fishing ports include Choshi in Chiba Prefecture, Kushiro in Hokkaido, Hakata in Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Sakai Minato in Tottori.

The view of Mr. Fuji from the port was so beautiful. (See the top and 2nd photo)

Seagulls were flying over the sea. 

People were enjoying fishing. (See also the 3rd photo)

 

I found several new banks under construction in the ports. It is to prevent tsunami from moving into the city. Most parts of the banks are made of concrete, but toughened glass sheets are used in some parts. We can see the ports through the glasses.

 

I also found several Tsunami evacuation towers in the ports.

The possibility of a large earthquake is repeatedly discussed in the area.

 

Yaizu locates along the Suruga Bay.

There is a museum which focuses on the deep sea water of the bay.

The deepest point of the bay is 2500 meter. It is the deepest among hundreds of bays in Japan.

 

Yaizu has a legend of Yamato Takeru, a hero of ancient Japan.

Yaisu Shrine was built to enshrine him.

 

Yaizu is also famous for its hot spring. There are several hot-spring hotels in the city.

There is a footbath facility near the railway station. It is open to the public.

 

 

 

 

Ume Blossom: Jan. 30, 2024

 

It is still January, but ume blossom is approaching its peak at Hanegi Park in Umegaoka district in Setagaya City, western Tokyo.

The opening of ume, or Japanese apricot, seems to become earlier as years pass.

 

Today was a fine day.

There are hundreds of ume trees in the park

I found white, red flowers.

 

I also found bare gingko trees behind ume trees. (See also the top photo)

 

Some trees have yellow flowers. The smell well.

 

People were enjoying the flowers.