Hiroshima & Himeji

We chose to go further south to visit Hiroshima, the world's first city to be attacked by an atomic bomb on August 6th in 1945.

Today, Hiroshima is a modern city. As you walk the streets you wouldn't guess that a catastrophic attack changed the city's face drastically only 80 years ago.

The Hiroshima World Peace Memorial Museum was opened in 1955, making it a prime goal to educate about nuclear weapons and its disastrous effects.
The museum displays many personal stories of victims and survivors. It was heartbreaking to read and learn about all the individual losses, challenges and horrible experiences made after the bomb was dropped. Besides the immediate effects, the museum also shows what horrible after effects a nuclear weapon can cause.
Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors, has won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. The survivors of the 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been recognised for their efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons 🕊️

During our stay in Hiroshima it rained a lot. After visiting the museum and A-Bomb dome, we took it slow and easy. We ended our Hiroshima stay by trying the region's famous okonomiyaki 😍

After leaving Hiroshima and on our way to Kyoto, we stopped in Himeji, a small town famous for its castle 🏯 Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire. It was completed in 1609. We spent half a day exploring the castle complex and the nearby gardens. We also learnt about the tumultuous life of Princess Sen. It was a beautiful and nice stop on our way to Kyoto 👍🤗Read more