In Japan, there is a break in the year, usually in May, called “Golden Week.” Three holidays fall consecutively in a row and this year we were lucky enough to have them fall on a Tuesday-Thursday. Some referred to it as an “extra” or “super” Golden Week, with so many days off from school and work. I spent this holiday with my one and only favorite mother and after visiting friends and between having fun in Tokyo, we got the chance to visit Hiroshima and the island Miyajima. This is a place I feel every American and Japanese person should visit. This city has a lot of history, most notably being the site of the A-bomb during WWII. The A-bomb is an ugly part of America and Japan’s relationship; but the memorial museum and the Peace Park is a place to be visited to honor all the victims of the tragedy. It was particularly moving to see the Children’s Peace Monument. People around the world have sent origami paper cranes (symbolizing peace) as a gift to Hiroshima in memory of Sadako who passed away from leukemia due to radiation. Another notable part of the city was Hiroshima castle, reconstructed and now housing many artifacts and historical photos. Also included in our journey was the island of Miyajima. A short ferry ride landed us on the deer and “samurai” inhabited island. Because of low tides, we were able to almost walk up the famous orange tori gates at Itsukushima Shrine. We were also excited to find that one of the local flavors for omiyage was citrus! We treated ourselves to citrus blend flavored KitKats and sweets as well as indulged in momiji manju a leaf shaped bun with a variety of fillings. It was overall a long awaited and rewarding trip.
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