#10 Miyajima Island: I came to know of this place only because of the JR pass. I had fixed my mind to visit Hiroshima and chose the corresponding JR West pass. Each JR pass comes with a map of the places where the pass is valid, and I saw Miyajima here. The pass also included the ferry ride to the island. On checking more about Miyajima Island, I realized that it is perhaps a place worth seeing. Miyajima is also known as the Island of the Gods, much like the place from where I come. There are so many temples and shrines here. So, the plan was to see the island first and then visit Hiroshima. All this was possible only due to the Bullet train. From Kobe, it’s around 300+ km to Hiroshima and was covered in just over an hour. From Hiroshima, it was another 30min train and a 15min ferry to the island. That day severe rain was predicted in both Kobe and Hiroshima, and when we started from Kobe, the predictions came true, and it was raining heavily. It rained all through the way to Hiroshima. As we reached the island, the rain subsided. It would take about two days to experience Miyajima Island completely, and I had roughly 4 hours. I planned to see the Daisho-in temple complex, make the 2-hr. trek to the top of Mount Misen, and then take the ropeway down. As planned, I was at the temple complex at around 10:30 am.
There was so much to see and appreciate, but I didn’t have enough time to explore truly. I did walk around the temple and saw the 500 Rakan statues, which are small and placed on both sides of the walkway. Each sculpture is a disciple of Shaka Buddha and has an individual face. There was also a Buddha in a posture similar to Padmanabhaswamy at Trivandrum, albeit smaller. Buddhism came to Japan around the 6th century AD, and the temple belongs to the Shingon sect, which falls under Mahayana Buddhism. Their prayers and chants are in Sanskrit. I also realized that the protectors of these Buddhist temples are Indian deities called Ten, just like what I saw in the Todaiji temple. I had written a little about this temple in my previous post.
When we quickly finished seeing the temple, it started raining profusely, and I felt trekking in that weather was not a wise choice. So, I quickly changed the plan to take the ropeway and go to the top of Mount Misen. It was a two-stage ride and took about 20 mins, I guess. There was this dense mist that all I could see was a diffused white halo. If those ropeway cables were to rupture, I wouldn’t fall; I would float like a Greek angel. I wouldn’t know at this time that I would experience the exact opposite thing a day later. Once we reached the top, there were places one could go, and I chose to trek to the topmost point. From what I have read before, it was around a 15-20 minute walk, but it was not so. The rain had subsided, but it was cold, and the trail was wet and slippery. From the ropeway station, you first walk through a downward slope, and then it is a continuous upward trail. The path was highly non-linear, with frequent short and steep climbs, and it took around 30 minutes to reach the top. More than reaching the top, the climb was the most memorable part of Miyajima. The trail was well paved with natural stones, but the weather made it adventurous. If you are going to fall, there is probably no coming back.
The place was surrounded by thick forest, and the ambiance was similar to Winterfell. I especially felt so because of the raven calls; it was the same as the three-eyed raven in GOT. All the while you climb the trail, you will appreciate each breath, the coolness, the breeze. On the trail, you can also see small temples; one had a fire chamber burning for 1200 years. At the top, there is nothing much apart from a viewpoint and a souvenir shop. The mist meant that I wouldn’t see anything that day. By now, I had overshot time, and the aim was to get to Hiroshima asap. I took the ropeway down, and thankfully the mist parted, and I had one of the most admirable views of the waters and the mainland from the top of Misen.
I reached Hiroshima around 4:30 pm, and the Peace Memorial Museum was scheduled to close at 6 pm. Visiting the museum was the main aim at Hiroshima, as you will not find any remnants of the disaster anywhere else except for one or two buildings kept as memory. Truth be told, if you were brought to Hiroshima blindfolded today, you wouldn’t accept that it had experienced the worst in human history. It is now a well-planned city. If I am not wrong, the museum had about four sections, with the first being about Hiroshima before and the day of the blast. Soon I realized that it would take 3-4 hours to view the museum thoroughly. More than a museum, it reflects the people’s memories in that time. And it is not for the faint-hearted. You shouldn’t come here if you are one such. I was in the museum for over an hour, and it was time for closure.
I felt disappointed in not being able to go through it entirely and took as many photos as possible before exiting. Of what I saw inside the museum, I will not write now. It is primarily to be experienced. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is releasing this 21. I am reading Oppenheimer’s biography, the man behind the Atomic Bombs, and after watching the movie, I will perhaps write about Hiroshima. It is not a one-sided story of a hero and a villain, but for the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was indeed one-sided. The luckiest of them was the ones who died before realizing the blast, and the unluckiest ones were the one who survived. The only justice they were blessed with was that the explosion was indiscriminate. Rich or poor, or any social discrimination, none of it stood in front of the disaster. To be continued.