hiroshima (fukuoka, nagasaki, nara, kyoto)
the southern part of japan was beautiful, since the cherry blossoms start blooming from the south to the north. they were in full bloom when i visited hiroshimaand the peace memorial park. i spent a few days there, visiting all of the museums and a bomb sites, which were incredible. other than the museum exhibits, the most powerful sight was the a-bomb dome. since the bomb was dropped almost directly above it, the building is still standing (the frame of it anyway) and serves as a reminder to tourists and residents on a daily basis. it was personally important to me as a japanese-american to visit the site, and i am so glad i did.
afterwards i made my way to fukuoka, nagasaki, nara, and then kyoto, where i visited the temples and shrines i studied a few years ago in the ‘buddhist art and architecture’ class (art h 350 i think). it was really amazing to finally see all of the grand buildings in person, and i was really able to appreciate the sights because of the info i learned in class. can not explain the feeling of tranquility that is evoked as i walk around the grounds. the most extravagant piece is the ‘kinkakuji’, in kyoto, which is right on the water. the gold reflection against the green japanese garden is priceless.
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