Another interesting feature of Hiroshima’s topography that I learned on Tommy’s tour is that the reason why the city has so many iconic trams is that it’s simply not possible to dig any subways here, given that it was built on reclaimed marshland.
We rode trams of all vintages, including one of the only two trams that survived the bomb still running today.
This is one of Hiroshima’s hibakujumoku (被爆樹木) or survivor trees, an a-bombed camphor at the base of the hill leading up to the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art. I’ll post a highlight video from that visit shortly.
Camphora officinarum is a species of evergreen tree indigenous to warm temperate to subtropical regions of East Asia, including countries such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and India. Certain camphor trees in Japan are considered sacred. An example of the importance of a sacred tree is the enshrined 700-year old camphor growing in the middle of Kayashima Station. Locals protested against moving the tree when the railway station had to be expanded, so the station was built around it.
We couldn’t visit Japan and not take one of these classic laudromat-on-film shots. But we were also exhausted by this point, so we walked in, clicked the shutter, and walked out. Swipe to see more scenes from around town.
A few more quiet moments from the early morning of August 6, on our way to the Peace Park.
The setting sun on August 5 in the neighborhood we were staying in Hiroshima.