GetHiroshima Mag Summer 2014

BE MORE THAN A TOURIST

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Life

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a m i h s o r hi

heats u p

THE SUMMER ISSUE 2014

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KeMBY˙s

FREE TM

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Tapas, Bar & Restaurant

Looking for high quality food in a casual atmosphere? Kemby’s has all the bases covered with a great selection of tapas, pasta and Tex Mex, as well as gourmet sausages, seafood and their famous burgers.

Owner Prakash prides himself on his excellent wine selection, and is happy to help you make the right choice. As well as a full drink list, Kemby’s also has a very good selection of imported bottled craft beers.

Whether you are in the mood for a meal, you want to shoot some pool, or just shoot the breeze with the bilingual staff and friendly regulars, great nights start at Kemby’s.

Good food, Good people, Good atmosphere 17:30-00:30 Sunday-Thursday 17:30-01:00 Friday-Saturday

facebook.com/kembyshiroshima twitter.com/KembysHiroshima

Naka-ku, Otemachi 2-9-13 082-249-6201 map p.30 [A-3] 10

Hiroshima Restaurants > KeMBY’s OK!

Happy Hou!!r 17:30-19:30 All alcohol

¥ 2 0 0 OF F

European & South American food & drinks Lunches from ¥590 15:00-19:00 Happy hour drinks and tapas ¥300 All-you-can-drink deals From ¥1000 for 60min Any time of day Open 09:00-23:00 L.O.

Credit Cards accepted 082-502-7466

Map p.30 [C-2] 7

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International DJ bar Open till 5am 365 days of the year No cover Sunday-Thursday ¥1000 cover Friday & Saturday (incl 1 drink) Happy Hour ¥300 drinks 18:00-21:00 Music requests OK! No cover for ladies Fridays All night all-you-can-drink ¥3800 (Excludes Saturday)

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WELCOME

GetHiroshima Mag Issue 2 June 2, 2014 Circulation 5,000 copies Published quarterly by GEC Next issue September 1, 2014 Printed by Hiroshima Chuo Printing Co., Ltd. Motoaki Tahara http://www.chuo-print.com/ Editor-in-chief Paul Walsh

It was mid-summer when I first landed in Japan over 20 years ago. It was hot and, yes, it was very humid.

However, having grown up in the UK, waking up day after day to blue skies and sunshine was something I had rarely experienced before. Weekends were spent swimming at beaches, camping by rivers and stumbling across local festivals. I could definitely get used to this, I thought! I did get used to it and over the years I have come to view the summer months as a season to be endured (and if possible escaped) rather than enjoyed.

私たちは広島が大好きです。世界中のどこよりも、 ここにいたいと思っています。 広島で育った地元の人たちにこのことを伝える と、よく驚かれます。その土地がどれだけ特別か、 ということを知るには、外からの視点が必要なの かもしれません。原爆のことについて学ぶ為に訪 れた人たちは、広島で何を期待すればいいのか分 からなかった、でも生活に満ちあふれた活気溢れ る街と素晴らしい人々に出会うことができて、とて もうれしかった、と教えてくれます。

Helping put together this, the second issue of the GetHiroshima Mag, has brought back a lot of great memories of my early summers in Japan. Now, as the temperatures rise daily, I’m not thinking of the hot season with dread, but looking forward to barbecues at the beach, dancing in the streets and oohing and aahing at fireworks with a cold beer in my hand. I dream of spending August on the road, festival hopping. Hitting summer matsuri one after the other, soaking up the rays during the day and the atmosphere of local communities in festival mode at night.

It’s true of everywhere, but so much of the success of a trip in Japan depends on serendipitous encounters.

Chance encounters often lead the traveler in Japan beyond the listings in their guidebook and can turn out to be the beginning of lasting friendships. They can provide you with your own unfamiliar glimpses of Japan, memories of which make the best souvenirs.

You never know where these encounters may occur, but summer is ripe with opportunities. We’ve tried to give serendipity a nudge by filling these pages with just such opportunities. We hope you’ll use the information within as departure points for your own personal Japan adventures. So, what are you waiting for? Drag yourself away from the air conditioner, get out there and please share where you end up by using the #gethiroshimamag tag.

しかし残念ながら、多くの来訪者は、広島をほん の少ししか体験できていません。それは短時間の 滞在、もしくは理解できる言語での情報を得るこ とが出来ないという理由からです。 私たちの目的は、その事実を変えることです。 私たちは、来訪者全員に、私たちと同じぐらい広 島を大好きになって帰ってもらいたいと考えてい ます。 広島在住の外国人または旅行者に紹介したいご 商売やサービスをお持ちの方、また私たちの目的 に賛同頂ける方は是非！ご連絡お待ちしておりま す。

Cover: Shiho Maeda Photo: Junpei Ishida

Paul Walsh

広告掲載に関するお問い合わせは

TO ADVERTISE CALL : 082-299-2953

www.gethiroshima.com info@gethiroshima.com 04\

Design team NININBAORI http://nininbaori.co.jp/ Art Direction: Judith Cotelle Katsuyoshi Kunimasa Norimitsu Maki Ryouta Kumagai Jessica Chapuis Sales, PR and marketing GEC World/GetHiroshima Tomomi Saito Rio Sekimoto Contributors Tim Buthod Goto Izumi Matt Mangham Haruhiko Oyama Benjamin Soar JJ Walsh Paul Walsh Rod Walters Linda Cordes Naomi Leeman Nassrine Azimi Photography Amy Chavez Judith Cotelle http://judhiroshima.tumblr.com hirofoto Jumpei Ishida Goto Izumi Noboyuki Kondo Mish Vampiro Photography http://www.mishvampiro.com Florence Nobuko Smith http://instagram.com/flogently JJ Walsh Rod Walters Toshihiro Yoshihara Special thanks to Shiho Maeda and our generous sponsors.

Find us online www.gethiroshima.com www.facebook.com/GetHiroshima http://gethiroshima.tumblr.com @GetHiroshima on Twitter & Instagram Tag us with #gethiroshimamag All rights reserved © GetHiroshima 2014 As far as we are aware all info correct at time of going to print. If you see something that has changed, we’d really appreciate you letting us know at info@gethiroshima.com

Warning/Disclaimer GetHiroshima and GEC World will not accept liability for any damages caused by the contents of GetHiroshima Mag, including, but not limited to any omissions, errors, facts or false statements. Opinions or advice expressed in GetHiroshima Mag are not necessarily those of GetHiroshima or GEC World.

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welcome

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Your Best Shot

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Must See

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GetHiroshima Picks

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Shopping

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News

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Hiroshima Carp

CONTENTS Features

LOCALs LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN HITTING THE BALLPARK, JOIN THEM AND FIND OUT WHY

By Tim Buthod 26

rainy season survival guide

36

botchan ressha

12

MATSUYAMA'S MINI TRAINS AND VINTAGE TRAMS

By Rod Walters 37

YANAI HISTORIC BUILDINGS, SOYA SAUCE AND GIANT GOLDFISH

By Naomi Leeman 42

By Haruhiko Oyama 43

Art

44

Events

46

Cinema

48

kids

49

listings

56

Inside/Out

57

YOUR GUIDE TO MAKING THE MOST OF THE HOT SEASON

16

ISLAND GETAWAYS BEACHES, MOUNTAINS AND RABBITS IN THE INLAND SEA

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Festival Focus THE TOUKASAN YUKATA FESTIVAL

Kampai!

Hiroshima Sake Guide

here comes the summer!

KICKS OFF SUMMER IN HIROSHIMA.

24

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Everything you need to know about Hiroshima’s soul food.

35

8.6 THE DAY WHEN HIROSHIMA AND THE WORLD STOP TO REMEMBER

38

tsukemen

LIVING WITH DIETARY RESTRICTIONS IN HIROSHIMA

COOL AND SPICY, HIROSHIMA’S SIGNATURE NOODLE DISH

By jjwalsh

By Matt Mangham

Matt’s Moment

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ICE ICE CREAM, BABY UNIQUE TAKES ON THE WORLD’S FAVORITE SUMMER TREAT

27

8 page pullout City guide

By Linda Cordes 40

Goto Izumi’s Deep Hiroshima ACCOMPANY IZUMI TO THE FUKUMOTO SHOKUDO

By Goto Izumi 54

PEOPLE / NASSRINE AZIMI and GREEN LEGACY hiroshima

By Paul Walsh

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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Your Best Shot Thank you to Nobuyuki Kondo for submitting this lovely capture of Sandankyo Gorge.

If you would like to be featured in one of our upcoming issues, please contact us at bestshot@gethiroshima.com Photo credit Nobuyuki Kondo www.flickr.com/photos/ artprojectteam/

MIYAJIMA

MUST SEE PEACE MEMORIAL PARK AND MUSEUM Most visitors to Hiroshima are here, first and foremost, to learn about the A-bombing and its aftermath, and the Peace Memorial Park and Museum is the place to do that. By no stretch of the imagination can the museum be described as fun, but you should set aside an adequate amount of time (at least an hour) to make your way through the two wings, as well as time to process the experience. You will find hope as well as tragedy here. Hiroshima endured the unendurable and has rebounded. The museum serves, not only to document and preserve the memory of the event and those it affected, but also to promote its appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Hiroshima’s commitment to spreading that message is evident in the nominal ¥50 admission charge.

Go Deeper

The island of Itsukushima - or Miyajima as it is more commonly known - is quite simply, divine. It’s very trees, rocks and sands deemed sacred since times from which only myth and legend remain, Miyajima’s main attraction is Itsukushima Shrine, built over the water in the 12th century so as not to impinge on the island’s sacred soil. All Shinto shrines have a torii gate through which the gods housed within are to be approached. The gate to Itsukushima is an iconic image that has adorned the front of many a guidebook since being designated as one of the nihon sankei, “three great scenic views of Japan”.

“Great view” status brings great crowds. However, most visitors stick to the area between the ferry terminal and Itsukushima Shrine. Follow the main route to Itsukushima Shrine and try to catch the great torii gate both in its “floating” state at full tide and at low tide when you can walk right up to it, marvel and feel its bulk. Then, head off and explore the side streets and park trails. Visit the One Thousand Mat Senjyokaku Pavillion and Daishoin Temple, and try to make the trip up to the summit of mythical Mt Misen. Late afternoon, the crowds melt away and just before sunset, lanterns light up and Itsukushima Shrine and the 5 storey pagoda are illuminated. The atmosphere is quite special.

Shukkei-en

tcar

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A delightfully compact reconstruction of a “circular tour style garden” designed by warrior tea master Soko Ueda in 1620. The central lake is populated by koi, turtles and heron. Explore the narrow paths. Monthly cultural events are held here.

“Carp Castle” is a 1958 reconstruction of the original Edo-era castle built by Terumoto Mori in the late 16th century. It houses a mildly interesting museum and has a viewing platform. Despite its pleasant grounds, visitors who have come from Himeji may not be too impressed.

Mt Misen © Mish Vampiro Photography

Torii Gate © Mish Vampiro Photography

e Stre

Walk

SHUKKEI-EN GARDEN

HIROSHIMA CASTLE

A sudden return to the hustle and bustle of the city center can jar the senses and the grounds of the Peace Park provide a buffer, both spacial and emotional.

Here, you can sit quietly beneath trees that defied fears that “nothing would grow for 75 years” and which brought hope to the devastated populace. You may be approached by nervous school children on school trips, wishing to ask you a few simple questions in halting English. The contrast of their smiling, happy faces with what you have seen in the museum lifts your heart.

Station

Beaten tracks

Shukkei-en Garden © Mish Vampiro Photography

Senjyokaku Pavilion © Mish Vampiro Photography

12 hour se r u o c l e d o m

Hiroshima Optional Tours offer private tours by friendly and knowledgeable licensed guides.

For more details of these and other tours check out HiroshimaTours.info [en]

Riverside Breakfast

• Nagataya • Caffe Ponte • Kanawa Oyster Boat

Stree t

car

• Flex Hotel • Kyobashi • Riverside cafes Streetcar

Peace Park

Walk

Lunch at Peace Park

Boat to Miyajima

GetHiroshima picks

MITAKI TEMPLE

HIROSHIMA CARP

Beautiful and atmospheric at any time of the year.

Whether you consider yourself spiritual or not, the dense greenery and flowing water will calm the most harried traveler. Highly recommended, even for those suffering from from Kyoto “temple fatigue”. Mitaki Station is 10min by train from Hiroshima on the Kabe Line, from where it is a 20 minute walk up the hill.

Gate closes at 5pm.

You can catch Hiroshima folk at their most relaxed and ebullient at a Carp baseball game. Carp fans are known for their exuberance (and boundless optimism).

Baseball fan or not, taking in a game at Mazda Stadium is a memorable experience.

See more about our local heroes and how to see a game on page 21.

KAGURA Futabayama hike

Ancient myths and folktales performed in extravagant costumes to frenetic drum rhythms. Kagura evolved from sacred dances performed by priests into a folk art that involves whole communities. Without a car, you have to be quite motivated to access the northern heartland of kagura, but there are performances at Hiroshima Kenmin Bunka Center near the A-bomb Dome at 7pm every Wednesday for ¥1000. http://kagura.tank.jp/ [ja]

Futabayama view

OUT ON THE TOWN

Toshogu Shrine

After learning about all that Hiroshima endured, it can be tempting to give in to the urge to hole up in your hotel. Resist that urge and get out into this fun city to eat, drink and, yes - make merry, with its people. Only then, can you get a true and full appreciation of what a special place Hiroshima is.

PEACE PAGODA, FUTABA-YAMA As you come into Hiroshima Station on the shinkansen, you may notice the bulbous, silver Peace Pagoda on top of Mt Futaba. The walk up the mountain, starting at Toshogu Shrine and winding up through a forest under 100 or so red torii gates, is worth the effort and you are rewarded with a commanding view of the city and surrounding islands from the top.

• Torii Gate & Itsukushima Shrine • Daisho-in • Mt Misen • Snacking on Omotesando Shopping Street

Miyajima

Train

Only have one day in Hiroshima?

We feel sorry for you as you are going to miss so much!

However, if it can’t be helped, here’s one way to “do” Hiroshima in just 12 hours or so. It’s pretty full on and you’ll probably be exhausted when you sink into your train seat to head back to your digs.

Sure you don’t want to stay the night?

LAST TRAINS Carp

Photos © JudHiroshima

• Kanawa • Namaste • Sarii-chan Station Dinner

• To Tokyo: NOZOMI: 19:58 / Non-NOZOMI: 18:56 • To Osaka: NOZOMI: 22:13 / Non-NOZOMI: 21:58 • To Fukuoka (Hakata): NOZOMI: 22:50 / Non-NOZOMI: 22:28 Train schedules do change so we highly recommend you double check the above information.

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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g n i p p Sho YUKATA If you are here in Japan during the summer, you’d be crazy not to swing by at least one of the many festivals that punctuate the calendar. For the ladies, there’s no better way to get into the festival spirit than to totter around the street stalls in a beautiful Japanese yukata.

Yukata are the most comfortable type of kimono to wear, but they are still tricky to put on correctly by yourself.

If you really want to look the part and truly enjoy the experience, it’s well worth having your yukata robe and ornate obi waist belt fitted by a pro. By all means have a go by yourself, but be prepared to have your outfit rearranged by well-intentioned old ladies should you not get it quite right.

Kimono store Medell are offering a yukata fitting service in their private city center salon on Ebisu-dori (behind Labi electronics store). Appointments are by reservation only (at least one day in advance). You can expect them to be pretty busy during the Tokasan yukata

WAREZ

For ¥10,000 Medell will fit you with a yukata, obi sash and a pair of traditional geta slippers. Take note at the salon as you get to take them home when you are done.

Find yourself in town at a time when there happen to be no festivals going on? Don’t let that put you off - spending a day in a gorgeous yukata is an experience not to be missed and be the envy of your friends back home by posting yukata selfies.

Location Medell at Kurosawa 3-20 Horikawa-cho 5F Tenmaya Ebisu Club 082-885-0070 (Weekdays 10:00-16:00, Japanese only) medell_k@yahoo.co.jp

ONOMICHI SATURDAY NIGHT MARKET (doyou-yomise)

WAREZ has been putting out his limited edition “Peace” shirts every year on August 6 for over a decade to a select few in Hiroshima on peace memorial day.

The design, as distinctive as it is understated, is based upon that of Kenzo Tange’s cenotaph in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, colors and shirt style vary year to year.

As much festival as shopping expedition, on Saturday nights in June and July Onomichi’s usually quiet shotengai retro shopping arcade buzzes with people buying knick knacks and playing traditional festival games. It gets particularly colorful from the end of June when the arcade is festooned with Tanabata star festival streamers.

This summer the shirts will be available over the Internet for the first time at www.warez-hiroshima.com priced at ¥3500.

www.warez-hiroshima.com

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festival weekend, but they are offering the service right through to August 14.

June 14, June 21, June 28, July 5, July 12 & July 19

NEWS FAMILY POOL OPENS JULY 1

YEAR OF THE CARP?

GET ONLINE AND SURF FOR FREE!

As we head into summer Hiroshima’s pro baseball team, the Carp, is riding high in the central league and has fans wondering if they dare hope their heroes can clinch their first pennant since 1991. There’s still a long way to go, but it could be an extra hot summer at Mazda Stadium if the team maintains its form. We just hope that the booking of the aforementioned open-top bus for the championship parade hasn’t jinxed it!

Hiroshima Free Wi-Fi Free online access provided by the local government in 7 locations. Registration and access possible on the spot. Convenient hotspots in the Peace Museum and the International Conference Center (also in the Peace Memorial Park) which has a lounge with many English publications to browse.

Select SSID “Hiroshima_Free_Wi-Fi” Seattle’s Best Coffee Fuss-free access, a smoking section which can be a pleasure for some and a pain for others, plus a couple of outdoor tables.

Starbucks Coffee 4 city center locations. Email confirmation is required so you have to pre-register before you hit the coffee shop. Once signed up, you can surf at branches all over Japan.

Go to http://starbucks.wi2.co.jp/ [en] Restaurants, cafes and bars Look for the Free WiFi logo on our maps and ads for places that invite you to log on to their WiFi with their password.

7 Spot Many 7&i stores (which look a lot like 7-11s) offer free WiFi access through its “7 Spot” service. There is some English guidance on the site, but sign up is a bit of an effort - with so many locations, however, that effort could be well worth it.

Register here http://bit.ly/7spotsignup

BEER GARDENS

A summer lifesaver for young families and frazzled expats alike, the Family Pool, a short walk from the A-bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, couldn’t be more conveniently located for a mid-sightseeing splash.

Open July 1-August 31 09:00-18:00 (last admission 17:00) ¥780 (Under18s, ¥340) map p.30 3 If you want to enjoy a proper swim, check out the 25m pool in the nearby Green Arena sports center or the 50m Big Wave pool in Ushita. map p.30 4

How about a sweaty night spent drinking copious amounts of beer on a department store roof covered in astroturf? Beer Gardens are one of Japan’s great summer traditions and they are great places to meet locals loosened up by the booze. Hiroshima’s beer gardens are found on top of city center department stores and a couple of the hotels. Look for the icon on the maps in our pullout guide and check http://bit.ly/hiroshimabeergardens for more details.

HIROSHIMA PEACE CAMP

MAPLE SKY OPEN-TOP TOUR BUS

TRAVELING LIGHT?

A little far out of town, but the Hiroshima Peace Camp offers cheap camping at Hiroshima City University August 4-7 when most hotels in Hiroshima are fully booked. Volunteers cook up meals for very low prices, there is free transport to the Peace Memorial Ceremony on the morning of August 6 and they also have some tours with free English guides. http://hiroshima-peace-camp-english.jimdo.com/

Look out for the latest edition of the GetHiroshima

JR Chugoku Bus, which provides the popular Meipuru~pu hop on, hop off tourist bus service, recently began open-top bus tours of Hiroshima city center. A choice of two routes leave from the Shinkansen side of Hiroshima Station Friday-Sunday and daily July 20-August 31.

The tour is conducted in Japanese at time of writing, but they promise foreign language audio tracks in the summer. http://www.chugoku-jrbus.co.jp/ [ja]

www.gethiroshima.com pocket-sized city map. Don’t settle for anything less.

If you get given a different map, ask your hotel or the tourist office specifically for the GetHiroshima Map!

hima s o r i H GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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Here

T comes the summer!

Don’t fight it, feel it

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here is no getting away from it, summer in Hiroshima is long, hot and humid. The energysapping double whammy of high temperatures and ridiculously high humidity is difficult to comprehend for those from temperate climes who have yet to experience it. There is no escape. Ducking into the shade of a tree may offer relief from the hammer blow of the summer sun, but the temperature remains the same. Waiting for the respite of cooling breezes after dusk? Don’t hold your breath. Even seasoned veterans of life in Japan struggle to recall that only a few months ago they were snuggled under heated kotatsu tables and find it almost impossible to imagine a time when socks will once again be necessary.

Try to fight it and you will lose. Better to embrace it. Locals know this. Atsui desu ne! (It’s hot today, isn’t it!) is the greeting of choice during these months, but it’s rare to hear anyone engaged in a really good British-style moan about the fact that their brains are bubbling. The adage, “When in Rome” is no more appropriate than at this time of year. Take your cues from those around you, slow down, and to paraphrase Bruce Lee, be the heat, my friend.

Summer lovin’

By Matt Mangham

I’m not fond of summer. It’s humid. Sweat pools in places I’d rather not give thought to. I make awful squeaking noises as I walk. Autumn for me, thanks, or even winter. But if you’re reading this, chances are you’re here in summer. Which, as luck would have it, may not be so bad after all. Hiroshima is pretty great in summer. Let’s talk about why.

Children reel wildly through the streets, deranged by shaved ice and candy apples, or begging coins from their parents to kneel beside pools, scooping up goldfish with paper nets.

Older kids break off into huddled groups of boys and girls eyeing one another over greasy paper cones of fried potatoes while somewhere just out of sight a gas-powered generator stutters noisily, lighting the whole scene.

Often there’s a stage, which can feature everything from high-school rock bands to the elaborate, chaotic temple dances called kagura, which fill the stage to overflowing with leaping sparks, demon-masked dancers and huge, coiling paper dragons expertly manipulated by concealed performers.

Late summer is also the season of the Bon festival, when people honor and remember the dead by visiting their graves, cleaning them and leaving vibrantly colored paper ‘torches’ to help the souls of the departed find their way back for the three day celebration. For obvious reasons, this is mostly a family affair, but if you have a chance to take part, it can be a wonderful way to see a side of Japan not often accessible to visitors.

Photo © Hiroshima Kankou Renmei Photo © Hiroshima Kankou Renmei

First, and in my mind foremost, are summer festivals. The biggest, Toukasan, is held in June and in good weather draws hundreds of thousands of people to Hiroshima’s downtown. You’ll see hordes of young people in yukata, the colorful summer yukata kimono that gets shaken out for this event every year. In Shintenchi Park, loudspeakers play music as people perform bon-dances into the evening. You’re more than welcome to join in, and after a few beers and some grilled squid you’ll be hard pressed to think of a reason not to.

But the real action is at the smaller, local festivals.

Many of the shrines around the city hold festivals throughout the summer that are mostly attended by people living in the area. If you’ve heard what sounds like artillery fire over the city, what you’re really hearing are fireworks announcing the opening of a festival somewhere. Some of the little festivals can be a bit rough around the edges, but they’re also great fun.

Another hallmark of summer in Hiroshima are the fireworks. The hiss and pop of people lighting fireworks along the rivers is as much one of the season’s signature sounds as the drone of cicadas. But the bigger displays draw tens of thousands of people, particularly the big shows at Ujina Port and in the waters beyond the great Torii Gate of Miyajima. If you want to be a part of the crowd, it’s worth bringing food and drink and showing up early for a good seat, though in a pinch any high spot will do.

Wherever you end up, as I’ve already said, you’ll be hot. In Hondori, people are passing out promotional tissue packets and, in summer, circular pieces of heavy paper with holes for your thumb to use as a fan. Better, though, to take the opportunity to buy that most immediately recognizable Japanese accessory, the folding fan. You’ll also see men (and some women, too) with folded white towels draped around their necks to wipe away the sweat. An extremely practical habit, and one which I encourage you to embrace at your earliest convenience.

And of course, August 6th in Hiroshima marks the anniversary of the city’s destruction by atomic bombing in 1945. The town actually grows quite lively in the days leading up to and following the 6th. Floods of visitors arrive to take part in the commemorations, many having planned their trips for years. On the evening of the sixth, Peace Memorial Park is filled with crowds gathering to write their thoughts and wishes on paper lanterns that are then placed on small rafts, illuminated by candles, and floated in the thousands on the Motoyasu River where it passes before the A-Bomb Dome.

Some locals have complained in recent years that the event has taken on a festive atmosphere, when it should be a remembrance of the city’s darkest day. Keep that in mind if you attend, but don’t feel guilt at enjoying the crowds, or the beautiful procession of light on the water.

It is a memorial, but it’s also a celebration of life.

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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BEACHES & FIREWORKS Japan isn’t Thailand, and Hiroshima isn’t Okinawa. While the region isn’t going to win any international prizes for its beaches, they compare well with those in the Tokyo area and, at the height of summer, they provide a welcome opportunity to enjoy a refreshing dip in the water, feel the sand between your toes and relax in the shade of a palm tree.

When it comes to beaches in this region, you are rewarded in proportion to the effort you put in to get to them.

Designated swimming beaches along the Inland Sea coast can’t be described as dirty, but many do tend to be littered with random debris - small plastic spacers used to separate the shells, used to grow oysters, that hang on wires below the rafts that dot Hiroshima’s waters, seem to be everywhere - and unless there is very dedicated clean up crew at work daily, you’ll be pushed to find a beach completely litter free. The more remote, the more chance of litter free sand and crystal clear water - you may even discover a tiny cove and have stunning vistas all to yourself.

Hamada Iwami Seaside Park

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Hiroshima folk, especially its youth, make the most of what they have. During the swimming season which starts around the Umi-no-hi Marine Day holiday in late July, and runs until the end of August, many head to beaches near and far especially at weekends and during the mid-August Obon holiday.

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Nagaiso beach and camping ground

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Sandankyo Gorge (© Nobuyuki Kondo)

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ith your own boat you could spend weeks navigating around the Seto Inland Sea’s 3000 islands and islets. Ferry services, however, are under pressure and it’s no longer easy to use them to island hop. The impressive bridges that link the larger islands make it a great area to explore by bicycle in spring and autumn, but summer temperatures are not conducive to enjoying hours in the saddle.

So, here are three islands that are easy to access by public transport and small enough to explore on foot once you get there.

SHIRAISHIJIMA This little island makes for the perfect Inland Sea getaway. Writer Amy Chavez, who has made the island her home, provides a warm welcome and cooling cocktails at the Moooo! beach bar as well as managing the hilltop international villa. Tackle a mini version of Shikoku’s 88 temple pilgrimage or walk to the top Shiraishi-yama for panoramic views.

Shiraishi is busiest during obon holiday when the 800 year old Shiraishi Odori dance festival takes place, culminating with lantern floating and beach dances on August 16. Rooms can be hard to come by at this time, but the beach is open to camping.

For more on Shiraishi Island in English go to www.moooobar.com Photo © Marco & Marc

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OKUNOSHIMA Sagumishima

Omishima

Better known as “Rabbit Island” for the hundreds of bunny rabbits that run wild on this little island, Osakikamijima Okunoshima disappeared from maps during Japan’s imperial experiment when it became a base for poison gas manufacture.

Today Okunoshima is a pretty “resort island” complete with swimming beach, walking trails, a hotel with public bath and rental cycles. And the main attraction, of course; all those bunnies. A small poison gas museum has a limited amount of English explanation and the remains of the facilities that dot the island make for an easy introduction to the subculture of haikyo abandoned building exploration.

NINOSHIMA

Peace Park

20 minutes by ferry from Hiroshima Port, Ninoshima is officially part of Hiroshima city, but stepping onto the island is like stepping back in time. With leafy trails and narrow streets that barely deserve the name, Ninoshima is a working island and popular with fishing enthusiasts.

Its beaches aren’t much to speak of, but the hike up to the top of Aki-no-ko-fuji (“little fuji”) offers fantastic views. Kids can ride a giant roller slide on the way down to the park on the east coast where they can cool off in a sea water pool complete with water slide.

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Etajima Bilingual Map of Ninoshima http://www.ninoshimakisen.jp/guideMap2.pdf

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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Summer Festivals

shima Kankou Renmei

tenchi Park / photo © Hiro

Bon odori dance at Shin

FESTIVAL FOCUS: TOUKASAN 6/6-8 Toukasan [とうかさん], the most festive of Hiroshima’s downtown festivals, dates back 400 years. It signals the start of summer, and locals mark the occasion by giving traditional lightweight summer kimono, called yukata, their first outing of the year. Everyone from young punks to pensioners loves toukasan and the streets are packed and ablaze with color.

Most will line up at the temple at the end of Chuo-dori street to pray to Touka Daimyoujin for good fortune, but Toukasan is as much about showing off your yukata, sampling the street food and playing festival games as it is about religious ritual.

Girls in yukata / photo © Hiroshima Kankou Renmei

Grilled squid stall

TOUKASAN KNOWLEDGE

Enryuji Temple

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Touka is an alternative reading for the characters of the Shinto god Inari - the kami of rice, prosperity, fertility as well as other good stuff like tea and sake. Inari shrines are distinguished by multiple torii gates and statues of foxes - the most famous being Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto - and you’ll often find them within the grounds of a Buddhist temple, as at Enryuji Temple here in Hiroshima.

Crowd in Chuo -dori street

The festival was originally held on the day on which Boys’ Day fell on the old lunar calendar. As that could be anywhere from early May to late June in the Gregorian calendar it was decided that it would be held around the 10th of June (the 10th of the month also being referred to as touka in Japanese). Pressure from traders saw the festival extended to two and then three days - Inari is the god of prosperity after all. Since 1999 the festival has started on the first Friday of June, ensuring a full weekend of enlightened cash flow.

After paying your respects, make a ¥300 offering and get a yakuyoke uchiwa fan. According to the temple website these fans are the embodiment of Touka Daimyoujin herself, and the most effective talisman for warding off misfortune in all of Japan. Guaranteed to be effective aid to health, wealth and longevity. Quite a bargain.

Paper lanterns at Enryuji Temple

Toukasan starts around noon each day and runs until about 11pm. It's after dark that it gets really lively.

The main Chuo-dori street is closed to traffic from 7pm, though much of the street is taken up by dance and drum performances, fashion shows and other events. Our recommendation is to duck into Shintenchi “Park” just off Chuo-dori where the local residents association holds an old school “bon odori” dance festival in which everyone is welcome to join in. It’s an event that evokes 1960s and 1970s Japan. Kids love the retro cotton candy, snacks and ramune drinks, sold at parent-pleasing low prices.

Bon odori dance at Shintenchi Park

TOUKASAN MAP

= “yatai” stalls area

Nagarekawa

SHINTENCHI PARK

Enryuji Temple

KIRIN BEER

DON QUIJOTTE

PARCO

ALICE GARDEN

Hondori

Kinzagai-dori

PARCO

Kinzagai-dori

FUKUYA

Ebisu-dori

Chuo-dori

Namiki-dori

Heiwa-dori

LABI

Butsudan-dori

Ebisu-cho

Ebisu-dori

MITSUKOSHI

Summer Festivals

MIBU NO HANADAUE / 6/1

OTHER FESTIVALS

KANGEN-SAI / 7/13 The most elaborate festival held on the island of Miyajima. Introduced by Heike warlord Taira-noKiyomori in the 12th century. It is a floating festival in which beautifully decorated boats carry a portable shrine and musicians, playing classical kangen court music, between Itsukushima Shrine and other shrines on Miyajima and the mainland. Beginning with a shinto ceremony at Itsukushima Shrine at 4pm, the festival continues until 11pm when the portable shrine is returned to Itsukushima Shrine.

More details at http://bit.ly/kangensai/ Extra ferries to and from Miyajima are scheduled, with return ferries running approximately every 30min between 9pm and midnight). photo © Hatsukaichi Tourism Division

Miyajima / 16:00-23:00

TAMATORI-SAI / 7/27 A bunch of almost naked men clambering on top of one another in the sea trying to capture a lucky ball on a hot summer day! The annual tamatori (literally ‘treasure ball grab’) festival is said to be based on a ritual dating back hundreds of years. After a ceremony within Itsukushima Shrine a ball is placed on a kind of platform which is suspending from a scaffold built over the water in front of the shrine. Teams of men, many dressed only in loincloths, make human pyramids in the water and one with good jumping ability attempts to jump from the top, mount the platform and capture the ball, thus securing a year of good fortune for his team. To keep things interesting, the platform is moved vigorously up, down and back and forth all the while. photo © Hatsukaichi Tourism Division

Mibu-no-hanadaue is a revived rice planting ritual said to have roots in the middle ages that is re-enacted on the first Sunday of June every year. The event was designated as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage in 2003 and many people now make the trip to Chiyoda in Kita-hiroshima to view it. Bulls are led through the streets to Mibu Shrine where they are dressed with elaborately decorated saddles and colorful necklaces.

They are then led to a field, and after they have ploughed it saotome (rice planting maidens) in kimono and wide-brimmed sugegasa hats plant rice seedlings in time with the music performed by drummers and flautists as they sing.

Chiyoda / 11:00-15:00

RITUAL RICE PLANTING / 6/8

Miyajima / Start: around 12:00

TANOMO-SAN / 8/25 A little-known, but delightfully colorful festival on Miyajima. Itsukushima gets all the press, but Shinomiya Shrine in Momiji-dani (Maple Valley), with its moss covered stone torii gates and steps, is absolutely gorgeous. It is here that, at around 6pm, local islanders bring little handcrafted Tanomo boats, complete with passengers - little dolls fashioned from sweets - to be purified. These miniature boats are then set afloat on the sea and towards the shore opposite a couple of hours later. Miyajima’s sacred status meant that agriculture on the island has traditionally been forbidden as was the worship of the rice god Inari.

Tanomo-san was a way of making offerings to Inari on the shore opposite Itsukushima Shrine. photo © Hatsukaichi Tourism Division

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Miyajima / 18:00-21:00

If you miss the Mibu-no-hanadaue, a week later you can see a smaller scale rice planting event at Shukkei-en Garden in the center of Hiroshima city. There are no bulls here, but as well as a rice planting ritual, drummers from the Shinjo Provincial Art Preservation Committee perform several traditional dances. The performers spread across the walkway that spans Shukkei-en’s pond is quite a sight.

Hiroshima Shukkei-en Garden / 13:00-15:00 Map p.30 17

|| 6/1 Mibu no Hanadaue rice planting, Kita-hiroshima Shoubu Tea Ceremony, Shukkei-en Garden || 6/5 Ceremonial ume-picking, Shukkei-en Garden || 6/6-8 Tokasan Yukata Festival || 6/8 Ritual rice planting, Shukkei-en Garden || 6/28 Gion Festival, Onomichi || 7/10-11 Sumiyoshi Shrine Summer Festival || 7/13 Kangensai, Miyajima 16:00-24:00 Okagensan Festival, Kirikushi, Etajima 16:00-21:00 || 7/18-20 Tenjin Festival, Onomichi

7/27 Kintaikyo Bridge Fireworks

7/19 Innoshima Suigun Fire Festival

|| 7/19 Innoshima Habu Port Fireworks Festival .

Iwakuni Port Fireworks Festival, Iwakuni .

Nagato & Senzaki Fireworks Festival .

Miyoshi Summer Fireworks Display .

Numata Hongo Fireworks Festival, Mihara . || 7/24 Otake/Wakigawa Fireworks Festival . || 7/25 Eba Fire Festival || 7/26 Hiroshima Port Dream Fireworks .

Onomichi Sumiyoshi Fireworks 19:30-21:15 .

Yaekangensai, Kita-hiroshima Hikari Fireworks Festival, Hikari . || 7/27 Tamatori-sai, Miyajima || 8/1-3 Hagi Summer Festival and Fireworks . || 8/2 Kure Fireworks Festival .

Kintaikyo Bridge Fireworks Festival, Iwakuni .

Hamakko Fireworks Festival, Hamada .

7/18-20 Onomichi Tenjin Festival

|| 8/8-10 Yassa Festival, Mihara . || 8/9 Tojo “Yuukasai� Fireworks Festival, Tojo . || 8/11 Miyajima Fireworks 19:40-20:40 . || 8/13 Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival . || 8/13-15 Fukuyama Summer Festival & Ashidagawa Fireworks Festival . || 8/13-16 Shiraishi Odori || 8/15,19,23 Suousoo no hashiramatsu || 8/15 Houraku-odori, Innoshima Kisa Fireworks Festival, Kisa, Miyoshi .

8/8-10 Mihara Yassa Festival

7/22 Hiroshima Port Dream Fireworks

|| 8/16 Setoda Summer Festival . || 8/24 Cooling Tea Ceremony, Shukkei-en Garden Shobara Summer Festival 19:30-21:30 . || 8/25 Tanomo-san Festival, Miyajima 20:00~ || 8/30 Innoshima Suigun Fire Festival .

Innoshima Suigun Water Festival Takehara Fireworks Festival .

Akitakada Fireworks Festival, Haji Dam .

7/26 Onomichi Sumiyoshi Fireworks

Kintaikyo

.= Fireworks Find more about these events and more at www.gethiroshima.com/events

Kirikushi Okagesan Matsuri

8/13 Yanai Goldfish Lantern Festival

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

/21

SPORT

s e o r e H l a c o L The Hiroshima Toyo Carp Words by Tim Buthod / Illustration by Naomi Leeman (naomileeman.com)

One of the greatest spectacles in Hiroshima is a baseball game at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium. Carp fans go all out for their team. They arrive armed with caps, clappers and balloons, and then they go wild, singing, chanting and dancing for the better part of three hours. The stadium is conveniently located just ten minutes east of Hiroshima station. If the Carp are at home while you are in town, it’s an experience not to be missed. At time of writing, the Carp are having one of their best season starts in history, making for an even more exciting atmosphere.

CAAPU! CAAPU! CAAPU! HIROSHIMA CAAPU! In the middle of the seventh inning, you might expect fans to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, but not in Hiroshima. Here the faithful stand and sing the Carp song, all the while waving long red balloons in rhythm. At the song’s final crescendo, thousands release their balloons up in the air, filling the sky with red.

It’s an exhilarating moment, as well as a great photo opportunity.

To join the fun, you need a balloon. A friendly fan might give you one, but you can buy Carp balloons from roving vendors or souvenir stands in the stadium or at a convenience store on the way to the game. A pack of four costs ¥400.

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BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE Tickets range from ¥1700 up to ¥8000, but pretty much every seat in the house offers a good view of the field.

deck in right. (In Japanese stadiums, the home team’s fans sit in right and the visitors’ in left.) these seats offer a good atmosphere, with plenty of opportunity to meet local fans. The tickets are ¥2100, and some even offer some shade.

You can get general admission upper deck infield seats for ¥1700. But don’t worry about vertigo. It’s an intimate park, and these seats are much closer to the field than the nosebleed seats in a Major League stadium.

The lower-deck infield seats give you a better view of the action on the field. They range from ¥3000 to ¥4700, but the best seats are often taken by season ticket holders.

If you want to surround yourself with hardcore fans, however, head for right field. In the upper deck, you have the Performance Seats. That’s where you find the band and the cheerleaders (all men in traditional Japanese garb, literally leading the fans in cheers). These seats are ¥1900 or ¥2000, but they’re often sold out, and it gets pretty noisy. Most regular fans opt for the lower

Like any good modern park, Zoom-Zoom Stadium was designed with the fans’ enjoyment in mind. To that end, the Carp offer several kinds of specialty seats. Of course there are party areas for groups from five to a hundred. There are Sky Seats, which hang out in front of the upper deck (¥3000, good view, but avoid the front because of the fence in your face). At ground

level, or more precisely below ground level, are the Sunakaburi (covered with sand) seats. These range from ¥4000 to ¥8000, and you can watch the game right up close. Finally there are the Nesoberia (lounging around) seats. Here you relax on a futon for two and watch the game in luxury from center field. These seats are ¥7000 for a couple.

Wherever you sit, you are free to wander the concourse around the whole stadium. And anywhere you sit, you’re likely to meet a few locals and have a great time. If you get to the game and realize you wish you had chosen different seats, well, that’s a great excuse to come back.

home game summer schedule All games at Mazda “Zoom-Zoom” Stadium and start at 18:00 unless otherwise stated

Mid-season Interleague Friendlies June 6 & 7 (14:00 start) vs Softbank Hawks June 8 (14:00 start) & 9 (in Kure) vs Kintetsu Buffaloes June 18 & 19 vs Rakuten Eagles June 21 (14:00 start) & 22 (13:30 start) vs Nippon Ham Fighters

BUY ME SOME PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS

Central League Games July 1, 2, 3 vs Yomiuri Giants July 4, 5 (14:00 start), 6 (13:30 start) vs Yakult Swallows July 14, 15, 16 vs Yokohama Baystars July 25, 26, 27 vs Hanshin Tigers July 29, 30, 31 vs Chunichi Dragons August 12, 13, 14 vs Yakult Swallows August 15, 16, 17 vs Yomiuri Giants August 22, 23, 24 vs Hanshin Tigers August 26, 27, 28 vs Yakult Swallows

It’s hard to go hungry at a Carp game, but it is possible to go broke. Concession stands abound, and it's not just popcorn and peanuts. From the gourmet ice cream and doughnut stand down the right field line around to the C-men noodle stand down the left field line, the concourse is lined with any and all kinds of tasty treats.

Savvy fans, however, think ahead. Bringing in food is permitted, and Japanese traditionally bring a bento (box lunch) to eat as they watch the game. Alternatively you can pick up fried chicken or sandwiches from one of the street vendors on the way from the station. There is also a Costco next to the stadium, so you could grab a pizza at the food court there. You are even allowed to bring in beer, but you have to pour it into a paper cup at the entrance.

SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA

Hiroshima’s pro football team also have a passionate following. They are not known for the most exciting play, but they are two-time defending J League champions.

Catch them at Edion Stadium, a 35 minute ride (¥480) out of town on the Astram Line from Hondori Station.

Summer Home Game Schedule All matches at Edion Stadium, kick off at 19:00.

July 23 vs Kashiwa Reysol July 27 vs Ventforete Kofu August 9 vs Sangan Tosu 19:00

August 23 vs Cerezo Osaka 19:00

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

/23

Y ou h a v e n' t d o ne h iro sh im a if you h a v e n' t d o ne

Hiroshima Okonomiyaki!

O

konomiyaki, a savory pancake cooked on an iron hotplate, containing egg, chopped vegetables,

meat and/or seafood is found all over Japan.

In Hiroshima, this dish is beefed up by adding noodles and lots of veggies. Rather than mixing all the ingredients together, as in the more common Kansai or Osaka style, here in Hiroshima they are layered. The whole thing is topped with a savory-sweet sauce.

Where to eat

Locals are very proud of their contribution to Japanese cuisine, and regional rivalry, while good natured, is strong. Be prepared to be quizzed about whether you prefer your okonomiyaki Hiroshima or Kansai style.

Sitting shoulder to shoulder at the counter of a small okonomiyaki joint, especially if you give the local lingo a try, is one of the best places for the outsider to connect with Hiroshima folk.

Okonomiyaki is often described as “Japanese pizza”.

The name literally means “cook it how you like it”, and you select toppings to add to the standard ingredients to create your personal favorite version of the dish.

That’s where the analogy ends however, as the finished dish, while round and flat(ish), tastes nothing like pizza. Sometimes described as Hiroshima’s “soul food”, okonomiyaki began to be widely eaten in the years during and after the war when rice was in short supply, and people added extra ingredients to simple wheat pancakes and street stalls selling okonomiyaki sprang

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up all over the city. Today, there are said to be about 2000 okonomiyaki shops, and a visit to at least one of them is likely to be at the top of any Japanese tourist’s list of things to do in Hiroshima. While it is fun to mix up your ingredients and cook them on your own hot plate, which is possible at many restaurants serving Kansai style okonomiyaki, here in Hiroshima, the cooking is the preserve of the professional chef, and watching the process right before your eyes is like watching a live cooking show.

NGS

With so many places to choose from, where is one to start? Micchan is probably the most famous, and there are several “Micchan” shops in the city center run by various branches of the family. They often have lines of customers outside waiting for their turn at the grill, which is generally a good sign. Very popular with domestic and oversees tourists is Okonomi-mura (Okonomi Village) which houses 27 little stalls on 3 floors. Okonomiyaki-kyowakyoku Hiroshima-mura (Okonomiyaki Republic) has another 6, and Ekimae Hiroshima Okonomi-hiroba (on the south side of Hiroshima Station) has 13 more. This is just the tip of the okonomi iceberg, however. A fun way to make your choice is to leave it up to serendipity and ask a local.

Every Hiroshima-ite has their own favorite and most will view it as a matter of pride to share them with newcomers.

How to order All Hiroshima okonomiyaki starts with the basic nikutama, consisting of pork, eggs, cabbage between two thin crepes.

Your first choice is which kind of noodles to add - thin soba noodles or thicker udon noodles. State your preference by asking for “niku-tama-soba” or “niku-tama-udon”.

If you are really hungry you can opt for a double helping of noodles.

Next, choose any additional “toppings”. These are as likely to go inside as they are to go on top and usually include extra green negi onions, seafood, mochi rice cake, cheese, korean kimchee, shiso perilla leaf, natto

and, sometimes, even jalapeno peppers. In winter, it is also common to see local oysters offered as a topping.

Vegetarians While the eggs rule it out for vegans, at first glance okonomiyaki appears to be promising option for hungry vegetarians. Chef’s are generally happy to leave out the pork slices if you ask for niku-nashi (without meat), but most places do use lard and a kind of grease that includes pork stock. Shaved dried fish flakes or dried squid pieces are also likely to find their way into your meal. Strict vegetarians should head to Nagataya next at the very end of the Hondori shopping arcade near to the A-bomb Dome; here they have a good appreciation of vegetarianism and are happy to accommodate vegetarian customers.

How to eat Okonomiyaki is traditionally eaten hot (very hot) off the teppan grill with a metal spatula (hera). The inexperienced diner who takes up the challenge may find their okonomiyaki is dried to a crisp by the time they are finished. It is by no means rude to ask for a small plate and chopsticks; try for a laugh by saying nekojita nanode o-sara to o-hashi o kudasai (I have a cat’s tongue, so please give me a plate and chopsticks).

It isn’t necessarily a problem to linger at the counter and have some drinks, but be aware of your surroundings.

If it is busy and people are waiting to eat, you will be expected to vacate your seats soon after you are done eating.

Aonori (dried seaweed)

Okonomiyaki sauce

Eggs

Soba or udon noodles

A walk on the wild “sides” Most okonomiyaki shops will have a range of side dishes that can be whipped up on the teppan. You can play it safe and go for something like asparagus wrapped in bacon (bekon no aspara maki), or go for something a little more adventurous.

Sliced pork

Kaki Oysters Uni horen Sea urchin grilled with spinach Shirako Fish sperm Horumon-yaki Grilled beef or pork offal Takowasa Chopped raw octopus marinated in wasabi Ika no Shiokara Fermented salty raw squid meat and guts (great with sake or shochu) Ika-natto Slimy natto fermented soy beans with raw egg and squid topped with green onions and wasabi

Bean sprouts

Negi green onions

Mokuren Okonomiyaki & Teppanyaki Traditional & creative okonomiyaki on 6F of the Full Focus Bldg in front of Hiroshima Stn. Local oysters & sake. Ice cold draft beer. Left out of the elevator, look for the pink counter on the left near the back.

10:00-23:00 (L.O. 22:30) 082-568-7850 map p.31 [D-2] 14

Tempura crisps

Nagataya Great okonomiyaki and plenty of space to sit, a stone’s throw away from Peace Park. Excellent understanding of vegetarian needs.

Chopped cabbage

Mon-Fri 11:00-20:30 (L.O.), Sat 11:00-21:00 (L.O.), Sun, hols 10:30-20:30 082-247-0787 map p.30 [A-3] 15

Sarii-chan Okonomiyaki Affable, soccer-loving okonomiyaki-ist serving Hiroshima’s favorite dish and drinks near Hiroshima Station.

11:30-14:30, 17:00-23:00 Closed Saturdays 082-236-7303 map p.31 [D-3] 27

This is a pretty standard okonomiyaki, but most shops will have their own recipe with different ingredients and combinations.

Dried fish powder

Batter

梅雨

梅雨

Tsuyu

Tsuyu is made up of the kanji characters for “plum” and “rain”.

The precipitation that falls during the rainy season is essential for rice cultivation and also has a direct impact on sake production.It is also the time of brightly colored hydrangea blooms and Japanese gardens look gorgeous. Sounds quite nice. Romantic even. It’s not.

At the time of writing, the weather front that sets off the rainy season with its high humidity, is expected to hit Hiroshima at the end of the first week of June and hang around until around July 21. In fact, it is rare for tsuyu to last much beyond the middle of July and the amount of rain that falls varies widely year to year. You can expect occasional, beautiful clear days to punctuate the season, but there will be rain, and lots of it.

STAY COOL!

GO CHEMICAL

It’s a huge relief when the rainy season breaks; the humidity drops a notch, skies are blue and summer really gets going. And it keeps on going. Day. After. Day. After. Day

We don’t know what is in them or if the manufacturers have done a deal with the devil, but the various cooling shower gels and body wipes that can be found in drugstores really do work.

SLIP INTO SOMETHING MORE COMFORTABLE

SUMMER SUSTENANCE

Attractive loose fitting yukata summer kimono or twopiece jinbei are easy to find and inexpensive - no need to “borrow” one from your hotel. Hit the summer festivals in style.

Bonus tip: Carry an extra set of clothes (or at least underwear) - sometimes deodorant just doesn’t cut it.

Traditional summer foods help lower body temperature and boost stamina.

Cold noodles: Hiroshima tsukemen, zaru soba or udon and somen are all dipping noodles eaten chilled.

UCHIWA/SENSU

Sensu are folding fans. If a cheaper non-folding fan is OK, go for an uchiwa and stick it in the back of your belt .

LAY LOW Use your animal instincts; Do most of your activities early in the morning or later in the afternoon. In the heat of the day, chill out by picnicking in shady spots like by the moat behind the castle.

DOUBLE DIP Hit the Family Pool in town or Miyajima’s beaches and rivers. There is also good paddling at Kintai Bridge in Iwakuni. Failing that, cold showers. Lots of cold showers.

26\

Rainy season survival guide 1. Buy an umbrella - when it rains, it pours and a rain jacket will just soak you from the inside.

2. Save your shoes for indoors - once soaked they can take forever to dry out. Move from place to place in sandals or try traditional wooden geta.

3. Visit places that look great in the rain and are crowd free at this time of year. Shukkei-en Garden and Mitaki Temple take on a completely different character and have gazebos under which to picnic.

4. Get cultured. Check out GetHiroshima.com for the latest (indoor) art and culture events.

Unagi: Wilting in the heat? Tuck into a helping of stamina-boosting grilled eel.

Kaki-gori: Shaved ice piled high with condensed milk and syrup served in many different flavors. Look for the 氷 (ice) character. From convenience stores gari-gari-kun ice pops are a summer staple.

Mugi-cha: Cold drinks from the ubiquitous vending machines can really eat into a daily budget. Instead, try making your own refreshing, calorie and caffeine free barley tea. Said to be good for sunstroke and the tea bags available in stores are dirt cheap.

5. Strike while the weather is dry. Be flexible, if you wake up to clear skies, get out and make the most of it. Reschedule any museum trips that you might have planned for that day; You don’t know when the next gap in the rain will come.

Pullout Guide A language

B CITY CENTER MAP

C TOKAICHI NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE D NIGHTLIFE MAP

E getting around HIROSHIMA

←Iwakuni

UJINA

←Kyushu

NINOSHIMA

Takehara→ Onomichi→ Osaka→

KURE

MIYAJIMA ETAJIMA

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

/27

A language DIRECTIONS Where’s ...? ...wa doko desu ka? ...はどこですか? straight massugu 真直ぐ right migi 右 left hidari 左 far tooi 遠い near chikai 近い turn magatte 曲がって

AT THE BEACH/POOL Beach biichi ビーチ Pool puuru プール Would you put sunscreen on my back please? senaka ni hiyakedome o nutte morattemo ii desu ka? 背中に日焼け止めを塗ってもらってもいいですか？ Can I buy you a drink? ippai ogorimashou ka? 一杯おごりましょうか You’re cute (to girls) kawaii! かわいい You’re cool! (to boys) kakkoii! かっこいい Let’s take a Selfie together serufi shiyo セルフィーしよ Do you mind if I speak to you in English?

Eigo de hanashitemo ii desu ka? 英語で話してもいいですか？

deoderant deodoranto デオドラント wet wipes uetto tisshu ウェットティッシュ hat/cap boushi 帽子 How much is this? kore wa ikura desu ka? これはいくらですか？ Do you accept credit cards? kurejito kaado o tsukaemasu ka? クレジットカー ドを使えますか?

This one please Kore ni shimasu これにします。 1 ichi 一 2 ni 二 3 san 三 4 shi (yon) 四 5 go 五 6 roku 六 7 shichi (nana) 七 8 hachi 八 9 kyu 九 10 ju 十 50 goju 五十 100 hyaku 百 1,000 sen 千 10,000 ichi-man 一万 Yen en 円・￥

EATING & DRINKING We’ll start with a draft beer toriaezu nama biiru kudasai とりあえず中ベー ル下さい

It’s pretty darn hot isn’t it? atsui desu ne?! (Hiroshima dialect: buchi atsui ne) 暑いですね！

I’ll have another one mou ippai もういっぱい / Cheers! kampai! 乾杯！

SUMMER SHOPPING

What do you recommend? osusume wa nan desu ka? おすすめはなんです か？

Do you have…? … ga arimasu ka? ..がありますか？

I can’t eat … … o taberu koto ga dekimasen ...をたべることができません

Please kudasai ください Please (do me this favor) onegaishimasu お願いします

I’m suffering in this heat, I’ll have the unagi (eel) please… natsubate nanode unagi o kudasai 夏バテなのでうなぎをください。

Thank you arigato ありがとう Where’s a good place to …? ...suru ni wa doko ga ii desu ka? ...するにわどこ がいいですか？ buy a Yukata? yukata o kau 浴衣を買う sunscreen hiyakedome 日焼け止め insect repellant mushi yoke 虫除け seabreeze shi-buri-zu シーブリーズ

28\

That’s really delicious! sugoku oishii (Hiroshima dialect: bari umai!) すごくお いしい！ Fish sakana 魚 Pork buta-niku 豚肉 Beef gyu-niku 牛肉 Chicken tori-niku 鶏肉 Meat niku-rui 肉類

List of places CULTURE

19 20 21

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

A-Bomb Dome - Map B [A-3] Children’s museum - Map B [A-2] Cinetwin Hondori - Map B [B-3] Former Bank of Japan - Map B [B-3] Gallery G - Map B [C-2] Hatchoza - Map B [C-3] Hiroshima City International House - Map B [E-3] Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art Map B [D-4] Hiroshima City Tourist Information - Map B [A-3] Hiroshima International Center - Map B [B-4] Hiroshima Museum of Art - Map B [B-2] Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - Map B [A-3] Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum - Map B [C-2] International Exchange Lounge - Map B [A-3] Salon Cinema 1/2 - Map B [B-4] Shimizu Gekijo - Map B [E-3] Shukkeien Garden - Map B [C-2]

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Comfort Hotel Hiroshima - Map B [B-4] Comfort Hotel Hiroshima Otemachi - Map B [A-4] Dormy Inn - Map B [B-4] Hana Hostel - Map B [E-3] Hotel Flex - Map B [D-2] Ikawa Ryokan - Map C J-Hoppers Hiroshima - Map C K’s House - Map B [D-3] Reino Inn Peace Park Hiroshima - Map B [A-4] Washington Hotel - Map B [C-3]

2 3

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

45 quarante-cinq -Map B [B-3] Artcafe ELK - Map B [A-3] Cafe Cinnamon - Map C Caffe Ponte - Map B [A-3] Chamonix Mont Blanc - Map B [C-3] Choi Choi Ya - Map B [C-4] Cusco Cafe - Map B [C-2] Galley - Map B [B-3] Graffity Mexican Diner - Map B [B-3] Kanak - Map B [B-3] Kanawa ASSE - Map B [E-2] Kanawa Kaki Meian - Map B [E-2] Kanawa Oyster Boat - Map B [A-4] Mokuren Okonomiyaki & Teppanyaki - Map B [D-2] Nagataya Okonomiyaki - Map B [A-3] Namaste Hiroshima Station - Map B [E-2] Ninnikuya Manao - Map B [B-3] Organ-za - Map C

3 4 5 6

Cleo Hair International - Map B [B-2] Cleo Hair International (Hatchobori) - Map B [C-3] Family Pool - Map B [A-2] Green Arena Gym & Pool - Map B [A-2] Laff Hair Design - Map B [A-3] Roots - Map B [B-4]

INTERNE T

1

2

16

RESTAUR ANT & CAFES

2

1

5 2

1

Global Lounge - Map B [B-3]

NIGHTLIFE

4 1

HE ALTH & BE AUT Y

TSUKEMEN

1

ACCOMODATION

Otis! - Map B [A-4] Pasta La Vista - Map B [A-3] Pimiento - Map B [C-3] Pinkerton’s souk - Map B [C-2] Plus Minus - Map B [C-4] Porta Porte - Map B [B-3] Robatayaki Jindaiko - Map B [C-3] Roopali - Map B [E-2] Sarii-chan Okonomiyaki - Map B [D-3] Sprout - Map B [A-2] Tinto - Map B [B-3] Warung Matahari - Map B [B-4] Wordsworth- Map B [C-3] Zucchini: bar and cucina - Map B [A-3]

22 23

45bis “Awa“ - Map B [B-3] A.M. - Map B [C-4] Barcos - Map B [C-4] Bar Edge - Map B [C-4] Bar Swallowtail (Yagenbori) - Map B [C-3] Bon Voyage - Map B [C-4] Cafe Spice - Map B [C-3] Centre Point - Map B [C-3] Enjoint Bar Cover - Map B [C-4] Kemby’s - Map B [A-3] Koba - Map B [B-3] La Luna - Map B [C-3] Lime Cay - Map B [C-3] Log - Map C Mac - Map B [C-3] Mambos - Map B [C-4] Molly Malone’s - Map B [C-3] Mugen ∞ 5610 - Map B [C-3] New King - Map B [C-4] Sakaimachi Baru - Map C Southern Cross - Map B [B-3] The Shack Bar and Grill - Map B [B-3] Tropical Bar Revolution - Map B [C-3]

SHOPPING

1 2 3 4 5

IACE Travel - Map B [B-3] Little Twitter - Map B [B-3] Outsider Book Nook / Global Lounge - Map B [B-3] Travel With - Map B [C-3] Yamatoya - Map B [C-3]

3

Bakudan-Ya (Original Shop) - Map B [B-4] Shugetsu - Map B [B-4] Wakabatei - Map B [B-4]

ICE CRE AM 1

Polar Bear - Map B [B-3]

EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBERS

• Police 110 • Fire and Ambulance 119 • 24 Hour Hiroshima Hospital Information in English Freedial 0120-169912 • 24h Emergency pediatric hospital (Funairi Byoin) 082-232-6195 • Multilingual Interpreting Service (Trio-phone) 082-247-9715 09:00-19:00 (April-September) 09:00-18:00 (October-March) • TELL English counseling service 03-5774-0992 (09:00-23:00) • Resident Consultation & Interpreting Service 082-241-5010 • Immigration Information Center 0570-013-904 • Human Rights Counseling Center for Foreign Citizens 082-228-5792

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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FUTABAYAMA RYOKUCHI PARK

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Supermarket Hiroden Streetcar Post Office Astram Line Tourist Info Covered arcade 짜100 Bicycle Parking Foreign Currency Exchange Public Bath International ATM Airport Bus DANBARAHINODEPlay area Meipuru~pu bus Hiroshima Free Wi-Fi H Beer Garden Hotel

E

Sky Walk Escalator Danbara Shopping Center

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

DANBARAYAMASAKI

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C TOKAICHI Kerala Shokudo

Honkawa - Tokaichi - Dobashi

Mitsuboshi Yatai Despite the fact that the area between the Honkawa River, that runs down the western edge of Peace Memorial Park, and the tram line that joins the Tokaichi and Dobashi streetcar stops is only a few hundred meters from Hiroshima’s city center- it has a distinctly laid back and somewhat rough and ready shitamachi downtown atmosphere. Rents tend to be lower here and places run by young, trendy and sometimes bohemian owners rub shoulders with old school coffee shops, eateries and bars. We’ve picked out a few places to start with, but don’t be afraid to be adventurous - just don’t forget to pack your phrasebook!

Babaji Nobuishi

Kizunaya

Aioi-dori / Densha-dori Ride Diner

Tokaichi-machi

Watchtower

Honkawa-cho

18 Organ-za

28 Sprout

Tokaichi Apartment France-za

Honkawa Primary School

Ichiriki

Teramachi-dori

Dan Dan

HONKAWA PARK

Columbo

Sakaimachi Baru 20

Fujii Toys

Dobashi Fujii Wholesale Toys

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3 Cafe Cinnamon

J-Hoppers 7

6 Ikawa Ryokan

14 Log

Heiwa-o-dori / Peace Boulevard

32\

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Dobashi Onsen

Photo © Hirofoto

D nightlife map Hiroshima After Dark, nagarekawa

Hiroshima has its fair share of hip cafes, hole in the wall drinking dens, “live houses” with fistfuls of bands every night, and bars popular with mixed international and local crowds. It also has a small, but passionate underground club scene. You won’t find big trendy clubs like in Tokyo and Osaka, but the music on offer is diverse and you can stumble upon some fun parties. Everything is pretty close together, so you can channel the funds you save on cab fares into having a great time. Best of all, in bar and club spaces as intimate as they are in Hiroshima, you have to work pretty hard not to meet people.

Although there are fun places dotted all around the city, most nightlife is concentrated in and around the Nagarekawa “entertainment district”. The largest in western Japan, Nagarekawa’s maze of narrow streets is packed with buildings, stacked with floors that are, in turn, packed with tiny bars. It can be overwhelming, so use our recommendations as a starting point and see where the night takes you.

Kanayama-cho

Aioi-dori / Densha-dori

Tate-machi

Ebisu-cho

6 Hatchoza

MITSUKOSHI

FUKUYA

Polar Bear

21

Ninnikuya Manao 17

Kinzagai-dori

1

31 5 Yamatoya

LABI

Southern Cross

HIROSHIMA BANK

MOMIJI BANK

H

Wordsworth Ebisu Shrine

Ebisu-dori

Ebisu-dori

5 Chamonix Mont Blanc 25 Robatayaki Jindaiko

H

Sacred Spirits

Chinatown KIRIN BEER

Kinzagai-dori

1 1

45 quarante-cinq

13

Koba 11

Namiki-dori

8 Center Point

Chuo-dori

24 Porta Porte

Mac 15

Lotus

8 Galley

18

Bar Swallowtail

10 DON QUIJOTTE

H

5

Washington Hotel

Tropical Bar Revolution 23

FUKUROMACHI PARK

Mugen ∞ 5610

Lime Cay

Nagarekawa-dori

45bis awa

17 Molly Malone’s

SHINTENCHI PARK

Little Twitter 2

7 Cafe Spice

La Luna

12

Mambos Barcos 3 16 H

New King 19

H

Yagenbori-dori

PARCO HONKAN

The Shack Bar and Grill

Butsudan-dori

PARCO SHINKAN

Hondori

ALICE GARDEN

22

4 Travel With

BILLY THE KID

6 Choi Choi Ya 23 Plus Minus 2

6 Roots

A.M.

Bon Voyage 6 Enryuji Temple (Tokasan)

H

4 Bar Edge

9

Enjoint Bar Cover H

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H H

Ek i

H H

or

i

H

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

Heiwa-o-dori / Peace Blvd / Hyaku meter-

doro

/33

E GETTING AROUND

Streetcar lines Hiroden Line #1 (Hiroshima Station > Hiroshima Port) Hiroden Line #2 (Hiroshima Station > Miyajima-guchi) Hiroden Line #3 (Hiroden Nishi Hiroshima > Hiroshima Port) Hiroden Line #5 (Hiroshima Station > Hijiyama-shita > Hiroshima Port) Hiroden Line #6 (Hiroshima Station > Eba) Hiroden Line #7 (Yokogawa Station > Hiroden Honsha mae) Hiroden Line #8 (Yokogawa Station > Eba) Hiroden Line #9 (Hatchobori > Hakushima) Astram Line (Hondori > Koikikoenmae)

Asa Zoo (Kamiyasu)

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Limousine bus (Hiroshima City > Hiroshima Airport)

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Meipuru~pu bus

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World Heritage Route (boat) (Peace Park > Miyajima)

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Furu

Matsuyama Super Jet Ferry

Tomo Obara

Nakasuji

Transport Museum

Tomochuo Ozuka

¥190~480

Big Arch Stadium

Gionshinbashikita

Ushita

Hakushima

(Fudoinmae)

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Yokogawa Station JR

Kencho-mae

Betsuin-mae

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Tera-machi

Hiroden nishi Hiroshima

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Hiroshima Station JR

Hakushima Line, All Destinations,

¥110

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Hiroshima Station

Shukkeien-mae Jogakuin-mae Kamiyacho Higashi

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Miyajima

Matsuyama

34\

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The fare for travel on Miyajima bound streetcars varies according to distance. (¥260 to Miyajima)

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Mitaki JR

Mitaki Temple

Miyajima Guchi JR

Fudoin Temple

Fudoinmae

(Koikikoenmae)

Ni

JR Train Lines

Nishihara

Astram Line fares vary according to distance.

Koikikoenmae

Sa

JR Ferry and Matsudai Ferry to Miyajima

(Chorakuji)

8.6 I HIROSHIMA DAY

n Hiroshima the A-bombing is ever present. It’s not that it is constantly on people's minds as they go about their daily business, but it is always in the background. Everything that happens here, happens in the context of it happening in the world’s first A-bombed city. Here, even the most mundane of activities can be viewed as an affirmation of life, a testament to survival and manifestation of hope realized.

FLOATING OF PEACE LANTERNS As night falls the police melt away and the crowds return to the Motoyasu River between the A-bomb Dome and Peace Park, to take part in the poignant, but somewhat less sombre tourou nagashi floating of lanterns.

This day attracts all sorts of people, for whom “Hiroshima” necessarily holds many different meanings.

Relatives and friends mourn those lost in the blast and the chaos that followed. Politicians jet in and disappear just as quickly. There are many peace activists as well as right wing groups; and of course there are the tourists.

Thousands of people fill the city and this day of peace is often far from peaceful. The huge number of police in riot gear assembled around Peace Memorial Park always jars the senses. Since the beginning of the nuclear crisis in Fukushima, demonstrations have become more vocal and in 2013 the battle of words over bullhorns seemed more vitriolic than ever.

Float your own lantern Make a ¥600 donation at one of the tents (open from 6am) opposite the A-bomb Dome and a lantern will be set afloat on the river for you after dusk from a designated boat.

For the same ¥600 donation you can design your own lantern cover which you can affix to a lantern on the concrete bank of the Motoyasu river after 6pm, from where you can set it afloat yourself.

NB you can expect a long wait in line to float your lantern from the designated spot.

At 8:15, however, when the peace bell is struck, except for a sole protester surrounded by police officers, all go silent in and around Peace Memorial Park and only the sound of cicadas chirping in the summer heat can be heard.

The anniversary of the bombing is, however, a day on which the citizens of Hiroshima reflect on the tragedy and pay remembrance to those who perished in the blast and from its after effects. Hiroshima Day, Peace Day or hachi-roku (“eight-six”) as it is often referred to here in Hiroshima is also the day when the rest of Japan and the world turn their attention to Hiroshima.

UNOFFICIAL COMMEMORATIONS In recent years, more and more events - ranging from lectures and workshops to music concerts and DJ nights - are being held around town on August 6. One (now not so) young group’s declaration for peace and affirmation of life is the Summer Of Love gathering. DJs play music in the park behind the site of the old baseball stadium across the road from the A-bomb Dome, until the (usually good natured) police shut it down. Some view a party on this night to be in bad taste, but the organizers, who have been holding the event for over a decade now, feel strongly that their commemoration is a valid one.

For more information about events on August 6 see GetHiroshima.com

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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b o tc h a n r e s s ha Matsuyama on Shikoku Words / Photos by Rod Walters

Hiroshima isn’t the only city in the region with a “moving museum”. Vintage streetcars and miniature diesel locomotives add to the charm of Matsuyama, home to the 1000 year old Dogo Onsen hot spring.

When you visit Matsuyama, you’re sure to hear the commanding whistle of the Botchan Ressha as it chuffs around the city centre. This is a working diesel replica of the little steam trains that ran from the Meiji to early Showa periods. Riding in the wood paneled carriage is an experience not to be missed. Fares are ¥300 for adults, and ¥200 for children. The original steam engines are on display at sites around Matsuyama.

Botchan Ressha and Matsuyama’s vintage trams present a bonanza for photographers.

Matsuyama on Shikoku is easily accessible by ferry from Hiroshima Port.

Author’s Profile: Rod Walters has spent more than half his life in Japan.

He’s an inbound tourism consultant with Knowledge Travel Partners. He offers custom and package tours through ShikokuTours.com.

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柳井 Y

A

N

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I

For a glimpse of traditional Edo period life in rural Japan, take a day trip to Yanai, an hour and a half south of Hiroshima on the JR Sanyo Line. In Yanai, you’ll find a quaint and charming town with historic architecture, interesting museums, and lots of culture. Visit on August 13 to witness the annual Goldfish Lantern Festival.

YANAI NISHI GURA SHIRAKABE NO MACHINAMI

SAGAWA SHOYU

SHOKOAN TEMPLE

MUROYA NO SONO

Paper goldfish lanterns flutter in the wind throughout Yanai.

YANAI STATION

Don’t miss the festival on August 13!

Yanai’s famous Kanro shoyu To get to the historic heart of the city, Shirakabe No Machinami (literally the “white wall street”), follow the main road in front of the station straight down about a 500 meters. Turn left to take a step back in history - these lovely buildings represent traditional merchant class residences preserved from the Edo period (1603-1867). Take a few minutes to look in the House of the Kunimori Family Museum to see a variety of period artifacts. Head north up the side street to visit the Sagawa Shoyu Warehouse, where you can see how soy sauce was traditionally made. Yanai is known throughout Japan for this special type of soy sauce, called Kanro, prized for its sweet flavor. Head east back down the Shirakabe No Machinami towards the

Muroya No Sono, an Edo period residence comprised of several warehouses as well as the ancestral home which is chock full of antiques. If you speak some Japanese, the friendly museum-keeper, Youichi Morino, will gladly take you on a verbal tour through the history of this wealthy rapeseed oil estate.

Take a break for lunch at Kuraya or Meiyoshi, two nearby restaurants specializing in washoku, traditional Japanese cuisine. You won’t be disappointed by the assortment of sushi, fish, pickled vegetables, miso soup, and rice. After lunch, head over to see Shokoan Temple, a picturesque Japanese temple. The willow tree and well in the garden are the namesake of Yanai;

Red & white goldfish lanterns line the buildings along Shirakabe no Machinami

yana means willow and i means well. If you have time, stop by the Yanai Nishi Gura, a workshop where you can make your own goldfish lantern or learn how to weave the traditional cotton textile from the area, known as Yanai Jima.

On August 13, Yanai hosts the Goldfish Lantern Festival (Kingyo Chouchin Matsuri) and it is truly a sight to see. Over 2,000 red and white paper goldfish lanterns line the buildings and large versions of the lanterns are paraded through the streets as teams compete to spin them around. You’ll also see traditional dancers, a taiko drum performance, and Japan’s favorite summer pastime, a fireworks show.

Words/Illustrations by Naomi Leeman (naomileeman.com)

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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tsukemen Words / Photos by Matthew Mangham

Hiroshima-style tsukemen, is cold, boiled ramen noodles, served with lightly cooked cabbage, shredded green onion and cucumber, and slices of chashu pork. A dipping sauce is served cold on the side, and is a blend of soy, vinegar, mirin and sesame (every place will be a little different), with chili oil and paste added according to customer request, usually on a scale from 0 to 100. If you’re a chili head, you’ll definitely want to try it while you’re here. With noodles, a side dish and a beer, the bill should still come in well under ¥2000.

Elsewhere, tsukemen generally refers to a similar dish, but with a vinegar and fish-stock based sauce that is served warm and isn’t notably spicy. In Hiroshima, the latter dish is usually called tsukesoba, and the term tsukemen refers only to the spicy, local version. It wasn’t widely recognized as unique to Hiroshima, even within the city, until the last twenty years or so. Today, however, ‘Hiroshima tsukemen’ is sold across the country, with the local Bakudan-ya chain having opened locations overseas as well.

BAKUDAN-YA (ORIGINAL SHOP)

WAK ABATEI

SHUGETSU

6-13 Fujimi-cho, Nakaku, map p.28 [B-4] 1 TEL: 082-245-5885 Hours: 11:30-24:00 (Mon. – Thu. & Sun.) (L.O. 23:45) 11:30-25:00 (Fri. & Sat.)

5-5-10, Otemachi, Nakaku, map p.28 [B-4] 3 TEL: 082-247-9100 Hours: 11:00-15:00 & 17:30-22:30 (No holidays)

2-4-12, Kokutaiji-cho, Nakaku, map p.28 [B-4] 2 TEL: 082-236-7547 Hours: 11:00-15:30 & 17:30-22:00 (Mon. – Sat.) 11:00-15:30 & 17:30-21:00 (Sun.) Holidays: 2nd and 4th Sundays

While not the first in the city to offer the local version of tsukemen, Bakudan-ya is the name most widely associated with Hiroshima-style tsukemen, with locations around Hiroshima, as well as Fukuoka, Nagoya and Okinawa and even Bangkok and Hong Kong.

The atmosphere in the original location on Jizo-dori is decidedly laid-back, with an interior of unfinished wood and shelves of manga, Bakudan’s own snacks and sauces for sale, and a couple of unruffled young men working the counter. Neither of them knows exactly when the shop opened, but guess about 15 years ago. The walls have the usual collection of signatures from celebrity customers, and small wooden plaques for people who’ve made especially spicy orders and survived long enough to scrawl a last message (“My mouth hurts!”).

The menu includes a number of options, including both tsukemen and tsukesoba, in case you want to compare.

I had the tsukemen, and went with 40 on the scale of 0 to 100. They recommend 2 or 3 for first-timers, but go with at least a 10 if you like spicy food. The sauce can get oily at higher spice levels, if that’s a concern. At 40, it was hot, but the flavor of the mirin, sesame and fish stock still came through. If your dipping sauce becomes watery during the meal, they’ll freshen it for you if you ask. Delicious. The crispy fried chicken, popular with regulars, is also very tasty. Great place.

TIPS 38\

Takanobashi, a covered shopping arcade south of City Hall, has seen better days, but still has a few good restaurants and shops for locals, as well as a tiny cluster of bars and the Salon Cinema, popular with Hiroshima’s foreign and art film crowd.

At the west end, shortly before you exit the arcade, you’ll find Wakabatei on the north side, with a vending machine and bench out front. You’re in for a treat.

Wakabatei has been open eleven years, and has very few pretensions of being anything more than a neighborhood noodle shop. I love it. The noodles never clump together. The vegetables are crisp, bright and served in generous mounds, and even the slices of chashu pork are larger. The sauce fairly glows in the bowl, running on the same 0-100 scale in use elsewhere. The walls are festooned with signature cards from customers who’ve gone to 100, and the odd all-red card memorializing some madman who finished a 200. The staff are friendly and unhurried, and regular customers line the counter with one eye on their noodles and one on the TV. The last time I went, I brought my eleven-year-old daughter. She ordered a 3 and found it tough going, but would have been fine with a 1 or 2. Luckily, she loved the chijimi, a savory Korean vegetable pancake served with a delicious soy-based dipping sauce. Definitely a place with a relaxed vibe of its own, and well worth the short streetcar ride.

For a taste of what the rest of Japan calls tsukemen, Shugetsu serves outstanding tsukesoba. Take the same streetcar to Takanobashi, the same stop as for Wakabatei. You’ll see Shugetsu, north of the platform.

The owner had a culinary epiphany when he ordered noodles in Shikoku some years ago, and decided more or less on the spot to learn how to make the dish he’d just eaten and open his own shop.

The noodles are fantastic, made by hand on-site using ingredients he sources himself. These are thick, curling noodles of the Taiwan-influenced style called chijirimen, chewy and flavorful even without sauce.

There are two options for the sauce, and both are served warm. The standard sauce is a sharp, slightly vinegary concoction with a taste that’s hard to pin down, but immediately addictive. You’ll taste fish stock, and pork, neither overwhelming, along with other flavors not so readily identified. The general impression is of freshness, and paired with the shop’s near-magical noodles you may want to move in and never leave. The spicy option is very different, but equally delicious and nothing like Hiroshima-style sauce. It’s less fiery, much less oily, with a rich, smoky flavor that lingers long after you’ve left. Lots of other things on the menu here, but these are the two you’ll want to try.

A hard boiled egg is sometimes included, sometimes not. If you want egg, ask for it. It shouldn’t be more than an extra ¥50.

ice ice cream, baby!

VENDING MACHINES AND CONBINI It wouldn’t be Japan if you couldn’t buy ice cream out of a vending machine. Yes, I am serious. I don’t see them everywhere, but they are around. For less than ¥200, you can grab a cold treat that’s perfect for when you’re on the go.

If you can’t find a vending machine, head for a conbini, or convenience store. From very reasonably priced to ices that cost more than from a gelato store, Japanese convenience stores have a great selection of cold treats.

Haagen-Dazs ice cream is my favorite conbini ice cream. They offer seasonal flavors and I tried two of their fruit and vegetable combos, carrot-orange (good) and tomato-cherry (not so much) .

Words / Photos by Linda Cordes

Summer is here. That means longer days, beaches, festivals, AND ice cream!

Another ice cream that I do enjoy is vanilla ice monaka; vanilla ice cream sandwiched between yummy wafers that kind of melt in your mouth. I found a green tea monaka and a strawberry monaka in 7-Eleven. If you find yourself addicted to ice monaka you might want to take a trip along the coast to Kure which is famous for them.

SOF T CREAM CENTRAL, IWAKUNI When I think of ice cream it’s Kintai-kyo Bridge in Iwakuni that immediately comes to mind. I love the soft cream that is sold at Sasakiya Kojiro Shoten.

Located on the castle side of the bridge, this wonderful shop has been serving up their delicious soft cream for 19 years now.

It’s usually pretty busy so be prepared to line up. It moves quickly though and is well worth the wait. I went at 9:30am on a Saturday morning and couldn’t believe there was already a small line waiting for ice cream. At 9:30am! I may have been one of those people standing in line. Dairy is completely acceptable for breakfast.

They also threw in some corn flakes at the bottom of my cup so it was almost like having cereal.

33 flavors were on offer when I visited and the special flavor for summer is ramune, which is a sweet Japanese soda. You can get your soft cream in a waffle cone, a regular cone, or in a cup. The price is typically between ¥300 and ¥400. The next time you come to Kintai-kyo, make sure you grab a soft cream at Sasakiya Kojiro Shoten to enjoy while you walk around.

To be honest, I just love soft cream, which I believe is called soft serve in the U.S. You certainly do not have to travel to Iwakuni (though you should because it’s beautiful) just to get some good soft cream as it’s very popular here. You can find some very ‘interesting’ flavors out there , such as wasabi, renkon (lotus root), and black sesame. A whole serving of some of these maybe a little too much all to yourself, so why not order a few and share among friends?

POLAR BEAR

I also couldn’t pass up the ice cream in a squeeze tube. I have seen these in a few different flavors, but this is the first time I have seen it in melon soda flavor.

How convenient is this? I can eat this while I am driving or while I am walking, and maybe even while I am cycling. I’m dangerous on a bike though, so that’s probably not a good idea.

map p.28 [B-3] 1

On a GetHiroshima recommendation I checked out Polar Bear’s gelato in Hiroshima city. Even though it was raining and cold the place was still pretty busy and they were already sold out of a few flavors. After staring at the flavors available, my friend and I ordered a double to share, deciding on chocolate and vanilla. When the girl behind the counter handed us our cone, I almost fell over. It was huge! We could have shared a single. I am glad that we got to enjoy two different flavors though, because they were both delicious. Polar Bear is now my new favorite place in Hiroshima for my summer sweet fix.

Linda Cordes is based in the soft cream capital of Japan, Iwakuni, and writes about her passion for food at iwakunifoodie.blogspot.jp.

Follow her on Twitter @IwakuniFoodie and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iwakunifoodie/

Now that you have some ideas on where to get some delicious cold treats to help you get through the heat and humidity this summer, I hope you’ll share some of your favorite spots or some of your favorite conbini ice creams with us. Tag what you find with #gethiroshimamag. Happy hunting!

メニュー

Menu

Dengaku でんがく Double dengaku でんがく w うどん・そうめん Udon, Somen Dengaku udon でんがくうどん・ / somen そうめん Dengaku udon でんがくうどん with double meat （肉 w） Dengaku udon でんがく (double udon, double meat) （うどん w 肉 w） Tempura 天ぷら Oden おでん Rice (Big, Medium, Small) めし 大 中 小 Non-alcohol beer ノンアルコール Beer (Big, Small) ビール 大 小 Draft Beer 生ビール Sake 酒 Take-away: 持ち帰り Bag of dengaku でんがく袋 せんじがら（馬・豚） Senjigara (Horse, Pork) Senjigara (Beef) せんじがら（牛）

goto izumi's deep hiroshima

vol.

Words and photos by Goto Izumi

translation by Paul Walsh

2

"Hmm, I must try oysters while I'm here," I hear the dear traveler say. Or, "An okonomiyaki dinner is the way to top off my trip to Hiroshima."

!!!!

Noooooooo dear traveler To be sure, okonomiyaki and oysters are delicious. I’m partial to them myself.

An okonomiyaki topped with a big helping of freshly sliced green onions is just heavenly…

No!! We will not go there.

This is no dime a dozen guide book.

Here, dear reader, I will give you the low down on the soul food of backstreet Hiroshima. The soul food that even among Hiroshima folk, only those that are in the know, know, you know?

Our destination is in an area known as Fukushima-cho, found in the western ward of Nishi-ku, about 5 minutes from the city center by car. To walk requires some effort.

In Fukushima-cho you’ll find all kinds of delicacies rarely seen in the center. Top of the lot, however, are two working class horumon dishes; dengaku and horumon tempura.

Horumon is offal, the kind of meat that gets thrown away in most western restaurants.

Dengaku is a soup filled with stewed offal, and horumon tempura is just what it sounds like, offal in tempura batter. A few places sell this stuff, but Goto Izumi’s number one recommendation is Fukumoto. Fukumoto is as deep as you can get.

Goto Izumi http://gotoizumi.net International performance artist. Goto Izumi promotes avant garde events, is the owner of Organ-za, works in radio, as an MC and also makes films. Her greatest love, however, is discovering underground culture that tickles her fancy.

Organ-za（ヲルガン座）1-4-32 Tokaichi-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi / 082-295-1553 http://www.organ-za.com / organzainfo@gmail.com

40\

On entering, you’ll see meat offcuts and vegetables in tempura batter piled high. Each is ¥100.

Next, to order. The menu offers thick udon wheat noodles and thin somen rice noodles as well as rice, but when at Fukumoto I highly recommend the dengaku udon. This is basically a bowl of dengaku offal soup with some udon noodles in it, and so overflowing with offal it is that it’s hard to find the noodles. What kind of offal is something of a mystery and the staff won’t tell you even if you ask. ¥500 a bowl.

It is perhaps worth mentioning, that when you order plain old udon here, it too comes with mystery meat, source unknown.

Looking for a unique souvenir?

Try senjigara-dried meat a bit like like beef jerky.

Except completely different. Choose from pork or horse.

Great with beer!

Make it this far and feel free to call yourself a bone fide Hiroshima-ite (as certified by Goto Izumi).

!!!!

L e t's d e n g a k u

Chop them up into manageable-sized pieces on the adjacent chopping board with the knife provided. Pile them on a plate, and then, putting any thoughts about what body parts you may have selected out of your mind, take it to your table.

c a u t i on naka hiro

dor

i

fukumoto shokudo

Police box

m Although there are tempura vegetables and rice on the menu, this is no place for vegetarians. m If you want a soft drink, you’ll be told to go buy one from the vending machine outside. m There is no English menu and it goes without saying that the staff don’t speak English either.

Hiroshimanishi Post Office

Kanonmachi

Hiroden Streetcar (line #2,#3) Police Box Post Office Traffic Light

Fukumoto Shokudo ふくもと食堂 1-20-8 Ogawachi-machi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima-shi 広島市西区小河内町 1-20-8 / 082-232-7080 Opening hours are 10:00-17:30.

Fukumoto is not open at night.

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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Kampai!

by Haruhiko Oyama / Yamato-ya translation by Paul Walsh

Ometenashi. It’s the word used to describe Japan's particular style of hospitality. You may well have heard the word as the country aims for a large increase in the number of overseas visitors in the run up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games it has been constantly in the news recently. Sake, made with the best rice and purest water, meticulously prepared by master brewers, that embodies the spirit of omotenashi is what we at Yamato-ya are all about.

US president Barak Obama visited Japan back in April this year. The place chosen to express the spirit of omotenashi to the president was an informal dinner at the small, but world famous, sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo's Ginza. The sake chosen to accompany this delicious meal was none other than a Kamoizumi Tokusei Gold which is produced in nearby Saijo by one of Hiroshima’s larger sake brewers.

Saijo lies about 40km east of Hiroshima city in the centre of the prefecture. The town's skyline is dotted by distinctive red brick chimneys that indicate the location of its sake breweries, 8 of which are concentrated along "Sakagura-dori" or brewery street. Strolling around between the characteristic white-lattice namako walls, within which are the traditional Japanese buildings where the magic of sake production happens, is a pleasure in itself.

While Saijo lies inland, many of Hiroshima's sake breweries are found on the shores of the the calm waters of the Inland Sea. In this issue, it is one of these coastal brewers that I would like to recommend. Hanahato is produced in a brewery in the little port town of Ondo just east of Kure. Whenever I enjoy a glass of Hanahato, its mild and warm flavor always brings to mind the calming vistas of the Seto Inland Sea. By the sea, up in the mountains or in the valleys; Wherever Japanese sake is made, the characteristics of the locality are always reflected in the taste. If you are a sake fan, I highly recommend visiting a brewery or two to further enhance your appreciation of Hiroshima's delicious sake.

To purchase these and many, many more varieties of sake from Hiroshima and beyond, visit Yamato-ya. The staff don’t speak a lot of English, but they really pull out the stops to help you find something special. Also check GetHiroshima.com for news of their semi-regular sake and wine tastings. Map p.30 [C-3] 5

42\

ARTS

Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art

Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum

Hiroshima Museum of Art

Well-designed building in Hijiyama hilltop park. Interesting sculptures and statues are dotted around the outside of the museum that can be viewed for free. Special exhibits and the exhibits from the museum’s own collection displayed on rotation along various themes. Map p.31 8

One of the largest art museums in Western Japan with a permanent collection of over 4,500 works which include Japanese nihonga painting, traditional Asian art crafts, 1920s and 1930s art, displayed on rotation. Right next to Shukkei-en Garden. Map p.30 13

Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and many more works by great modern European painters on display in this small, but perfectly formed museum, very close to Hiroshima Castle.

Visit on a weekday and you may well have the whole place to yourself. Map p.30 11

10:00-17:00 (Open until 19:00 7/20 & 7/21, 10/12 & 10/13) Admission to the collection exhibition: Adult ¥370, College students ¥270, High school students, seniors ¥170, Junior High School and younger free 082-264-1121 http://www.hiroshima-moca.jp/

09:00-17:00 (Open until 20:00 on Fridays until 11/9) Admission to the permanent collection Adult ¥510, College students ¥310, High school students and younger free .

082-221-6246 http://www.hpam.jp/

09:00-17:00 Admission to the general exhibition: Adult ¥1000 Seniors ¥500 College & high school students ¥500 Junior high school and elementary school students ¥200 082-223-2530 http://www.hiroshima-museum.jp/

Admission until 30 minutes before closing. Special exhibition charges vary and usually include admission to permanent collections.

Closed Mondays (unless National Holiday when closed the following business day).Hiroshima Museum of Art open everyday during special exhibitions.

Sleeping Beauty May 17-July 21, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Adult ¥1,030, College students ¥720, high school & seniors ¥510 (Junior high school and younger free)

Photography from the Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster Zone (Rias Ark Museum of Art Collection) July 5-August 31, Onomichi City Museum of Art Adult ¥700, College, High school students ¥500, Under 16 free

The 2nd Shin-Kenbiten Annual Competition of Art in Hiroshima Prefecture June 18-July 13, Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum.

Adult ¥510, college students ¥310, high school and younger ¥80

Gallery G Map p.30 5 Private art space opposite the Prefectural Art Museum which holds weekly free exhibitions by local artists, designers and artisans. 082-211-3260

Yankee Anthropology April 26-July 21, Tomonotsu Museum, Tomonoura, ¥1000 Elementary school & younger free, Closed Monday & Tuesday (except National Holidays) http://abtm.jp/

EXHIBITIONS The World of Western Paintings From Baroque to the Barbizon School (Yamadera Goto Museum Collection) April 26-June 15, Hiroshima Museum of Art Admission Fee: Adults ¥1,200, Seniors ¥1000, College & high school ¥900, Junior high & elementary ¥500 Judy Ongg: The World of Wood Block Prints May 17-July 21 Fukuyama Museum of Art Adult ¥1000 - 09:30-17:00 Open until 19:00 6/6, 6/7, 6/13, 6/14

Doris Salcedo: The 9th Hiroshima Art Prize Commemorative Exhibition July 19-October 13, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Adult ¥1030, College students ¥720, Seniors, high school students ¥510

The Beauty of Ukiyo-e - Masterpieces of the Hiraki Collection July 18-September 1, Shimane Art Museum, Matsue, Adult ¥1000 College ¥600 ©［重要美術品］歌川 国政《市川鰕蔵の暫》 公益財団法人平木浮 世絵財団所蔵 Print - Technique and Beauty (Higashi-hiroshima City Museum of Art Collection) July 26-August 31, Hiroshima Museum of Art

Doris Salcedo Plegaria Muda (detail) 2008-2010 Photo: Patrizia Tocci

MOOMIN Exhibition from Tampere Art Museum Moominvalley 2014-2015 August 8-September 6, Adult ¥1200, College, high school, junior high school ¥700 Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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EVENTS HIRODEN STREE TCAR FESTIVAL f June 9

Get up close to, in and under Hiroshima’s streetcars at Hiroden’sSenda-machi yard. Heaven for train geeks, and little kids will love it too, but there is also a good deal to interest the casual observer.

YOKOGAWA CINEMA GR AND REUNION ( YOKOGAWA SHINEMA DAI-DOUSOUK AI) f June 27, 28, 29

The ramshackle Yokogawa Cinema is getting a facelift and that breaks Deep Hiroshima correspondent (page 40) Goto Izumi’s heart.

The Hiroshima underground assembles for three days of music, performance and film to say goodbye to the grime.

Live music June 27, 28 19:30-22:00 ¥3000 adv, ¥3500 door (plus one drink order) Film & talks June 29 11:00-22:20 ¥2000 (plus one drink order) 3 day pass ¥7000.

MIYAJIMA TRIATHLON

HIROSHIMA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL

HIKING

f August 21-25

There are many hiking trails within easy reach of the city center. Why not join the friendly GANSU International Hiking Group on one of their monthly outings. http://hirosanfromhiroshima.wordpress.com/ [en] f Late June Mt. Rengeji (Aki Ward, Hiroshima City) f Late July Jakuchi Valley (Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture) f August Beer Garden party in downtown Hiroshima (it’s too hot to hike!)

Most people in Hiroshima don’t even realise that one of the world’s major animation festivals happens right on their doorstep every two years. Well, it does and it’s great.

If you are here, you should go.

3 day pass ¥10,000, One day pass ¥2500, One program ¥1000 (Adult advance ticket price) http://hiroanim.org/

MIHAR A HAKURYUKO LAKE TR AIL R ACE f September 14

f 6/8, 6/22, 7/6, 7/27, 8/24, 9/7, 9/21

OTAGAWA RIVER FLEA MARKET f 6/14 & 15, 7/12 & 13, 8/9 & 10, 9/13 & 14

08:00-15:00

f 6/14 & 15, 7/12 & 13, 8/9 & 10, 9/13 & 14

MOTO-UJINA-GUCHI FLE A MARKET f 6/15, 7/20, 8/17, 9/21 09:00-15:00

SAK A SUNDAY MARKET f 6/15, 7/20, 8/17, 9/21

The last local trail race of the year isn’t until September, but entries close June 30. Tough, but scenic 19km and 35km courses. http://mihara-trail.com/

WILD BUNCH FEST 2014 f August 23, 24 11:30-20:30 f Yamaguchi

The “Hatsukaichi Traverse Miyajima Power Triathlon Woodman” (phew!) has the most spectacular race start in Japan - from beneath the floating torii gate on Miyajima. Go give the racers a shout! Swim starts at 9:30am. http://www.cci201.or.jp/ta/top.htm

Kirara Memorial Park Two days of some of the biggest names in Japanese pop and rock in neighboring Yamaguchi prefecture.

One day ticket ¥8000 (adult), 2 days pass ¥14,000 (adult)

SUNDANCE BEACH PART Y f August 3 10am-19:00

http://wildbunchfest.jp/

FIFA WORLD CUP BR AZIL f June 12-July 13

44\

SENDA WASSHOI FLEA MARKET

SHIMANAMI ANTIQUE MARKET, ONOMICHI

f June 29

Bands, DJs, cocktails and bikinis. Hiroshima’s international party people will be out in force and letting off steam at Tsutsumigaura beach park on Miyajima for the 10th anniversary of Hiroshima’s biggest international party. http://miyajimasundance.com/

FLEA MARKETS

The time difference isn’t particularly conducive to watching the World Cup in Japan, but die hard fans should be able to find some live matches and repeats at places like Kemby’s and Molly Malone’s. More places will show Japan matches, and, if the national team does well there may be even be some public screenings scheduled. Check GetHiroshima’s Facebook page for news during the tournament.

FARMER’S MARKETS K AMIYACHO BLUEBERRY FARM & GREEN GROUND MARKET A blueberry farm in the city center? Yep, on top of the Sun Mall shopping center on Hiroshima’s Hondori shopping arcade. Open for blueberry picking June 14-July 6 - 100g for ¥500.

Head up there on the weekends of June 14 & 15 and 21 & 22 for the Green Ground Market farmer’s market to pick up some local produce and check out some interesting stalls.

HIROSHIMA MINATO MARCHÉ f 6/1, 6/15, 7/6, 7/20, 8/3, 8/17, 9/7, 9/21

09:00-15:00 f Marina Hop

HATSUK A-NO-ICHI MARKET f 6/20, 7/20, 8/20, 9/20 08:30-10:30

CLUBBING (see map p.33 for venues) M.P.C f June 6, 22:00 f Mugen5610

Guests BUPPON & ILL DAT (Yamagcuhi) / Live painting MOGURA13 (Tokyo) / ¥2000 (incl 2 drinks)

VIVA L ATINO II CARNIVAL

Guest artists DIZZLE Guest Sound NAKA-G Adv ¥2000 Door ¥3000 (plus one drink order)

SUGAR & SPICE R AE TOWN ST YLE IN HIROSIMA

EASY SK ANKING f every 2nd Tuesday f Centre Point

DUBWISER

f June 29, 19:00-24:00

f every 2nd Wednesday

f Centre Point

f Agit

Free admission

f June 7

DJ DIE T PRESENTS E XERCISE

f Mambos

f June 29. 19:00

¥1000 (with 2 drinks) /Bachata lesson from 20:30 /Party starts at 21:30 /Samba show at 23:30

f Cafe Jamaica

EUR ASIAN SUITE f every 4th Thursday f Bar Edge

Guest DJ Eddie C (Red Motorbike) ¥3000 With flyer ¥2000 (plus 1 drink order) https://soundcloud.com/eddiec

COMPACT

f June 7, 23:00-07:00

CROSSBREED

WHAT ABOUT WEDNESDAY?

f Mugen5610

f July 20, 20:00

f every 3rd Wednesday

¥1500 (incl 1 drink )

f Cafe Jamaica

f Centre Point

暗黒側 PSYCHEDELIC TR ANCE PART Y

ELECTRO NIGHT f June 15 f Barcos

DJs Rus Zohn, John Roles, M-Tech, KCH / No cover charge

Door ¥3000 With flyer ¥2000 Guest DJ: CD HATA(Dachambo/Polar Chalors) http://www.mixcloud.com/CDHATA/ Shisha: Kugrass Cafe

f every 3rd Wednesday f Bar Edge

ULTR A HAZE f every 2d Sunday f Bar Edge

SLEEPYE YE POOL PART Y

FROIDE

f July 20

f every 3rd Friday

f Hamada (Shimane Prefecture)

f Enjoint Bar Cover

f Mugen5610

NOT V PART YON

THE CLUB ROCKS

Yellow Choice (Osaka), Filter Kings, Super Lucky, Extra Disco, Dandimite ¥1500 (incl 1 drink) / Reggae

f August 9, 22:00

f every 3rd Friday

f Club Chinatown

f Bar Edge

NEW KINGSTON WEDNESDAY CREW ANNIVERSARY f June 18, 19:00-24:00

NOT V PART YON

NEW WORLD

f June 21, 22:00

f every 4th Friday

f Club Chinatown

f Sacred Spirits (Cafe Jamaica)

SOUL FOOD f every last Thursday f Centre Point

Guest DEXPISTOLS / Electro, techno Adv ¥3000 Door ¥4000 (incl 1 drink)

DAR AKE f August 29

IN DA DINING f every last Friday f Lotus (June / July) - Bar Edge (August)

f Cafe Jamaica

RED BULL NIGHT

Ladies take control of the decks

f every last Saturday f Bon Voyage

Guest DJ CLM (Tanaka Kurumi) Adv ¥2000 Door ¥3000 / Electro

HIROSHIMA YOUNG GENER ATION'S PRESENTS REVOLUTION ROCK #5 f June 22, 16:00~23:00

REGULAR NIGHTS CR AZ Y SE X Y COOL f every Thursday f Club G

f Mugen5160

SACRED SPIRITS

Guests artists J-REXXX (Tokyo), CHAQURA (Himeji), DRIBBLA (Hiroshima) Reggae party open to all ages Adv ¥2000 Door ¥3000 (plus one drink order)

f (almost) every Saturday

SURVIVOR’S SESSION

f every 1st Saturday

MID NIGHT TAMASHI f every 2nd Thursday f Bar Edge / ¥1500 / All genre

IZMICAL f every 4th Friday f Bar Edge / Eclectic dance

f Cafe Jamaica

CAPSULE

¥1000 (incl 1 drink, 2 if enter before 24:00)

f every 3rd friday

LUSH

f June 28, 23:00

f Mugen5160

f Mugen5160

¥1000 (plus 1 drink order)

f Sea Cake Style

Go to gethiroshima.com/events for more details about these and many more events.

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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CINEMA

h i ros h i m a C it y C i n e m a

by Benjamin Soar

I n d e p e n d e n ts Local company Johakyu is taking on the multiplexes and bucking worldwide trends by opening independent cinemas in the heart of the city center.

HATCHOZA Map p.30

6

Beautifully refurbished cinema, slap bang in the city center at the top of Fukuya department store, that makes going to the movies special again. Hatchoza has 2 screens; The larger can host 3D films and seats 170 people, the smaller seats 70. There’s a cafe-bar in the foyer offering beer, wine and snacks okay to take into the theatre. There aren’t any children’s films here, making Hatchoza perfect for adults. Amazingly luxurious seats - armchairs with loads of legroom - and gorgeous decor, make a visit to Hatchoza feel more like going to the opera, not just a film. The toilet labels are in beautiful (hard to read) Kanji characters just remember, red for women and black for the men.

CINETWIN HONDORI Map p.30

3

Smaller cinema in a basement just off Hondori. Shows independent films usually about 5 years after they’ve been released overseas. Lovely seats again, but the screen is about half the size of Hatchoza screen 1.

SALON CINEMA Map p.30

15

Hatchoza Cinema

There are two screens and comfortable armchair style seats at this cinema, located about a 10 minute walk from Peace Park. A nice feature at Salon and Cinetwin is that you can take in your own snacks and drinks.

Discounts ← FOR ALL Hatchoza, Salon and Cinetwin theaters Films starting after 18:00 ¥1000 Mens Day Monday ¥1000 (for men) Ladies Day Friday ¥1000 (for women) First of the month ¥1000 Couples Day is on the 22nd of every month ¥2000 (for any two people going in together) Local 広島人 tip

TIPS

Johakyu’s monthly booklet “Endmark” has schedules and news about upcoming films.

It’s all in Japanese, but there are pictures and English titles. Pay for subscription, or pick one up around town in shop & dept store free flyer areas. Show it when you buy your ticket to get ¥300 off tickets (up to 3 tickets).

Mu lti p l e xes WALD 11 CINEMAS

C i n e p h i l es c h e c k!

THE CINEMATOGRAPHIC AND AUDIOVISUAL LIBRARY The Cinematographic and Audio-Visual Library is a treasure trove of classic Japanese cinema. All in Japanese, but only ¥100 for 90 min of viewing. Regular screenings of Japanese and international film classics for ¥500.

U ltr a- i n d i e YOKOGAWA CINEMA Seldom-seen art films, documentaries and occasional live music events on a narrow side street near Yokogawa Station. Yokogawa Cinema is a bit run down and English language films a rarity, but worth keeping an eye on our listings.

Standard multiplex located in the Aeon Shopping Mall in Fuchu. Overpriced snacks and they don’t allow free seating- choose your seat when buying a ticket. Quality sound and large screens, including several 3D screens. The “Daddy” here is theater number 10, which seats 402 people. The mall is a short walk from Tenjingawa JR Station, or take a free shuttle bus from the shinkansen side of Hiroshima Station.

Discounts Late shows (after 20:30) ¥1200 First of every month ¥1000 Ladies Day every Wednesday ¥1000 Couples Day 22nd of every month ¥2000 a couple

Hatchoza Cinema

AEON CINEMA (FORMERLY WARNER MYCAL CINEMAS) On the 6th floor of a department store, 15 minutes walk from Peace Park, through Hijiyama Tunnel. Shows mostly Japanese films, 6 small theatres and 1 giant one.

Discounts Ladies day- Mondays ¥1000 Couples day- Wednesdays 2 people for ¥2000

46\

Hatchoza Cinema

GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

HUMMING BIRD (REDEMPTION)

グランド・ブダペスト・ ハミングバード ホテル

A-2-BC A-2-BC

EDGE OF TOMORROW MALEFICENT

オール・ユー・ニード・ マレフィセント イズ・キル

ff Yokogawa Cinema ff Wald 11

ff June 21~

ff Aeon Cinemas, Wald 11

ff Wald 11

ff Cinetwin Hondori

ff June 7~

ff July 4~

ff July 5~

ff June 6~

Dir: Steven Knight Cast: Jason Statham, Agata Buzek, Vicky McClure US, 2013 Action, 100min, R English, Polish, Chinese, Italian with Japanese subtitles

Dir: Ian Thomas Ash Japan/US, 2013 Documentary, 71min Japanese, with Englisg subtitles http://www.a2-b-c.com/

Dir: Doug Liman Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton US, 2014 Sci-fi, 113min, PG-13 English, Arabic with Japanese subtitles

Dir: Robert Stromberg Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley US, 2014 Action, adventure, family, 90min, PG English, with Japanese subtitles

HER

GODZILLA

ff Hacchoza

ff Aeon Cinemas, Wald 11

ff July 5~

ff July 25~

Dir: Spike Jonze Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson US, 2013 Drama, 126min, R English, with Japanese subtitles

Dir: Gareth Edwards Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston US, 2014 Action, sci-fi, 123min, PG-13 English, with Japanese subtitles

LABOR DAY

DARK BLOOD

Dir: Wes Anderson Cast: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric US, 2014 Comedy, 100min, R English, French with Japanese subtitles

CAIRO TIME

カイロ・タイム～異邦人～

NOAH GODZILLA 60TH AN- ノア 約束の舟 NIVERSARY DIGITAL REMASTER

世界でひとつの彼女

GODZILLA

ゴジラ 60 周年デジタ ルリマスター版 ff Salon Cinema ff June 21 ff Aeon Cinemas, Wald 11 ff June 13~

ff Wald 11 ff June 7~

Dir: Ishiro Honda Cast: Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada Japan, 1954 Sci-fi, 96min, Unrated Japanese

RAGE

Dir: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins US, 2014 Action adventure, 138min, PG-13 English, with Japanese subtitles

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE

Dir: Ruba Nadda Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Alexander Siddig, Elena Anaya Canada, Ireland, Egypt, 2013 Drama, romance, 90min, PG English, Arabic with Japanese subtitles

OLDBOY

オールド・ボーイ

300 ＜スリーハンドレッ ド＞帝国の進撃

とらわれて夏

ダーク・ブラッド

トカレフ

ff Wald 11 ff June 28~ ff Aeon Cinemas, Wald 11 ff Wald 11

ff June 20~

ff June 7~

Dir: Noam Murro Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey US, 2014 Action, 102, R English, with Japanese subtitles

Dir: Paco Cabezas Cast: Nicolas Cage, Rachel Nichols, Peter Stormare US, 2014 Action, 92min, PG-12 English, with Japanese subtitles

Dir: Spike Lee Cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson US, 2013 Action, 104min, R English, with Japanese subtitles

ff Salon Cinema ff July (date TBC) ff Cinetwin Hondori ff July 5~

Dir: Jason Reitman Cast: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith US, 2014 Drama, 111min, PG-13 English, with Japanese subtitles

Dir: George Sluizer Cast: River Phoenix, Jonathan Pryce, Judy Davis US, 2012 Thriller, 86min, G English, with Japanese subtitles

Here are some of the films showing in Hiroshima this summer.

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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Kid’s Page

Further afield

Family Friendly Hiroshima

Hiroshima Castle

Hijiyama Park

Young children are much loved in Japan and kids can provide great opportunities for connecting with locals.

Hiroshima offers plenty of fun for those with little ones in tow.

We’ve yet to meet a kid who doesn’t get excited by a castle, even if it is reconstructed. Try on a samurai helmet, peruse the museum, run around the grounds and look for turtles and koi in the moat. Samurai shows in ninomaru outer citadel every Sunday at 13:30 & 15:00.

Shady, winding paths, good views and a few play areas at the top of the Sky Walk escalator. The Modern Art museum often has kid-friendly exhibits and (free) outdoor sculptures. The Manga Library is interesting and has some English books among - take a look at the famous Barefoot Gen series.

City Center Next to the interactive (and free) Children’s Science Museum is the outdoor Family Pool. There are slides and a paddling pool to keep little kids entertained, plus a bigger pool and a current pool which moves everyone on their floaties around. Keep ticket stubs to re-enter as many times as you like throughout a day. Inner tubes for rent, noodles and junk foods at the snack bars. Taking in your own food & drinks is o.k.

Adults (18-65) ¥780 / Children (6-17) ¥340 (Kids under 6 free with paying adult). Open: 7/1-8/31 next door.

Senda Park Next to the Naka-ku sports center (not far from the streetcar depot) with a great roller slide of Senda park.

Shady paths great for roller blades, little cyclists, skateboarders and picnics. Good foods available at the Fresta supermarket near the park entrance. (Nearest streetcar Hiroden Honsha-mae)

Miyajima

Toy Stores and Game Centers Neverland on the 6F of Edion electronics store (near Kamiyacho-Nishi streetcar stop) has popular Japanese toys and a play area with Lego and lots gacha-gacha toy machines. Multi-story game center.

Round 1 has video games: Mario Kart, drumming, dancing and shooting games, puri kura print club booths, private karaoke rooms, bowling & more.

Central Hiroshima has a lot of small public parks but the play facilities tend to be a little uninspiring. That said a few minutes on a slide or a swing set can bring fun and relief to parents and children. Look for the monkey icon on the map for playgrounds.

Kid-o-Kid on the 6F of Pacela shopping center (next to the Rihga hotel) is pay-as-you-play indoor fun (6mths12yrs). Also play area on Pacela’s outdoor terrace with a view of Hiroshima Castle.

There’s more to Miyajima than temples and shrines. Kids love to pet the deer, swim in the sea, hunt shells on the beaches, dress up like a samurai, splash in the streams, twirl the prayer wheels and seek out all the jizo statues at Daisho-in, take a cable car to the top of Mt.Misen, watch machines pump out “momiji-manju” cakes, and enjoy the aquarium. Plan for a full day of family fun on Miyajima island and you will not be disappointed!

TIPS

Fill a notepad with “stamp-rally” stamps from museums, stickers & drawings of things along the way.

Sketch or paint while sitting in the shade near the castle, A-bomb dome or Miyajima.

Peace City Scavenger Hunt River Taxi, sightseeing boat, ferry or water craft10 pts each

Can you find all ten?!

Find a gacha-gacha toy machine 20pts (find a toy poo for a bonus 50pts / golden poo toy + 1,000pts!!)

Turtles & Koi (carp) fish (check the castle moat or in Shukkei-en garden) 10pts each

A street artist, juggler or musician - 20pts

An A-bombed tree (50pts each) *See the GLH article for hints on where to find them*

Samurai mask with a moustache (Hiroshima castle) - 20pts

Wheely-treats: food cart vendors- 20pts each (say “hi”- these vendors are super friendly)

“Peace” written in 10 or more languages - 20pts

Decorative manhole cover - 10pts each

48\

Momiji-manju (maple leaf shaped cakes)- 10 pts Find a gluten-free one + 50 pts

TOTAL:

kanak Delicious, healthy, additive-free Indian food right next to Peace Park. Excellent lunch sets. Indian pub-style atmosphere at night with many a la carte dishes to choose from as well as curry meals.

Curry lunch sets from ¥790 Free refills of rice/nan at lunch Vegetarian & Halal food A la carte Kids sets ¥500 Party room available

Lunch 11:00-15:00 (L.O. 14:30) Dinner 17:00-22:30 (L.O. 22:00) 082-236-7308 Map p.30 [B-3] 10

Organ-za Food, drinks and music in our favorite avant guard hang out. Check proprietor Goto Izumi’s “Deep Hiroshima” on pages 40-41 for a tour of the cafe, mini-theater space and abandoned gallery that she also runs in the same Tokaichi building.

Tue-Fri 17:30-01:30 (L.O.), Sat 11:30-01:30 (L.O.) Sun 11:30-23:30 (L.O.) Closed Mondays 082-295-1553 map p.32 18

Yamatoya Make some top quality local sake your Hiroshima souvenir! Read more about Hiroshima sake and see Oyama-san’s spring picks on page 42. www.piconet.co.jp/yamatoya/ 09:00-22:00 Closed Sundays 082-241-5660 map p.30 [C-3] 5

Perfect Day Productions Presents

Sundance 2014, 10th Anniversary

Photo © Florence Nobuko Smith http://instagram.com/flogently

Sunday August 3rd, 10::00-19::00

Adv: ¥3000 Gate: ¥3500 (includes ¥300 Red Cross donation) Tsutsumigaura Beach Park, Miyajima Tickets available from Cusco Cafe, Barcos Hiroshima, Ticket Pia P Code 233-592 For more Information: Facebook.com/ELBarcoGroupHiroshima

Artcafe ELK

Cafe Cinnamon

2nd floor cafe near Peace Park with good sandwich lunches, drinks, vegetarian menu. International exchange spot.

Closed Tues. Charming little blue cafe worth seeking out for great food and drinks.

9:30-21:00 /22:00 (Fri. and Sat.) 082-247-4443 map p.30 [A-3] 2

11:30-15:00, 18:00-22:00 Closed Tuesdays 082- 942-3424 map p.32 3

Cafe Lente

Chamonix Mont Blanc

Escape the Miyajima crowds at this beautifully designed cafe. Wooden terrace. Great view of the floating torii gate, especially after dark.

Venerable kissaten since 1955, now with a British connection.

11:00-21:00 Closed Tuesdays Located along the water inlet between Kiyomori Shrine & Miyajima Aquarium.

08:00-24:00 082-241-2726 map p.30 [C-3] 5

Choi Choi Ya

Galley

Shiho serves Hiroshima tsukemen, yaki-ramen (fish stock base), side dishes and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.

Eat, drink or both at the counter or a street-side table.

Can get quite lively late at night.

20:30-03:00 Closed Sundays & hols that fall on a weekday map p.30 [C-4] 6

3F casual French bistro overlooking Namiki-dori in the center of Hiroshima’s shopping district.

Open for lunches, dinner and in between.

Graffity Mexican Diner

Namaste Hiroshima Station

Homemade Mexican and US style foods in this family run-diner.

Delicious Indian, Himalayan and vegetarian dishes on the 6th floor of the Hiroshima Station building.

11:30-13:20, 18:00-24:00 (L.O. 23:00) 082-243-3669 map p.30 [B-3] 9

11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (L.O.) 082-568-0045 map p.31 [E-2] 16

Otis!

Pasta La Vista

Eclectic and ethnic music. Tex Mex, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free dishes available.

Stylish eatery near Peace Park which prides itself on its many pasta types & local ingredients.

Smoke free at lunch. Vegetarian options.

Mon-Sat 12:00-22:30 (L.O.) , Sun, hols 16:00-22:30 (L.O.) 082-249-3885 map p.30 [A-4] 19

Lunch Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00 (L.O. 14:30) / Sat, Sun, hols 11:00-16:00 (L.O. 15:30) Dinner 17:00-24:00 (L.O 23:30) map p.30 [A-3] 20

Pimiento

Pinkerton’s Souk

Spanish tapas and Italian dishes. Friendly casual atmosphere. Central location on Noborimachi park.

Cozy tea house with an Indian/SE Asian themeamazing cakes and pies.

Lunch 12:00-14:00 Cafe 14:00-18:00 Dinner 18:00-24:00 (L.O. 23:30) 082-243-3669 map p.30 [B-3] 8

17:00-23:00 Closed Sun, hols 082-227-5880 map p.30 [C-3] 21

Tues-Fri 11:00-20:00 (L.O.) Sat, Sun & hols 11:00-19:00 (L.O.) Closed Monday + 2nd and 4th of Sunday 082-227-1970 map p.30 [C-2] 22

Plus Minus

Porta Porte

Top quality yaki-niku on 1 F in retro Japanese surroundings, and stylish, modern lounge bar upstairs.

Good range of local sake.

Authentic Napoli style pizzeria with a view of the park out back.

17:00-06:00, Bar 19:00-06:00 082-236-8810 map p.30 [C-4] 23

11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (L.O.) Closed Mondays 082-249-8010 map p.30 [B-3] 24

Robatayaki Jindaiko

Roopali

Long running establishment opposite Ebisu Shrine serving grilled meat, fish and vegetables.

Popular Indian eatery serving good, tasty food in generous portions.

17:00-23:30 (L.O.) 082-246-4873 map p.30 [C-3] 25

11:00-14:30 (L.O.), 17:00-22:00 (L.O.) 082-264-1333 map p.31 [E-2] 26

Sprout

Tinto

Delicious extensive menu. 5 min walk from peace park. Pasta, pizza, fish, meat and veggie dishes.

Mediterranean dining bar open all day, with some great drink deals.

082-294-2019 17:30-1:00(L.O.). Lunch Fri. Sat. Sun. Holiday 11:30-14:00(L.O.) - Closed on Wednesday map p.30 [A-2] 28

11:30-24:00 Sun-Thurs, 11:30-01:00 Sat, Sun & hols 082-546-0007 map p.30 [B-3] 29

Warung Matahari

Wordsworth

Excellent Indonesian cuisine prepared by Balinese chef Surasna. Vegetarians catered for.

Delicious salad, pasta, fish and meat dishes with good wines at reasonable prices.

17:30-22:30 (L.O.) Closed Mondays 082-240-2082 map p.30 [B-4] 30

18:30-02:00 082-241-2433 map p.30 [C-3] 31

Zucchini: bar and cucina

A.M.

Lively, reasonably-priced tapas restaurant-bar next to Peace Park.

Relaxed, comfortable and clean bar that caters for the very late night crowd.

11:30-15:00 (L.O 14:00) 17:00-24:00 (23:30 L.O) 082-546-0777 map p.30 [A-3] 32

Tue-Sat 20:30-06:00, Sat 20:30-06:00 Sun 20:30-03:00 Closed Mondays 082-249-6677 map p.30 [C-4] 2

Bar Edge

Bar Swallowtail (Yagenbori)

Small underground club with a good sound system.

Hiroshima’s first backpackers bar welcomes domestic and international travellers.

082-248-8146 map p.30 [C-4] 4

21:00-06:00 082-246-9266 map p.30 [C-3] 5

Bon Voyage

Cafe Spice

International bar with counter and 2 discount rooms in which to chill. Nice cocktails and some great food too.

Relaxed SE Asian atmosphere amid the buzz of Nagarekawa

Mon-Thur, Sun 18:00-02:00, Fri, Sat 18:00-04:00 082-249-2380 map p.30 [C-4] 6

18:00-03:00 082-246-7934 map p.30 [C-3] 7

Centre Point

Enjoint Bar Cover

Susu’s bar: Interesting cocktails, DJ’s spinning at weekends, good source of local nightlife info.

Ton and Succhi pack a lot of fun into this tiny late night DJ bar. English is limited but communication is rarely a problem here.

Tue-Thur 20:00-03:00, Fri, Sat 20:00-05:00, Sun 20:00-01:00 map p.30 [C-3] 8

Closed Mondays 082-249-3917 map p.30 [C-4] 9

Koba

La Luna

Rock loving BOM is one of Hiroshima’s most welcoming and entertaining bartenders. He whips up some very tasty food too.

International Food Bar with good music to relax, in comfortable surroundings Events every weekend

18-00-01:30(L.O), Closed Wednesdays 082-249-6556 map p.30 [B-3] 11

22:00-late Closed Sundays 082-241-6788 map p.30 [C-3] 12

Lime Cay

Log

Relax with Reggae and Red Stripe in this chill little bar. Comfy sofas upstairs.

Stylish cafe-bar and gallery space popular with local creative types.

19:00-05:00 Closed Mondays 082-546-1525 map p.30 [C-3] 13

Weekdays 17:00-late Weekends 14:00-late Closed Tuesdays 082-231-7022 map p.32 14

Mac

Mambos

Legendary Hiroshima watering hole with massive CD collection.

Fully licensed Latin American dance club.

18:00-late Closed Sundays 082-243-0343 map p.30 [C-3] 15

18:00-01:00 082-246-5809 map p.30 [C-4] 16

Mugen∞5610(gorudo) Hiroshima’s biggest dance club space.

082-240-7788 map p.30 [C-3] 18

New King Molly Malone’s Hiroshima’s authentic Irish pub. Great beer, great food, great service. The place to watch Premier League soccer.

Mon-Thur 17:00-01:00 (L.O.), Fri 17:00-02:00 (L.O.), Sat 11:30-02:30 (L.O.) 082-244-2554 map p.30 [C-3] 17

Trendy and Pink, 2F bar run by the guys behind local hip men’s underwear boutique.

21:00-05:00 082-247-4487 map p.30 [C-4] 19

Sakaimachi Baru Friendly little stand bar with reasonable wines and tasty tapas style food, just over the Honkawa Bridge from Peace Park.

18:00-24:00 Closed Sun, hols 082-233-0322 map p.32 20

Southern Cross Fun, spacious, smoke-free Kiwi-Aussie themed bar serving up beers and wines from New Zealand and Australia, meat pies, sausage rolls, steak sandwiches, beef/lamb burgers and other pub favorites. Check online for details of their live music events, theme parties, DJ nights, quizzes, big screen sports and special drink deals.

www.facebook.com/southerncrosshiroshima 18:00-01:00 082-236-3396 map p.30 [B-3] 21

The Shack Bar and Grill Spacious American-style bar amd grill on the Hondori covered shopping street near PARCO Department Store. Great for groups. Import bottled beers, week night drink deals, big menu and free pool table.

Sun-Thurs 17:00-01:00, Fri & Sat 17:00-03:00 082-504-4170 map p.30 [B-3] 22

Tropical Bar Revolución Nobu’s popular 8F hangout, friendly and relaxed complete with balcony.

18:00-03:00~04:00 Closed Sun, hols map p.30 [C-3] 23

IACE Travel

Little Twitter

Competitive prices, regular offers, and English speaking staff make IACE a popular choice for travellers.

Original designs and made to order jewelry and leather creations to fit your style.

082-240-2051 map p.30 [B-3] 1

12:00-20:00 082-243-6500 map p.30 [B-3] 2

Outsider Book Nook/ Global Lounge

Travel With

Used English books to buy or exchange.

Internet, cafe & meeting place. Lunches daily, bar from 19:00 Fri & Sat. Mon-Thurs 11:30-21:00 Fri & Sat 11:30-23:00, Closed Sun, hols 082-244-8145 map p.30 [B-3] 3

A.G. Tanaka will get you a great deal for your international and domestic travel needs.

10:00-20:00 (Sat, Sun, hols until 19:00) Closed Wednesdays 082-544-7718 map p.30 [C-3] 4

Cleo Hair International

Cleo Hair International

Pamper yourself in this state of the art beauty salon on the 9th floor of the PACELA shopping center.

(Hatchobori)

High caliber, full-service beauty salon in the design of a stylish New York apartment.

10:00-20:00 082-511-2470 map p.30 [B-2] 1

10:00-20:00 Closed Mondays 082-962-4012 map p.30 [C-3] 2

Laff Hair Design

Roots

Ippei’s skills and service have made him a huge hit among Hiroshima’s international community.

One-to-one VIP treatment at Kazue’s boutique salon. Reservations only.

082-504-7636 (English line) map p.30 [A-3] 5

082-541-0300 map p.30 [B-4] 6

Comfort Hotel Hiroshima

Comfort Hotel Hiroshima

Reasonably priced downtown business hotel S ¥5775/Twin ¥8400 From April S ¥6,000≤/ Twin ¥8,800≤

(Otemachi)

Business hotel handy for Peace Park.

S ¥6500/Twin ¥13,000 From April S ¥6,700≤/ Tw ¥13,400≤

082-541-5555 map p.30 [B-4] 1

082-545-7811 map p.30 [A-4] 2

Dormy Inn

Hana Hostel

Great location. Single ¥6000 Double/Twin ¥10,000 (tourist discount)

“Hybrid inn” with knowledgeable staff near the station.

082-240-1177 map p.30 [B-4] 3

082-263-2980 map p.31 [E-3] 4

Hotel Flex

Ikawa Ryokan

Stylish riverside hotel, rates include breakfast Singles ¥6825, Doubles ¥11,555≤

Cozy, home-like atmosphere.

Japanese and Western rooms. Coin laundry.

S ¥5,940≤ / Twin ¥9,720 / Tr ¥14,580 Quad ¥17,280 / Breakfast ¥756

082-223-1000 map p.31 [D-2]

www.ikawaryokan.net info@ikawaryokan.net 082-231-5058 map p.32 6

5

J-Hoppers Hiroshima

K’s House

Hiroshima’s first backpacker guesthouse.

Beds from ¥2300.

Backpacker hostel 8min walk from Hiroshima Station. Dorms from ¥2500, Japanese style rooms (1-4 people) and ensuite western style rooms (1-3 people) ¥2700-¥5500 per person.

Free Wi-Fi. 082-568-7244 map p.31 [D-3] 8

082-233-1360 map p.32 7

Reino Inn

(Peace Park Hiroshima) Centrally located “Art & Culture” Hotel. Families and small pets welcome. Dorms ¥2700, singles from ¥3700 (¥2800 per person for 2 ppl), family rooms.

082-236-7003 map p.30 [A-4] 9

Washington Hotel Hospitality, amenity and security right in the heart of Hiroshima.

All rooms equipped with great bathrooms and separate lavatory.

WiFi in all rooms http://washington-hotels.jp/hiroshima/ 082-553-2222 map p.30 [C-3] 10

Green Legacy Hiroshima

D

Left to right: Hideko Yamada, Katsumi Suesada, Akio Nishikori, Tomoko Watanabe, Yosuke Tone, Chikara Horiguchi, Nassrine Azimi, Ai Odoriba / Photo © Mish Vampiro Photography

espite rumors in the days and weeks after its destruction that nothing would grow in the A-bombed city of Hiroshima, nature rebounded and the sight of new shoots springing up amongst the debris provided great hope and encouragement to the survivors. Some trees even survived the blast and, today, about 170 hibaku jumoku (A-bombed trees) are registered and protected by the city.

World citizen Nassrine Azimi is co-founder of Green Legacy, an initiative to distribute seeds and saplings of A-bombed trees throughout Japan and around the world as a means of spreading Hiroshima’s message of peace. Nassrine was kind enough to talk with us about Hiroshima, herself and the Green Legacy initiative.

Nassrine, tell us about your background and how you came to be in Hiroshima.

I was born in Iran, am a Swiss citizen, my family lives in the United States, and my home is in Hiroshima - so you could say I am an Earth citizen… And actually I kind of feel that way. Culturally I think Asia is in my blood, and probably having reached adulthood in Switzerland, my love of nature and ecological leanings may be quite Swiss. But you know, I follow the International Space Station (ISS) closely and when one sees the Earth through images transmitted by the ISS – with this delicate, thin atmosphere the only thing separating us from the vast, dark, inhabitable space – one really develops a feel for our collective citizenship of this craft we call Earth. We are fortunate to have this gorgeous blue-green planet, and so careless and incompetent, as its stewards.

I first studied political science and international relations in Switzerland – at the universities of Lausanne and

54\

Geneva, respectively. Later I got a postgraduate degree in urban studies, which maybe helped connect me from the abstract to the tangible. I started working for the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) just out of graduate school and was fortunate to start my career with such a small UN body, it was more like an NPO – at quite a young age I was given responsibilities unheard of in typical bureaucracies: I had to raise funds for my projects and manage them. I guess early on this sense of enterprise – and a very enlightened boss – shaped my professional values and working style.

I had visited Japan on a first private visit in the 1980s and somehow landed for a three-day retreat on Mount Koya... It is fair to say I fell in love with Japan, but the idea I would one day come to live and work here was just not on life’s radar screen. My first real encounter with Hiroshima was around 2000. At the time I was chief of UNITAR's New York Office and by a series of serendipitous events, was tasked with setting up UNITAR's Asia-Pacific branch here. It took us almost three years

of preparation, with the prefecture notably. The rest is history: In 2003 UNITAR became the first UN body with a regional office in Hiroshima. By then it had also become clear to me that Hiroshima was a unique place.

What were first your impressions of the city, why did you decide to stay?

Well, in the beginning we were so busy with the office, there was hardly time for much. But little by little I found my bearings, thanks to a bicycle (essential, in this flat city!) and started exploring what is in fact a water city – seven rivers opening into the delta, it must have been stunningly beautiful. Intellectually of course I was working daily with the narrative of the atomic bombing, but 'knowing' is quite different from 'feeling' – so it took me some time to grasp what had happened here on August 6 1945, what had been there before and what the catastrophe of the atomic bombing meant for the future.

When I decided to step down from my position in 2009, I chose to stay. Hiroshima has given me a sense of

Read more about Green Legacy and its work http://www.unitar.org/greenlegacyhiroshima

purpose – I don’t have children of my own, but living in Hiroshima has made me more engaged, to work for the sake of my nieces, nephews, godchildren and just about all of us – so that what befell this city in 1945 never happens again, anywhere. I guess this sense marks most things I do. Hiroshima’s real philosophy and contribution – to forgive but not to forget is a powerful concept more so at a time when so many countries seem to forget but not to forgive...

Would you tell us about the beginnings of Green Legacy?

Well, maybe I should first speak of the trees? Some 170 trees in about 55 locations within a two-kilometer radius of the bomb's hypocenter have been classified by Hiroshima City as A-bombed trees (Hibaku jumoku). It's a miracle they survived in the first place, but then there was a second miracle – nurtured over the decades, they made it to the 21st century.

I love trees. In the living realm, humans have few allies as essential, generous or frugal as trees. Their roots, trunks, bark, leaves, fruit, nuts, shade, cool, warmth, their ability to hold off winds or erosions, filter the air and the waters, their beauty and grace, it is just breathtaking how much trees give us, and how little they ask in return. I always ask visitors to imagine the Peace Avenue (Heiwa odori) without trees… In the case of Hiroshima trees, all this is amplified by their message, about the threats of nuclear weapons...

Over the years I had seen these trees, and knew of citizens’ efforts, to spread them around the world (I also read the wonderful book by the husband-wife team of Mandy Conti and David Petersen called ‘Survivors’).

Hundreds of professionals around the world with whom I had worked throughout my career often asked me, 'Nassrine what can we do to spread the message of Hiroshima?' – so my first simple idea was to put all these disparate parts together, allowing the survivor trees to become ambassadors of Hiroshima, globally.

Of course a good idea without implementation is only wishful thinking – so I sought the help of my friend Tomoko Watanabe, executive director of the local NPO, ANT-Hiroshima. She is a real dynamo, and soon thanks to Tomoko we had a whole network of volunteers rallying around the idea -- including a marvelous gardener Chikara Horiguchi, who knows each of the survivor trees inside out, and our very able manager, Hideko Yamada.

We were still taking our time to prepare though, when the disasters of March 11, 2011 happened, we felt the message of the trees had become ever more urgent. We launched in July 2011. In addition to UNITAR and ANT, we are endorsed by many including the City, Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, the Botanical Garden, Hiroshima University as well as the Prefecture.

Where is Green Legacy now and what is its vision for the future?

Well, there are still some 17,000 nuclear weapons worldwide, and only 170 Hiroshima survivor trees – In my lifetime I'd definitely like to see those numbers

reversed! Of course the point is not to plant everywhere, but to pass on the message, have people from different walks of life around the world think about what it means for a tree – or any living being – to be on this fragile planet alongside these atrocious weapons. Needless to say, the trees are spreading, we now have partners in some 20 countries. Mayors of Peace cities are also getting involved, so our master gardener, bless him, is super busy! And of course we would love to have the trees of Nagasaki, too. The beauty of Green Legacy actually any project involving trees – is you can hardly go wrong, trees are that generous!

How can those moved by a visit Hiroshima spread its message and contribute to its legacy?

Oh God yes! I marvel still at the art of channeling rage, hatred, wounds and grief to something that transcends one’s own pain. As my Sufi master used to say, you must find a way, to turn your personal rage into universal outrage. I recently heard that when one visits Ground Zero in New York, there seems only sorrow and anger - one can understand that, but it highlights even more Hiroshima’s strength – how it has avoided mere recrimination, to move to the next level - transcend and transform its suffering into something more universal.

We all aspire to do that in our personal lives, and must learn to do it collectively, as well. It is the only path forward. The survivor trees I often feel, are simply showing us how.

GetHiroshima / Summer 2014

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INSIDE / OUT

Here we harness the wisdom of Hiroshima’s long term residents to try and answer those “What the...?!” questions.

what's deal with eating out as a vegan the... or with an allergy?

In Japan, there are a lot of healthy food options, but most dishes are created with flour, fish, seafood or meat stock. If you want to dive in and enjoy dining in Hiroshima despite your allergy or dietary preferences, we hope the following advice can help.

BE CALM, CLEAR AND CARRY ON

GLUTEN & NUT ALLERGIES

VEGAN

Hopefully, you will NOT be unfortunate enough to encounter staff who seem to ignore or disregard what you have so carefully explained as the whining of a “picky eater.” You should be able to tell if the staff take you seriously in the first few minutes. If they are less than receptive, smile and make a quick exit to somewhere more accommodating.

Breaking news: Hiroshima’s popular “momiji-manju” cakes now have a gluten-free version too. If you’re a fan of these sweet-spongy treats or not, this shows a new level of understanding about allergies in food manufacturing here.

Macrobiotic or Sho-jin dishes do not have any animal or fish ingredients in them, so can be good options for vegan eaters. Maison de Croissant (next to Kannon post office) offers Macrobiotic dining at lunch, Saishokukenbi (in Koi/10 min walk from JR Nishi-Hiroshima stn) is mostly vegetarian, but also has vegan options. ArtELK cafe (Hondori) and Otis! (near Peace Park) offer some good vegan dishes. For take-out, the ground floor Deli at the back of Andersen bakery (Hondori) now offers a variety of fresh salads, vegetable dishes as well as fruit and pasta options. All very high quality and many are vegan.

○○たべることが、できません。(〜 taberu-koto ga

dekimasen) “I can’t eat 〜.”

Listing the things (below) you can’t eat. Crossing your hands in the shape of an 'X' helps communicate more clearly that it’s a no-go. wheat 小麦 (komugi) / meat 肉 (niku) pork 豚肉 (butaniku) / nuts ナッツ(nattsu) / fish 魚(sakana) / eggs 卵 (tamago) / allergy アレルギー (allelugi) / seafood 海産 物 (kaisanbutsu) / dairy products 乳製品 (nyuseihin) / soy 大豆 (daizu)

A LACK OF FOOD HOSPITALITY Hospitality in Japan is usually the best you will ever encounter, but food “preference” is still one area in need of a “hospitality campaign.”

Excuses for ignoring a “no (meat / wheat / fish / nuts)” request: (A) It’s for your own good: “it really wouldn’t taste any good without that ingredient”.

(B) A matter of pride: “THAT is how the dish is SUPPOSED to be, we would be ashamed to serve it any other way!” / “What if other customers see it like that?”

(C) Ignorance: “Surely a little (meat/flour/nut) won’t hurt…” / “I cut it up really small..”

(D) “Oops, I forgot!”

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Eating Gluten-free: 小麦粉と麦アレルギー (komugiko to mugi allelugi)

Order everything without sauce (pack your own soy sauce if possible), choose plain rice dishes or rice balls with “ume” pickled plum, pickled radish or cucumber, “inari” (cone sushi), sashimi (raw fish), teppanyaki (grilled vegetables and meats), yaki-niku (grilled meat), shabu-shabu (plain meat, tofu, vegetables that you dip in boiling water), and plain salad. Hiroshima’s okonomiyaki shops usually offer teppanyaki side dishes cooked by themselves on the hotplate. Sit at the counter to watch them make your order in front of you so you can check no unwanted extras are added beyond the basic oil, butter, salt and pepper. Japanese style Curry chain, CoCo Ichibanya, has gluten-free, allergy-free and meat-free curries available (English menu).

SEAFOOD/FISH ALLERGIES

魚介類アレルギー (gyo-kai-rui allelugi)

You will also want to avoid any sauces or soups made with dashi stock as it likely has fish/seafood as a base.

While in Hiroshima, teppanyaki is a good choice and okonomiyaki is OK if ordered without the katsuo-bushi fish flakes or shrimp that is sometimes added. A basic soba-iri (noodles) niku-tama (bacon topping) without the sauce (which usually contains anchovies) should be fine, but watch it being made and ask about each ingredient Nagataya has its own allergy-free okonomiyaki sauce available in its shop near Peace Park. Choose grilled meats, green salads (no dressing), fresh fruits, baked goods and plain vegetables. Order cold noodles (zarusoba, zaru-udon and soumen) and stick with shoyu (soy sauce) instead of the restaurant’s dipping sauce.

ビーガン マクロビオティック (Macrobiotic) 精進 料理 (Sho-jin ryouri)

VEGETARIAN ベジタリアン

There are a few more choices than a vegan diet, as you can enjoy more baked goods and noodle shops.

However, avoiding fish and seafood stock is still tough (see above). There are a few great buffet dining options in the city like Roan (near Edion) and NoNoBudhoh (Pacela) are particularly good. The Sheraton, ANA, and Sun Route hotels also host good buffet meals. Some summer beer gardens also have good buffet dining choices along with the usual fish, seafood and meat staples. There are better options available at the Granvia hotel & Mitsukoshi beer gardens.

RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS Halal and Kosher certification is rarely found in Hiroshima, travelers suggest it’s still difficult outside of Tokyo. Kanak Indian (near Peace Park), Namaste Indian (Hiroshima station and Danbara) as well as Warung Matahari Indonesian dining (Takanobashi) have Halal dishes on request. Following vegan guidelines may be your best option at other eateries. by jjwalsh

Matt’s Moment “Elusive Obon ” Words: Matthew Mangham / Illustration: Naomi Leeman

Obon can be elusive for the average visitor to Japan, the sort of thing you're aware of but unable to experience. If you're in Hiroshima for the Tokasan festival, you can at least try Obon dancing in Shintenchi Park, one block east of Chuo-dori. A perfect way to burn off all the squid-on-a-stick and half-cooked gobbets of chicken you've eaten at the food stalls.

In brief, Obon is a summer custom in which families gather to honor and remember their ancestors. Ideally they meet in old family places, and traditionally it was held that the dead joined the reunion, at graves and household altars tended by the living. A moment online will tell you more, about Maha Maudgalyayana and his mother, about hungry Chinese ghosts and nembutsu dances and a vagabond lunar holiday whose tail was nailed to the ground (more or less) by Japan's switch to the Gregorian calendar. It's as confusing as it sounds, and if you bring it up over beer, most people won't have the faintest idea what you're talking about. Best keep things simple.

In my family Obon means, among other things, leaving town for places where the summer heat has been tempered by air and altitude. We head for a chain of valleys carved by little rivers in the northwest of the prefecture,

where swallows chase dragonflies above brilliant green stalks of rice, already bending under the grain’s weight.

Over the course of the day we visit my father-in-law's surviving siblings. There's the dairy farmer's wife, and the nonagenarian sister living alone in a vast old house with rambling, shadowed rooms and spears hung over the doors. My favorite is the old boy who lives at the top of a valley, his garden fenced to keep out the mountain boar. At each house, my father-in-law walks in without knocking and lingers over canned coffee and snacks, trading news before pushing on. My daughters slip out to search the paddies for frogs. I drink and nod, pretending to understand more than half of what's being said.

But the day’s main objective is the house where all these brothers and sisters were raised, and where the family graves and altar are maintained. There are graves at the other houses as well, but these are the old ones, the main family branch going back centuries.

Last year we arrived late. I was in a foul mood, sullen and fed-up with the whole business. I don't remember why, and it doesn't matter. We tramped up to the graves, lit incense and bowed our heads, then moved back down the hill. In any other year, this would have been the last stop, and I was more than ready to head home. That's when my father-in-law announced that we'd be visiting the "other graves."

At some point in the distant past, the family split into two branches, occupying enormous houses built within sight of one another. One branch, my wife's, prospered.

The other has died out, and the house they lived in, like so many old Japanese farmhouses, sits abandoned and falling in on itself.

I'd never heard mention of their graves, certainly never visited them. But my wife's father was already traipsing up what was, to all appearances, a forgotten pig track through the undergrowth. I won't share the full extent of the collapse of charity in my heart, or what may have been said under my breath, but I was unhappy. And I’d have wagered my soul that we were, literally, on the wrong track.

And then they were there, a cluster of graves huddled in a cool, bare space beneath the trees. They were arranged left to right. On the right, carven characters were still legible on the tall, narrow blocks of stone.

Moving left, the stones grew older, smaller, until at last some were barely larger than my fist, recognizable as graves only by association.

I stood by the smallest of them. They might have been children, or wives died young. A cynical voice said, "There's nothing here. Nothing left." At most, beneath the newer stones, a few pennyweights of softening bone with no story attached. Nothing they could tell us about themselves across this morass of time. But there we stood. My father-in-law, 81 years old and a child of this valley, remembered the way. He bent in the motley light below the trees and, with a twist of his wrist, stripped away a weed climbing the nearest stone. In the stillness, my younger daughter began to dance.

That, I suppose, is Obon. Though I am still, after all this time, very much a foreigner.

45 bis awa | quarante-cinq bis awa | Everyone is welcome at this roadside standing “bubble bar” and grill. Enjoy Champagne, wine, beer, etc with some char-grilled dishes, hot off the flames.

The charcoal grill brings out the full flavor of our high quality ingredients. Prices are so reasonable you could pop in every day.

menu includes

Charcoal Grill Yakitori Tapas

¥190 + tax~ ¥480 + tax~ ¥300 + tax~

address

1-18, Fukuro machi, Naka ku, Hiroshima tel

082.545.0450 business hour

17:00-23:30

45 | quarante-cinq | A bistro in the heart of the city, 45 has a great selection of wine, including many varieties of Natural Wine or Vin Naturel, known as “Bio Wine” in Japan. Pair a glass or two with dishes from our wide selection of foods on the menu. Why not treat yourself to homemade Italian salsiccia sausages, Hiroshima oysters or some of our many dishes featuring locally grown vegetables.

Popular dishes

Salad Niçoise Homemade Italian sausage (pork, lamb, beef) Duck confit with potatoes

address

1-18, Fukuro machi, Naka ku, Hiroshima tel

082.545.1225 business hour

11:30-23:30

NINNIKUYA MANAO | ninnikuya manao | A real taste of Thailand prepared with authentic Thai ingredients and cooking methods. our Thai chef has worked in the kitchens of some of Bangkok’s most popular restaurants and prides himself in his use of super fresh herbs to create perennial Thai favorites like green papaya salad, tom yum soup, fresh spring rolls and massaman curry.

Real Thai flavors right here in Hiroshima! menu includes

Green papaya salad Tom yum soup Gai yaang Vietnamese spring roll Green curry

¥1,080 + tax ¥1,480 + tax ¥880 + tax ¥380 + tax ¥880 + tax

address

Tatemachi build. 2F, 6-11, Tatemachi, Naka ku, Hiroshima tel

082.240.0229 business hour

11:30-14:00 / 17:30-23:00

¥680 + tax ¥500 + tax ¥1,800 + tax

“Hiroshima’s famous oysters, fresh and delicious”

Kanawa Kakifune Oyster boat 13

PEACE PARK

Enjoy high quality cuisine and service to match, on a floating restaurant. Kanawa’s kakifune boat is one of the kind that once used to ship oysters from local waters to markets in Osaka.

Lunch 11:00-14:00 (L.O.) Dinner Monday-Saturday 17:00-21:00 (L.O.) Sunday & National Holidays 17:00-20:30 (L.O.) Ote-machi 3 chome, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi (082-241-7416) Just south of Peace Memorial Park Map p.29 [A-4]

Kaki Meian Oyster Bar

12

Oysters in season from Hiroshima and around the world.

Enjoy a single raw oyster or choose from a variety of specialities that pair well with our wine and sake.

11:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30) One fresh oyster from ¥280 (+ tax),

6F Hiroshima Station ASSE Building (082-263-7317) map p.30 [E-2]

we have a lot of different kinds of oysters.

Raw oyster & wine set

HIROSHIMA STA TION

¥1300 (+ tax) 11

ASSE Kanawa

A more casual dining space serving oyster dishes and other local specialities such as anago-meshi conger eel on rice and Takehara beef. Standard seating and Japanese hori-gotatsu style tables with sunken floor available.

11:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30)

6F Hiroshima Station ASSE Building (082-263-3296) map p.30 [E-2]

Enjoy a set includ ing steak from Tak eh ara (Hiroshima Pref.), tempura and oyster rice for ¥2 900 (+ tax)!

A AIRPORT

HIROSHIM

Kanawa Hiroshima Airport Order local and internationally sourced oysters from a single serving and up.

Beautifully prepared sashimi platters, nabe hot pots and stacked boxed meals and other dishes also available.

08:00-L.0 20:00 / 3F Hiroshima Airport (0848-86-8330) those from the Compare Hiroshima oysters with 0 (+ tax) ¥250 plate er Oyst ! world the rest of

English menus and ma jor credit cards accepted at all locations. www.kanawa.co.jp

Enjoy the best al fresco dining experience in the city, on the Motoyasu riverside, opposite Peace Memorial Park.

High quality Italian cuisine made with locally sourced produce.

Sample Hiroshima's delicious oysters.

Breakfast, lunches, coffee, cocktails and fine dining.

Refresh yourself with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Why not enjoy one of our 10 kinds of delicious gelato by the river?

Weekdays 10:00-22:00 Weekends and holidays 08:00-22:00

A-BOMB DOME

PEACE PARK

u Moyats Bridge

Open from 07:30 every day in August 1-9-21 Otemachi, Naka-ku

Hondor

i

082-247-7471 www.caffeponte.com