GetHiroshima Mag Autumn 2014

BE MORE THAN A TOURIST

Seasonal

Going Out

Visitors

Life

Xmas & New Year Festivals Oysters and nabemono

Dining & Nightlife Events Art

Pull-out maps Sights Transportation

Fashion Sport & Leisure Kids

Carp Crazy

p.46

THE WINTER ISSUE 2014

#

04

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

su Motoya Bridge

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

Hondor

i

082-247-7471 www.caffeponte.com

Peruvian, Spanish & Mexican Food & Drinks Lunches from ¥600 15:00-19:00 Happy hour drinks and tapas ¥350 All-you-can-drink deals From ¥1000 for 60min Any time of day Open Mon-Fri 10:00-23:00 L.O. / Sat, Sun & Hol 11:00-23:00 L.O.

Credit Cards accepted 082-502-7466

Map E P. 29 [C-1] 7

COUPON Show this magazine ad for

FREE CAKE WITH LUNCH 10% OFF DINNER (over ¥1000)

International DJ bar Open till 5am 365 days of the year No cover Sunday-Thursday ¥1000 cover Friday & Saturday (incl 1 drink) Happy Hour ¥350 drinks 18:00-21:00 Music requests OK! No cover for ladies Fridays

Credit cards accepted 082-246-5800

Map D p.28 2

COUPON Show this magazine ad for

FREE ADMISSION ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ¥350 DRINKS UNTIL 12AM ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY

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 at mospher e? Kemby’s has a l l t he bases covered with a great selection of tapas, pasta and Tex Mex, as well as gourmet sausages, seafood and their famous burgers.

Ow ner 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 E p.29 [B-2] 10

Hiroshima Restaurants > KeMBY’s OK!

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

¥ 2 0 0 OF F

CONTENTS Features 06.

07.

08.

09.

18.

22.

Welcome news must see gethiroshima picks kids fashion

JJ Walsh talks with Hiroshima-based designer Charlie Rose

36.

37.

38.

42.

49.

Carp Catch Up art listings events matt's moment

10. Happy New Year!

Your guide to navigating Japan’s most important holiday season.

12. Shrine or Temple?

Study Naomi Leeman’s beautiful visual guide and impress your friends with your knowledge!

14. festival focus

Fire, arrows, demons and fish heads. Thanks to a traditional lunar calendar that won’t be denied, New Year’s celebrations provide plenty to do during the cold winter months.

17. Oysters

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, at this time of year they are everywhere and are some of the best in the world.

19. Snowbound

Escape to the hills for some proper winter fun.

20. okonomiyaki

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

31. Yokogawa

Never been to Yokogawa? You are missing out! Judith Cotelle gives you the inside scoop.

36. Carp Catch Up 23. 8 page pullout city guide maps and languag e

Tim Buthod looks back on the Hiroshima Carp’s 2014 season and to the future. He also revisits the team’s difficult early years.

43. Nabemono

Warm up with hotpots, stews and oden.

44. goto izumi's deep hiroshima Join the masses for some taishu-engeki downtown theatrical fun.

46. Hiroshima People Carp superfans take it to the next level.

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/05

WELCOME Let’s face it, winter isn’t the absolute best time to be in Hiroshima. Night comes on fast and it’s pretty cold, If you are traveling, you’ll probably be sick of seeing photos of people picnicking under cherry blossoms or enjoying festival fun, dressed in flimsy yukata and T-shirts. If you live here, you may be tempted to stay under your kotatsu heated table scoffing mikan oranges until March.

But don’t let the winter months make you SAD. Sure, it may take a little extra effort, but there is plenty to keep you occupied and entertained during the winter months.

December is bonenkai “forget the year party” season when co-workers and friends drive out the woes of the past year with copious amounts of food and drink, making it the liveliest time of the year in Hiroshima’s bars and restaurants. Not here in December? Don’t worry, the whole process is repeated at shinnenkai “New Year parties”. From Christmas and New Year, festivals come thick and fast and, thanks to the lunar calendar, they keep on coming well into February.

Editor-in-chief Paul Walsh

Cover: Potty Photo: Junpei Ishida

正直なところ、冬は全くもって広島に滞在する一番いい季節 もしあなたが旅行中であれば、桜の下でピクニックをしている とか、涼しげな浴衣やTシャツを着て祭りを楽しんでいる人た ちの写真だけを見るのが嫌になっているだろうし、ここに住ん でいるのであれば、３月まで、みかんを食べながらこたつに潜 り込んでいるかもしれません。 でも、冬の季節を悲しまずにいようじゃありませんか。もちろん、 少し努力をしないといけないかもしれません。でも、冬の季節 にも楽しいことがたくさんあります。１２月は、同僚や友だち と目一杯食べて飲んで年忘れに励む「忘年会」シーズンで、 月には広島にいないのですか？大丈夫です、同じことが「新 年会」で繰り返し行われますから。太陰暦のおかげで、クリ スマスから新年にかけて重要な祭りがどんどん行われ、２月 まで続きます。 観光リストのチェックボックスに全てチェックしたい気持ちに なるのは理解できます。でも、もし地元の人が冬にすることを したいということなら、防寒仕様のズボンを用意すること。 なんと言っても、いかに居心地よく暖かくすごすかということ につきます。大きなお鍋を囲んで、たくさんのお酒（またここ でも、ですね）をお互いのグラスに注ぎあいながら、というの が理想です。今号では、その情報が満載です。広島牡蠣と熱 々のシチューは、お好み焼きの代わり（追加でも）に最高です よ。広島駅から西に一駅の「昭和の町」横川は、下町の雰囲気 を多分に残しており、ガード下には個性あふれるバーや食事

Paul Walsh

Illustration Naomi Leeman http://www.naomileeman.com/ Sales, PR and marketing GEC World/GetHiroshima Tomomi Saito Rio Sekimoto Contributors Tim Buthod Judith Cotelle www.jud-hiroshima.com Izumi Goto Naomi Leeman Matt Mangham JJ Walsh Photography Anais et Pedro http://www.anaisetpedro.com/ Judith Cotelle www.jud-hiroshima.com Peter Eberhardt http://peberhardt.net/ Izumi Goto hirofoto Jumpei Ishida Cesar Alexander Mendez Mish Vampiro Photography http://www.mishvampiro.com Morison “Heiniki” http://instagram.com/morison3 Meghan Vandewettering JJ Walsh Katy Weaver Special thanks to Potty and our generous sponsors.

処が並んでいます。冬の季節に「本当の日本」を体験するには 最高の場所です。どれくらい深く潜り込んで行きたいか、私た

Finally, on behalf of the GetHiroshima team, I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to, worked on, picked up, read, downloaded, shared and, of course, sponsored the GetHiroshima Mag in its first year. It’s been a heck of ride and we are looking forward to 2015.

All the best!

Design team NININBAORI http://nininbaori.co.jp/ Art Direction: Judith Cotelle Katsuyoshi Kunimasa Norimitsu Maki Ryouta Kumagai

ではありません。暗くなるのは早いし、かなり寒くなります。

広島のバーやレストランでは一年で一番活気が出ます。１２

While it’s understandable that you might feel obliged to tick off all the sightseeing boxes, if you want to do winter the way the locals do, make sure you have some elasticated pants. It’s all about staying cozy and warm, preferably around a big steaming pot of food and topping up one another’s glasses with (here we go again) copious amounts of drink. In this issue we have you covered. Hiroshima’s oysters and piping hot stews are delicious alternatives (or additions) to okonomiyaki. The “Showa island” of Yokogawa, one stop west of Hiroshima Station, is dripping with downtown shitamachi ambience and is filled with hole-in-the-wall bars and eateries full of colorful characters. It’s the perfect place for a winter trip into “real Japan.” Our guide allows you choose how far down the rabbit hole you want to go.

GetHiroshima Mag Issue 4 December 5, 2014 Circulation 5,000 copies Published quarterly by GEC Next issue March, 2015 Printed by Hiroshima Chuo Printing Co., Ltd. Motoaki Tahara

ちのガイドにお任せください。 最後に、GetHiroshimaチームを代表して、寄稿してくれてい る人、この雑誌を手にとって、読んでくれた人、ダウンロード、 シェアしてくれた人、そしてGetHiroshima Magのスポンサ ーの皆さまに、感謝申し上げます。この１年、素晴らしいもの となりました。２０１５年を楽しみにしています。皆さまのご 多幸を願って。

Find us online www.gethiroshima.com www.facebook.com/GetHiroshima https://www.flickr.com/photos/gethiroshima/sets/ @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

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 06\

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. No content published in Get Hiroshima can be reproduced, republished, retransmitted or redistributed without permission.

NEWS KEMBY’S+ TAPS & TAPAS Budd, who has done his time at several local bars and restaurants, is running the show at the newly opened Kemby’s+ in Tatemachi just off the Hondori shopping arcade. They offer a full drink selection, which includes craft brews on draft and many bottled ales, to compliment tasty tapas for the after work crowd.

Kemby’s+ is open everyday except Wednesday 17:0001:00 - Map D p.28 15

HIROSHIMA’S INDIE CINEMAS CONTINUE TO THRIVE Following their beautiful refit of the old Meigaza Cinema, turning it into boutique theater Hatchoza, Johakyu have resurrected another large downtown cinema abandoned by a major movie production company. In October, Salon Cinema reopened on the 8th floor of the Tokyu Hands building which used to house the Toei Plaza theaters.

HALF PRICE TO MATSUYAMA! Non Japanese customers flash your passports to get half price fares between Matsuyama on Shikoku and Hiroshima or Kure. The deal applies to both “Super Jet” and “Cruise Ferry” departures and is available until March 31.

Once ramshackle Yokogawa Cinema also got a facelift over the summer, and is now back to showing little seen cinematic creations in more comfortable surroundings.

Read more about Yokogawa on page 31.

ILLUMINATIONS Early nights and cold temperatures herald the start of winter illuminations. Peace Boulevard buzzes with people enjoying colorful installations through December and New Year. For a real winter wonderland experience, however, many head out to Bihoku Hillside Park in Shobara. Crisp country air and dark skies make the largest display in the region a spectacular sight.

See page 19 for details.

PRETTY IN PINK, AND WHITE There is plenty to keep one occupied during the winter months and it rarely gets extremely cold in Hiroshima city. But lets’s face it, however we might spin it, by mid February most of us are hankering for a return to riverside picnics. A vibrant harbinger of spring is ume plum blossom. Ume is largely overshadowed by that blockbuster of the blossom world sakura. But in red, white and pink, it is gorgeous. And the beauty of ume is only enhanced by its hardiness. Shukkei-en Garden has a large ume orchard within its grounds and it is just the thing to warm the soul when the bones are chilled.

Shukkei-en Garden holds an ume viewing tea ceremony in mid February, but for the past few years the blossoms have been at their best around the beginning of March.

Hiroshima Dreamination Peace Boulevard and surrounding streets 11/17-1/3 17:30-22:30 Flower and Light Pageant, Hiroshima City Botanical Gardens 11/29 & 30, 12/6 & 7, 12/13 & 14, 12/20 & 21, 12/23 16:30-21:00 (Final admission 20:30) Winter Illuminations, Bihoku Hillside Park, Shobara 11/15-1/12 17:30-21:00 (Final admission 20:00) Closed 12/31, 1/1, 1/5

MORE WIFI. STILL FREE. Hiroshima city has expanded it’s free public WiFi service. Log on for 30 minute sessions at the Peace Museum and a bunch of other public facilities as well as along Hondori arcade and the Urabukuro shopping street.

See our back cover for more details.

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/07

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

08\

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

KAGURA

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 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.

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 in December (except Dec 31) starting at 7pm for ¥1000. http://kagura.tank.jp Or, if you are here over the New Year holiday, there are two days of kagura January 2nd and 3rd at Ueno Gakuen Hall 12:00-17:30 ¥2000, ¥3000 (plus ¥500 on the door)

Futabayama hike

Futabayama view

OUT ON THE TOWN 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.

Toshogu Shrine

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 • Roopali • 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 / Winter 2014

/09

Christmas and New Year in Hiroshima Christmas Cheer After Halloween, shopping centers all over Japan are covered with Christmas decorations and it becomes nigh impossible to avoid the music of the season. Christmas is big here. Kind of. It’s common for families to exchange Christmas presents and tuck into a bucket of KFC, followed by a store bought strawberry shortcake, but this all tends to happen on Christmas Eve. December 24 is also the nation’s hottest date night and restaurants and hotels are packed with amorous couples. At close of business, however, the Santas are replaced with the more subtle Japanese New Year’s decorations and December 25 is a normal workday. This can be

New Year New Year is undoubtedly Japan’s most important - and longest - festival. If, however, you are expecting New York or London style revelry on New Year’s Eve, you will be disappointed. But all is not lost as here in Hiroshima we do have what seems to be a somewhat unusual opportunity to mix the (relatively) raucous with the traditional at one of the city center’s biggest shrines.

New Year’s commemorations begin with the big clean up. Little work is done in offices in the final few days of the year as they are taken up by giving workplaces a deep clean (O-soji) before the holidays. Temples and shrines also make ready for the large numbers of visitors they will receive over the holiday - gravel is raked, trees are trimmed and statues decorated. It is thought

10\

disorientating for displaced Xmas-lovers. Bars and eateries popular with expats are a good bet for a bit of festive spirit. Both Cusco Cafe and Molly Malone’s serve special dinners on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Catholic cathedral in Nobori-cho holds a midnight mass on Christmas Eve and a mass at 10am on Christmas Day. Mitaki Green Chapel usually has a midnight candle service on Christmas Eve.

fortuitous to eat toshi-koshi soba noodles on New Year’s Eve - the long noodles represent long life and we like to combine a stroll through Mitaki Temple with grabbing a soba lunch at the Musashi restaurant at the bottom of the hill near Mitaki Station - don’t leave it too late in the day though, as it’s a popular way to spend the last day of the year.

Another reason to eat early is that you’ll find many restaurants closed on New Year’s Eve. These days, if you find yourself stuck, you can at least buy pre-packaged toshi-koshi soba at convenience stores which don’t taste too bad at all.

A spectacular way to start off your New Year celebrations is to take the boat out to Miyajima to catch the Chinkasai fire festival. Groups of locals carrying huge flaming torches parade between the large stone torii

gate at the end of the shopping street and the entrance to Itsukushima Shrine. It can get quite “hectic” so it’s important to keep your wits about you, though ironically the whole thing is about protecting the island from fire.

The Chinkasai starts at 6pm and is over within an hour or so. With very few places open in which to escape the cold until the crowds begin to arrive to visit the shrine at midnight, you may want to head back into Hiroshima city.

to congregate at Hiroshima’s Gokoku-jinja Shrine, which sits below Hiroshima Castle. As well as paying their respects at the shrine, they hang out at the many yatai food stalls which sell everything from candy apples to oysters, warmed by kerosene stoves and sake until the sun comes up.

While most people are at home with their family or friends watching the annual singing contests, comedy shows and mixed martial arts bouts on TV, a good number of Hiroshima’s nite owls are out at a New Year’s Eve party or barhopping. Clubs and DJ bars tend to be fairly quiet until not long before midnight when they suddenly become thronged for the countdown.

Groups of revellers then tend to move in waves from place to place, until a consensus builds that it’s time for hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year.

Hatsumode is generally a quiet, family affair, but in the hours before dawn on January 1st, all of the city’s club goers, bar staff, hostesses and hosts seem

From midnight to morning, just about every shrine has a line of people waiting to wish for good fortune for the coming year, and they will remain busy over the coming days. There are a string of shrines and temples near Hiroshima Station built by former clan leaders to protect the kimon through which it was thought misfortune would attack the castle town. The well-signposted Futaba-no-sato Walk of History (p.29) links them together and are a pleasant stroll at anytime of the year, it is particularly atmospheric after midnight on New Year’s Eve and during the first few days of the new year.

It makes a great hike when combined with a walk up to the Peace Pagoda.

Joya-no-kane Buddhist temples ring in the new year with 108 chimes on the temple bell - 107 in the final minutes of the old year and once after the stroke of midnight. In Hiroshima city the public are welcome to ring the bell once the ritual has been completed at Fudoin Temple.

Senkoji Temple in Onomichi also performs the ritual, the bell of which produces one of Japan’s “top 100 sounds”.

5 Firsts of New Year Hatsumode 初詣 The first shrine visit of the year Hatsuhinode 初日の出 The first sunrise of the new year. You’ll find cars parked up on the top of many hills in the area, but the summit of Mt Misen is a popular place to view the sunrise. Be warned though, it can get very cold and you should take flashlights for the walk up.

Hatsuyume 初夢 The first dream of the new year, usually on the night of January 1 as so many people stay up all the night on New Year’s Eve. It is thought to be particularly auspicious to dream of Mt Fuji, hawks and eggplants!

Hatsuuri 初売り Most stores now open for new year bargain sales on January 2nd (some even open on the once sacred January 1st) and offer fuku-bukuro lucky dip bags.

Kakizome 書き初め The first writing of calligraphy. Why not have a go at writing your favorite kanji character on a postcard and sending it to a friend or loved one?

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/11

Shrine or Temple?

No matter how long you’ve been in Japan, you’ve probably noticed a seemingly endless number of beautifully intricate shrines and temples. But what is the difference, and how do you tell which one is which? The most basic distinction is this: shrines (神社 or jinja) are places of worship in the Shinto faith, and temples (お寺 or o-tera) are Buddhist places of worship. In Japan the two religions exist in harmony; they are not mutually exclusive and most Japanese people practice

traditions of both Shinto and Buddhism, depending on the occasion. In general, Shinto traditions center on life, while Buddhist traditions deal with death. There is about one temple for every 500 homes and one shrine for every 1000 homes and they range in size from sprawling multi-building complexes to tiny structures tucked in a remote corner of the forest.

Words/Illustrations by Naomi Leeman (naomileeman.com)

お寺

from t to Japan was brough y .

Buddhism Korea in the 6th centur ADist dh China and is a place to pray to Bud and e The templ salvation, to meditate ed see sacr deities for ou will also e temple, Y n. ze ce ti ac at th

E S T E M P L

pr lay jects on disp tional Buddhist ob atues or representa such as st

a worship at uddha. To ng e B ri th fe of of remains s into the join e some coin temple, plac e sticks of incense, s r’ re ea th Y ht ew lig n N box, and pray. O times your hands e bell is rung 108 sires templ Eve, the ative of the 108 worldly de sins of nt le se (repre e the peop ) to cleans of Buddhism ar. ye st pa the commited in

Buddha

sanmon

cemeteries

bells

MITAKI-D pagodas

rners incense bu

ERA

神社 S H R I N E S

According to around 66 Japanese mythology, 0 BC and Shinto was founde the indigenous d religion pe rituals and beliefs rs of the ist throug Shrines, unique ho ut to ap J an Japan, are th “kami”, the today. e dw hint People visit sShr o gods, of which there ellings of the ines to pa are hundre pray for go ds. od fortune y respect to the kam . When vi wash your siting a s i and to hands and hrine, rins then make your way to e your mouth at the te first m the main s toss a ye n co anctuary w izuya, here you rope to sum in into the offering box, pull th mon the de e ity, clap yo say a pray ur hands tw large er. ice, and

shimenawa & shide

omikuji temizuya

torii ema komainu

Shrines and temples host a myriad of events around the New Year and into the first weeks of January. Some of our favorites New Year’s events are listed here, but be sure to check out 14 & 15 and www.gethiroshima.com/ events/ for more.

• Dec. 31: Chinkasai Fire Festival on Miyajima • Jan. 1-5: Visit Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima to see a traditional Japanese dance performance • Jan. 15: Tondo Matsuri at Gokoku Shrine next to the Hiroshima Castle

winter Festivals Tondo とんど Most shrines that attract more than a modicum of devotees have omamori amulets and omikuji fortunes on offer for a small fee. At New Year, however, the product range explodes and there are all kinds of objects on offer to get the local kami gods on your side to secure good health and bring good fortune over the coming year. You may wonder what happens to all all those arrows, rakes, daruma the expiry date of which passes with the ringing in of the new year.

Here in Hiroshima and the surrounding region, after a year of luck-giving, they go up in flames on spectacular tondo bonfires around the second weekend of January.

As people make their hatsumode first shrine visits of the year, you will notice many carrying bags from which protrude flights of hamaya “demon-breaking” arrows thought to ward off misfortune and attract good luck.

These hamaya, along with other decorative talismans, are placed in large piles, cardboard boxes and skips within the shrine grounds as people enter to pray and purchase replacements for the coming year. A couple of weeks after New Year, at ko-shogatsu (literally “small new year”) which coincides with the Lunar New Year, the lucky charms are blessed and burnt on bonfires that range from just over head-height to giant towers as high as a house. For most people tondo brings the extended new year holidays to a close and also serves to see off the deities that have visited over the break back to the heavens.

Tondo matsuri are held in the grounds of many of the larger shrines and in public spaces, such as schoolyards and along Hiroshima’s wide river banks. Local communities gather and roast mochi rice cakes and warm sake over the flames.

Miyajima tondo photo © www.peberhardt.net

14\

These fires can be quite large and are especially exciting at the moment the bamboo constructions packed with votive goods catch alight. The powerful crackling and popping sounds can be heard from quite far away. Your clothes may well smell of burnt offerings and charred bamboo when you leave, but the smoke is supposed to provide good luck.

It is not uncommon for rice cakes to be roasted over the flames. Some festival-goers bring their own mochi to roast, but you are likely to be given some to roast if you go empty handed. Some shrines pass warm sake round, others offer zenzai sweet bean soup – a real treat with roasted mochi cakes on a cold winter day.

Tondo is usually a local affair, but no one is likely to feel out of place at Gokoku-jinja Shrine’s annual tondo, always held on January 15 (whatever day of the week that falls on). The tondo at Sorazaya Shrine is also pretty accessible. But show up at most places and it’s unlikely to be long before a jolly geezer offers you some sake!

Photos: 1- Notohondo Tondo, Fukuyama, 2- Miyajima, 3- Toushougu Shrine, Hiroshima, 4- Sanba Tondo, Onomichi, 5- People rosting mochi cakes on the bonfire, 6 - Tondo in Waseda.

Jan 11 12:00 Sanba Tondo, Onomichi Jan 11 about 13:00 Sorasaya-jinja Shrine Jan 11 about 14:00 Notohara Tondo, Fukuyama Jan 12 about 9:00 Toshogu Shrine Jan 14 16:00 Tsuruhane-jinja Shrine Jan 14 about 18:00 Waseda-jinja Shrine Jan 14 18:30 Nigitsu-jinja Shrine Jan 14 Itsukushima-jinja Shrine, Miyajima Jan 15 about 07:00 Misasa-jinja Shrine January 15 10:00 Gokoku-jinja Shrine See map p.26 to find the shrines within the city limits.

Setsubun 節分 FEB 3 Temperatures in early February make it hard to believe, but Setsubun marks the coming of spring. On February 3, people don demon masks and scare the life out of little kids, throw beans to cast out misfortune, eat giant sushi rolls, spear stinky fish heads, and fight for lucky bags of snacks.

Setsubun rites are carried out at both Buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines. In this region, most notably at Daishoin Temple on Miyajima, Gokoku-jinja Temple in the center of Hiroshima and at Saikoku-ji Temple in Onomichi where local notables throw beans, snacks and occasionally small gifts to gathered crowds. DIY setsubun kits, complete with demon masks and packs of dried soy beans can be bought at supermarkets and convenience stores. Draws straws and throw the beans at the “demon” shouting Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi! (“Out with the demons and in with the luck!”. For extra good health and fortune, eat as many beans as your age plus one. The chomping down of long ehomaki sushi rolls in one go while facing the year’s lucky direction (just to the right of west-southwest in 2015) might be a Kansai import, recently popularized by convenience stores, but it can be fun and makes for a cheap meal. While out and about, keep your eye out for doorways garnished with sardine heads speared by holly sticks.

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/15

Momote-sai 百手祭 1/20 miyajima

The bow and arrow has a strong presence in Shinto ritual. Their roles are many and varied. Commonly a means of driving away evil and divining the future, they sometimes are also related to warrior tradition. In the early months of the year, ritual shooting of arrows can be seen around Japan and at several places in the Hiroshima area. Gokoku Shrine’s setsubun rites include shooting at a target with an oni demon painted on it, and the Momote-sai on Miyajima is all about the arrows.

The Momote-sai is held at Ōmoto Shrine every year on January 20 and is said to symbolize a determination to live the year free of conflict. Located in Ōmoto Park, only about 10 minutes walk west of Itsukushima Shrine, Ōmoto Shrine, predates Taira Kiyomori’s 12th century expansion of Miyajima’s floating shrine by several hundred years. Of a far more subdued design than its famous neighbor, and set among towering momi fir trees, the location is very atmospheric.

16\

Things start from around 11am, with various rituals within the shrine performed by a number of Shinto priests. One priest (the archer) accompanied by another acting as arrow bearer then steps out into the precinct and, watched by the gathered onlookers, “fires” arrows in the directions of heaven, the earth, left and right.

He then lets four arrows fly at a target, which has three characters painted on its reverse side, combined to resemble the character 鬼 oni (demon). The initial ritual firing is then repeated, after which onlookers line up to receive shrine blessings and cups of sacred sake.

A dish called hohan is also served. A meal of rice topped with various, carefully arranged, boiled vegetables and soup, similar to food that soldiers in the warring states period would have once eaten. The event ends on a fun note when the arrows used in the ritual are given out to lucky visitors chosen by the drawing of lots.

The Momote-sai is held every year on January 20 at Ōmoto Shrine on Miyajima, starting at 11am.

Oysters 牡蠣

Dote-nabe

Oysters are divisive. Fans salivate at the very thought of them. For others, the mere sight of an oyster has them feeling queasy. Whether in the former group, or just bivalve curious, Hiroshima is the place to be and this is the time to be here. Hiroshima’s oysters are big, juicy and, in the winter months, they are everywhere.

Kanawa, a company with a 140 year history, is rightly proud of the quality of its oysters, farmed in deep, cold waters off an uninhabited island in the Inland Sea. Any diner here is unlikely to leave disappointed. Lunch or dinner on their refitted oyster boat 13 just south of Peace Memorial Park is highly recommended for gourmands looking to sample the full range of kaki-ryori oyster cuisine. Reservations are recommended for the boat.

Their Hiroshima Station location 11 is more casual, and you shouldn’t have difficulty getting a table. Kanawa also offers other excellent seafood and meat dishes too.

Kaki -furai (fried oysters)

The keen but tentative might like to start off by trying oysters deep fried. During the season, they are available in many eateries, served with tartar sauce or simply dressed with a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy them piping hot! If that puts you in the mood for more, move up to grilled oysters served on the shell - you’ll see these at many winter festivals and they are served throughout the year from windows along Miyajima’s main shopping street year round.

Raw, grilled and fried are, however, just the tip of the iceberg. To explore kaki-ryori to the max, treat yourself to one of Kanawa’s full course dinners, or, wrap up warm and hit one of the oyster festivals held along the coast just about every weekend during January and February.

Miyajima’s oyster festival (Feb 14-15) is probably the most accessible and can be combined with visiting some of the island’s many other attractions. The long

Kaki -gohan

lines move fast, the oysters are top notch and on offer at great prices.

For a more modern flavor, how about beginning a journey at Kanawa’s oyster bar, Kaki Meian 12 in the Hiroshima Station building, where raw oysters can be paired with a range of wines or champagne. Another place, close to the city center, to compare oysters from Hiroshima and around the world is the relaxed, but stylish, Le Trouvère which also boasts a fine wine list. The Inland Sea meets the Mediterranean at Caffe Ponte 4 across from Peace Memorial Park, which offers delicious Europe influenced dishes featuring local oysters.

Kaki -udon

Kanawa’s full course dinner / Oyster farm in Miyajima

Grilled oysters at Miyajima ‘s oyster festival

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/17

Kid’s Page Family Fun in the Winter Months Most days may be cold, but Hiroshima is usually blessed with mild wintry days and many blue sunny skies to enjoy - so wrap up and there is plenty for families to enjoy this season.

Senda-machi. It’s only ¥160 on a tram no matter how far you go within the city (half price for kids under 12).

In front of the neighboring Madam Joy supermarket is a retired classic tram on display. If you need a run around, from here, head north to Higashi Senda-park which hosts a monthly flea market, or west to Senda-park (next to Naka-ku sports center), which has space to kick around, playgrounds and long roller slides.

Astram Monorail Adventure

As many visitors with children feel the need to unwind after the intensity of the museum in Peace Park, seek out the International Exchange Lounge (museum complex left side). This facility has a free-access library collection of interesting English books and magazines on a variety of topics, maps, magazines and information about guides and cultural activities in Hiroshima.

Hiroshima City Transportation Museum has lots of models and simulation activities for transportation buffs, and kids will especially love the pedal-powered omoshiroi-jitensha funky conveyances to ride around a track in the back. Admission Adult ¥510 Kids ¥250.

Omoshiroi-jitensha ¥100/30min.

If you are excited by Japanese shinkansen bullet trains, you can buy a nyuujouken [入場券] platform ticket for ¥140 to access the platforms to watch the long-nosed speeders whizz in and out of Hiroshima’s Shinkansen Station - just remember to stay behind the yellow lines. If you prefer the old-fashioned charm of the shiden city trams, hitch a ride on a classic model (or new modern ‘Green Mover’) to the tram depot in

A 10-minute walk from Hiroshima station will take you to Hijiyama, a great hillside park. Take the Sky Walk escalator to the top to find forest paths, good city views, playgrounds, art sculptures and the manga library. The Contemporary Art Museum offers fantastic modern art exhibits and kids 15 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. The Manga Library has 100,000 manga to browse and a few manga and comics in English. Interesting to check out the English version of Hiroshima’s famous (though occasionally graphic) Barefoot Gen series depicting the life of a young boy who survives the war and A-bomb.

Peace Park

Hop on the Astram monorail for some family fun. Sit up front near the driver to watch driving precision in action. Get off at Big Wave for ice-skating, or famous nearby Fudoin temple, or continue on for about 30 min to the Asa Zoo (Kamiyasu) or the Transportation Museum (Chorakuji).

Trainspotters love Hiroshima

Hijiyama Park, Modern Art and Manga Library

Miyajima 宮島

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.

Many cosy cafes offer warmth on a wintry day on this famous island in and around the main Omotesando shopping street. Kids also love the cable car ride up to the top of Mt. Misen and exploring among the huge boulders around the summit. It’s also fun to check out the aquarium. And don’t miss the hundreds of stone jizo statues at Daisho-in Temple and the dark tunnel to enlightenment under the main building.

TIPS

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

Peace City Scavenger Hunt Can you find all ten?!

Find a gacha-gacha toy machine 20pts (find a toy poo for a bonus 50pts / golden poo toy + 100pts) A street artist, juggler, singer or musician 20pts Hiroshima’s A-bombed (surviving) trees 15 pts each New Year’s shime-kazari straw wreath decoration - 20pts (with a mikan orange add +10)

18\

Stone Jizo statue wearing a red beanie and bib 5pts each Koi (carp) fish 10pts each (golden or black koi + 50pts each) Wheely-treats: food cart vendors 20pts each Stamp rally station (in entrance halls in museums) 5 pts each

River Taxi, sightseeing boat, ferry or water craft 10 pts each Take a photo with Potty (see page 46) 1000 pts!!

TOTAL:

Snowbound Hiroshima city gets very little snow these days. If you do happen to wake up here on one of the rare mornings when enough of the white stuff manages to cling to tree branches, roofs and walkways, we recommend hustling over to Shukkei-en Garden which looks lovely dusted with snow. Don’t hit snooze though. Any snow is usually gone before lunchtime.

Megahira is the closest ski area, only 45 minutes drive from the city center. As well as ski slopes and a kids sledding area, Megahira also has a great onsen hot spring. Bathing here is mixed and bathing suits are required, making it a good choice for the bashful and for families. Soaking outdoors in a hollowed out 45,000 year old tree stump shipped all the way from New Zealand is also kind of cool.

Special ski buses run to Megahira and other ski resorts from Hiroshima Station daily. Reservations are usually required 3 days in advance and buses leave around 7am-8am, returning late afternoon.

World Igloo Building Championships (February 8) Leaving aside why this tournament is held in Hiroshima (and that most of the competitors are from Japan), this is a really fun event and probably the best chance most of us will ever have to vie for a world championship. Applications for the speed building and creative divisions open December 1 and the ¥5000/team entry fee includes a return bus from Hiroshima Station. http://wica.jp/

City Center Skating Hiroshima’s Olympic-sized “Big Wave” swimming pool is turned into an ice rink until April 20. It’s a little pricey at ¥1560 for adults and ¥930 for kids (plus ¥300 for skates), but they do have boots up to 30cm in size!

They tend to give you figure skating boots which can be a bit tricky to use, so you might want to request a pair of hockey skates.

Travel north, beyond the mountains that circle the city, and it’s a different story. In the areas of the Chugoku mountains where Hiroshima meets neighboring Shimane prefecture are ample opportunities to experience some winter wonder. Japan’s most southerly ski fields may not compare with the powder paradise of northern Japan, but hit them after a decent dump on a weekday, and you can have lots of relatively crowd-free fun on skis or a board.

A warm welcome awaits in Hiroshima’s winter wonderland

Shobara IC Miyoshi IC

♦ Countdown to switch on every day at 17:30 Ha

♦ Illuminations & Fireworks Sundays in December

ma

da

Ex

py

(12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28) 19:30~ (200 fireworks in 5 minutes)

Takata IC

Chiyoda IC

Chiyoda JCT

HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE

Hiroshima Kita IC

Access: 90 min from Hiroshima to Chugoku Expressway Shobara IC then 5 min to Park North Entrance or 10 min to Park Central Entrance.

Hir os

him

a

Ex

py

Hiroshima Kita JCT

Bihoku Park Office: 4-10 Mikkaichi-cho Shobara City, Hiroshima Pref. 727-0021 Tel: 0824-72-7000 http://www.bihoku-park.go.jp

u

ok

ug

Ch

Hiroshima IC

Sanyo Exp

KOKUEI BIHOKU KYURYOKOEN

KOKUEI BIHOKU KYURYOKOEN

y

p Ex

y

Hiroshima

54

Hiroshima JCT

17:30~21:00 (Final park admission 20:00)

Park closed December 31 (Wed), January 1 (Thurs) and January 5 (Mon)

2

Hiroshima

Visitors coming by car please take care inAirport icy and snowy e Lin

2

in conditions.

Ma Please check road conditions before departure. o ny

Sa

Large crowds are expected, please be careful of your footing in dark areas of the park. All info correct as of November 2014. ure Line

Kure Line

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

O F T H TO P E TO P PI 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Extra ne gi chop ped gre en onio Cheese ns Mochi ri

ce cake ried dri ed squid Shiso pe rilla lea f Ikaten F

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 C p.28 16

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 E p.29 [B-1] 17

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 C p.28 28

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

Dried fish powder

Batter

FASHION

Pretty in Punk “LoveLove”

by Charlie Rose

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Charlie Rose has been living, working and designing in Hiroshima for the past year. She says her love for design and clothing started when she was a child playing with dolls, and you can see evidence of that early inspiration in her designs. Charlie works in a handmade bridal dress shop and helps make ends meet teaching English. In her free time she creates “wearable art.” Her latest collection features pretty, floral and youthful designs with hints of the baby doll motifs of her previous works.

Find out more about Charlie and her latest projects on her Facebook Page www.facebook.com/charlieroselovelove/ or pick up a Charlie Rose original from her Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/CharlieRoseLoveLove

as unise x colSome of her earlier designs were create d sharing with enjoy to es coupl gay or ht straig for lections n.

Orego each other. Photo s by Katy Weav er, Red Dress for AIDS awareness fashion show.

LoveL ove pretty floral collec tion photo s by Alexan der Mendez in Hiroshima city

BabyD oll linger ie collec tion. Photo by Katy Oregon.

22\

Weav er,

Cesar

Photo credits: BabyDoll photos & Unisex clothing photos by Katy Weaver [Oregon] http://www.katyweaver.com/ Hiroshima Pretty in Punk photos by Cesar Alexander Mendez www.facebook.com/calexfotobook Red Dress (for AIDS awareness) Photo by Meghan Vandewettering Hiroshima Models: Ayame Yamamoto & Kristin Davis http://www.hellosaturn.com/

Pullout Guide

BE MORE THAN A TOURIST

A language

B CITY MAP

C station area

D namiki / nagarekawa area E city center

f getting around HIROSHIMA

←Iwakuni

UJINA

←Kyushu

NINOSHIMA

Takehara→ Onomichi→ Osaka→

KURE

MIYAJIMA ETAJIMA

A language GREETINGS

WINTER SHOPPING

Have a good New Year yoi o-toshi o よいお年を (in the last week or two of the year) Happy New Year akemashite omedetou gozaimasu あけましておめでとうございます It’s cold, isn’t it? samui desu ne (bari samui ne - local dialect) 寒いですね (ばり寒いね)

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

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 Would you call …. for me? … ni denwa shite moraemasen ka? …に（代わりに）電話してもらえませんか？

AT THE ONSEN men’s bath otoko-yu 男湯 women’s bath onna-yu 女湯 open-air bath roten-buro 露天風呂 open-air foot spa ashi-yu 足湯 soap sekken 石けん Can I use this onsen if I have a tattoo? tattoo ga arimasu ga, koko no onsen ni hairemasu ka? タトゥーがありますが、ここの温泉に入れますか？ Can I use this onsen if I cover my tattoo? tattoo o kakushitara, koko no onsen ni hairemasu ka? タトゥーを隠したら、ここの温泉に入れますか？

SOCIALIZING 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) kakko ii! かっこいい！ Let’s take a selfie together serufii o torimasho セルフィーを撮りましょう Do you mind if I speak to you in English? eigo de hanashite mo ii desu ka? 英語で話してもいいですか？ How are you spending Christmas Eve? kurisumasu ibu wa, dou yatte sugoshimasu ka? クリスマスイブは、どうやって すごしますか？ How about we…? Issho-ni … wa dou? いっしょに…はどう？ ...go out for something to eat gohan o tabe-ni iku ごはんをたべに行く ...share some convenience store oden konbini no oden o wakeru コンビニのおでんを分ける ...take a stroll through the illuminations irumineeshon o mi-ni iku イルミネーションを見に行く ...go to a show at Shimizu Gekijo shimizu gekijo e shoo o mi-ni iku 清水劇場へショーを見に行く

24\

Please kudasai ください Please (do me this favor) onegaishimasu お願いします Thank you arigato ありがとう Where’s a good place to …? ...ni wa doko ga ii desu ka? ..するにわどこがいいですか？ ...buy thermal underwear ho-on inaa o kau 保温インナーを買う ...buy heat pouches kairo o kau カイロを買う ...buy throat lozenges nodo-ame o kau のど飴を買う Thank you arigato ありがとう 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。 Can I have … more? mo …. kudasai も...ください

NUMBERS 1 2 3 4 5

ichi 一 ni 二 san 三 shi (yon) 四 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 (To call the waiter / waitress) sumimasen! すみません！ We’ll start with a draft beer toriaezu nama biiru kudasai とりあえず生ビール下さい On second thought, I feel a cold coming on so I’ll have some local sake Yappari kazegimi nanode jizake ni shimasu やっぱり風邪気味なので地酒にします I’ll have another one mou ippai もういっぱい / Cheers! kampai! 乾杯！ Hot sake atsukan 熱燗 Cold sake hiyazake 冷や酒 What do you recommend? osusume wa nan desu ka? おすすめはなんです か？ I can’t eat … … o taberemasen ...を食べれません。 That’s really delicious! sugoku oishii (Hiroshima dialect: bari umai!) すごくお いしい！ I can’t eat 〜. 〜 taberu-koto ga dekimasen ○○たべることが、できません。 wheat 小麦 (komugi) / meat 肉類 (niku-rui) pork 豚肉 (buta-niku) / nuts ナッ ツ(nattsu) / fish 魚(sakana) / eggs 卵 (tamago) / allergy アレルギー (allelugi) / seafood 魚介類 (gyokai-rui) / dairy products 乳製品 (nyuseihin) / soy 大豆製 品 (daizu-seihin) That’s really delicious! sugoku oishii (Hiroshima dialect: bari umai!) すごくお いしい！ What's the most popular (food) here? ichiban ninkina tabemono wa nan desu ka 一番人気な食べ物は何ですか Do you have any seasonal specialties? kisetsu no ryouri arimasu ka? 季節の 料理ありますか

List of places CULTURE

22 23 24

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

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

25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33

NIGHTLIFE 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

45bis “Awa“ - Map E [C-2] Barcos - Map D Bar Edge - Map D Bon Voyage - Map D Cafe Spice - Map D Chinatown - Map D Centre Point - Map D Ekimae Chelsea Drinks - Map C Enjoint Bar Cover - Map D Kemby’s - Map E [B-2] Koba - Map D La Luna - Map D Mac - Map D Mambos - Map D Molly Malone’s - Map D New King - Map D Southern Cross - Map D The Shack Bar and Grill - Map D Tropical Bar Revolución - Map D

RESTAUR ANT & CAFES SHOPPING 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

45 quarante-cinq -Map D Artcafe ELK - Map E [B-1] Cafe Cinnamon - Map E [A-2] Caffe Ponte - Map E [B-1] Chamonix Mont Blanc - Map D Choi Choi Ya - Map D Cusco Cafe - Map E [C-1] Galley - Map D Graffity Mexican Diner - Map E [C-2] Kanak - Map E [B-2] Kanawa ASSE - Map C Kanawa Kaki Meian - Map C Kanawa Oyster Boat - Map E [B-2] Karşiyaka - Map E [B-2] Kemby’s+ Taps & Tapas - Map D Mokuren Okonomiyaki & Teppanyaki - Map C Nagataya Okonomiyaki - Map E [B-1] Namaste Hiroshima Station - Map C Ninnikuya Manao - Map D Organ-za - Map E [A-1] Otis! - Map E [A-2]

INTERNE T

1 2 3

1 2 3 4

IACE Travel - Map E [B-1] Outsider Book Nook / Global Lounge - Map E [C-1] Travel With - Map D Yamatoya - Map D

Global Lounge - Map E [C-1] Popeye Media Cafe Ebisu-dori - Map D Popeye Media Cafe Hondori - Map E [C-1]

NABEMONO 1 2

6

ACCOMODATION

Pasta La Vista - Map E [B-2] Plus Minus - Map D Porta Porte - Map D Robatayaki Jindaiko - Map D Rojiura Teppan Kotaro - Map E [C-3] Roopali - Map C Sarii-chan Okonomiyaki - Map C Sprout - Map E [A-1] Tinto - Map E [B-2] Tokaichi Apartment - Map E [A-1] Warung Matahari - Map E [B-3] Zucchini: bar and cucina - Map E [B-1]

Nikuno Masui - Map E [C-1] Tanuki - map D

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

HE ALTH & BE AUT Y

1 2 3 4

Cleo Hair International - Map E [B-1] Family Pool - Map E [B-1] (Open July - August) Green Arena Gym & Pool - Map E [B-1] Laff Hair Design - Map E [B-1]

Map C: p.28 Map D: p. 28 Map E: p.29

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/25

A

Mitaki-dera Temple

B

C

B City map MISASAKITAMACHI

MITAKIHONMACHI

1

OSHIBAKOEN

OSHIBA

OSHIBA PARK “Koutsuu Traffic Land”

JR MITAKI STATION

Mit

ak

iba

sh

i

Ota gaw a-h (dr osu ain age iro can al)

MITAKIMACHI

MISASAMACHI

Ry

uo

oh

Gion S

a-

KUSUNOKICHO

as

hi

Kabe

Misasa Shrine

UCHIKOSHICHO

ba

Kit

Highw ay

ine

eL

hind

b Ka

o

RYUO PARK

sh

Hakushima

i

RYUOCHO

JR YOKOGAWA STATION

in Line

Sanyo Ma

Yokogawa-eki

inkansen

Sanyo Sh

2

HAKUSHIMA KITAMACHI

YOKAGAWACHO

San

yo

YOKAGAWASHINMACHI

YAMATECHO

Ma

in L

M

isa

sa

ba

ine

Sa

sh

ny

i

NISHI HAKUSHIMACHO

Yokogawa-1chome

oS

h

Sh Yokogin aw bashi a

aw nm

TERAMACHI HIROSE KITAMACHI

dori

Tera-machi

Outdoor Family Pool Open July-August

e

NISHITOKAICHIMACHI

Aioi-d

MIYAKOMACHI

Legal Administration Office Cinematographic and Audio-visual Library

TOKAICHIMACHI

achi-

ori Hiros eb

dori

KAMITENMACHO

Sorasaya Inao Shrine

SORAZAYA PARK

HIROSEMACHI

FUKUSHIMACHO

Tera m

ashi

Aioib

ashi

Nishi-Kannon-machi

tag

Ho n

Hirode Tenm n a bashi

Dobashi

OTEMACHI

Ho nk bas awa hi

DOBASHICHO

ori

PEACE PARK

Tsuchiya Hospital

HIGASHIKANNONMACHI

Rou

te 2

(Ko

kud

A on

i-se

neh

ash

i

Funairi-machi

o)

Kan Shin non bas

h

Bunka Koryu Kaikan

Na Kan kajima zakib ash i

FUNAIRI NAKAMACHI

n-g

Heiw

B

Aster Plaza Kozaki Primary School

Ebis red

KAKOMACHI

ashi H

OTEMACHI PARK 2

nsha

-do

u-do

arca

de)

M Labi

ri

E

HORIKA

Bu

PARCO

Hiroshima Information Plaza

Heiw

a-o-

H

SEIBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

OTEMACHI

H

/ De

Former ALICE SHINTEN Bank of FUKUROMACHI GARDEN Japan Don Fukuromachi FUKUROMACHI Fukuro-machi SHINTENCHI Quijotte Primary PARK PARK School H H H NAKAMACHI Shirakami Shrine Crystal Plaza H MIKAWACHO NAGAREKAW H

a-oh

NAKAJIMACHO

Tokyu Hands

Fukuya

iki-d

KAWARAMACHI Mifu

TATEMACHI

ori

FUNAIRIMACHI

dori

Nam

Tenm

4

Kannon Primary School

Aioi-

HONDORI

a Motoy asugaw

agaw a

NISHIKANNONMACHI

OTEMACHI PARK 1 H

KAMIYACHO

Mitsubishi Tokyo Hondo ri (c UFJ Bank 4F ove

Rijo-d

i or Ku

ko

-d

o-dori

HATCHOBORI Tate-machi

Hiroshima Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Bank

Hondori

Heiwa-

Midor ohas i hi

Kamiya-cho Higashi

Kamiya-cho Nishi Mizuho Bank Rijo Kaikan Sun Mall

yasu Moto shi ba

HONKAWA PARK

KOAMICHO

Prefectural Office (Kencho)

SOGO

(Ky u-o

HONKAWACHO

Koami-cho

KANNONMACHI

26\

Honkawa Primary School

NEKOYACHO

SAKAIMACHI

aw

a)

Hiroshima Naka Post Office

Jogakuin

KYUGUCHIMON PARK Chuo Police Station Chokaku YMCA Templ Prefectural Office East Office Momiji Bank

Kencho-mae

Bus Center (3F)

Genbaku Dome-mae

wa

Tenm bash a i

TENMACHO

ri

Hiroshima Municipal Hospital

H

ka

Tenma-cho Fukushima-cho

n-do

HANOVER PARK

Honkawa-cho

ENOMACHI PARK

H

Jona

Tennis courts

HONKAWACHO

Tokaichi-machi

ENOMACHI

Kannon-machi

Immigra Offic

wa

ori o-d ahir

3

KAMIHATCHOBO

Gokoku-jinja Shrine

Sorazayabashi

Hirose Primary School

Nak

OGAWACHIMACHI

Gokoku Shrine

CHUO PARK

Nakahir o ohashi

Chuden-mae H

C KOMACHI

H Hiroshima Chuo Post Office

dori

/ Pe

ace

H

Blvd

/ Hy

aku

reka

Jonan-

Hiroshima Castle

Motomachi Primary School

HIROSEKITA PARK

Naga

e4

-dori

out

ori

yR

Hakushima Primary School

Enryuji Temple (Tokasan)

TA H

mete

Jizo-d

wa

ri

do

ess

HA

-do

Shin

xpr

Gion

aE

MOTOMACHI

Te

im

Betsuin-mae

ag

NAKAHIROMACHI

osh

oku

Motomachi Senior High School

a

hi

as

eb

Hir

Joh

Johoku

Chuo

at

m

Ya Nakahiro Junior High School

r-do

ro

FUJIMICHO Kokutaiji

-d

ae

D

Fudo-in Temple

E

F

MT. USHITA

Nittsuji Temple

Big Wave Skate Rink

1

MT. MITATE

Ushita SHIN USHITA PARK

USHITA PARK

Kohei bash

i

Supermarket Post Office Hiroshima Tourist Info Jogakuin University 짜100 Bicycle Parking Public Bath Airport Bus Meipuru~pu bus Hotel

Waseda Shrine USHITAASAHI Ushita Primary School

USHITAWASEDA

H

Hiroden Streetcar Astram Line Monorail Covered arcade Foreign Currency Exchange International ATM Play area Hiroshima Free Wi-Fi Futaba-no-sato walk

USHITAHONMACHI

USHITANAKA

ta hi hi Us bas o

2

ab

as

hi

HAKUSHIMA NAKAMACHI PARK

Ka

nd

HAKUSHIMA NAKAMACHI

Kyo bas

HAKUSHIMA Ikari Shrine KUKENCHO

USHITHIGASHI

higa

hin

kan

wa

sen

USHITAMINAMI

Nigitsu Shrine

Peace Pagoda

Kinko Inari Shrine

HIGASHI AKUSHIMACHO

Onaga Tenmangu Shrine

MT. FUTABAYAMA

Myojoin Temple

MT. ONAGA

Tsuruhane Shrine

Hakushima

To

kiw

Teishin Hospital

ab

YAGAMACHI

Toshogu Shrine

as

hi

Kokuzenji Temple

HIKARIGAOKA

Shokoji Temple

FUTABANOSATO Detention Center

ORI

YAMANECHO

Tetsudo Hospital

ation ce

HIKARIMACHI H

Fu

SHUKKEIEN GARDEN

ta

ba

KAMIOSUGACHO

-d

Futaba Junior High School

or

i

Jogakuin Junior High School

n-mae

Jogakuin High School

KAMINOBORICHO

ri

OSUGACHO Jo

H

HASHIMOTOCHO PARK H

Inari-machi

Inarioha

shi

Matoba-cho

H

H Yanagibashi

-dori

ori

Ak

eb

HIGASHIKANIYACHO

i ash

b

Sanyo

ori

HIGASHIKOJINMACHI

H

Sa

ny

H

oM

ain

Lin

HIRATSUKA PARK

e Geibi Line

MAZDA ZOOM ZOOM STADIUM

Ozu

COSTCO

-do

ri

aba

am a-

do

shi

ri

Danbara-1chome

DANBARA

E

higawa

D

HIGASHIHIRATSUKACHO

Kyobas

H

ri

nsen

i

jiy

NISHIHIRATSUKACHO

ANAKAMACHI

do

Shinka

sh

a ob

ish

Ta

MATSUGAWA PARK

o-

ONAGAHIGASHI

NISHIKANIYA

Hiroshima Mall

MATOBACHO

Hi

hi hi as bas Hig ima h os Hir

YAYOICHO

on

NISHIKOJINMACHI

MINAMIKANIYA

nbori Yage

ONAGANISHI

ATAGOMACHI

o-d

bon

Ake

jin

ae-d

KANAYAMACHO

ri

a-do

KOJINMACHI

Ko

INARIMACHI

YAGENBORI

WACHO

bas Enko

a

-dori

H

H

ENKOBASHICHO Enkobashi-cho

hi

H

H

c

MATSUBARACHO

H

d

dan

Hiroshima Bank

aw kog

Momiji Bank

AWACHO

Fukuya

En

EBISUCHO

Hiroshima Station

Kyobashi

H H Kanayama-cho Hiroshima Bank

WAKAKUSACHO

H

Ekim

Ebisu-cho

Mitsukoshi

ri

i

KYOBASHICHO

HASHIMOTOCHO

Hatchobori

do

or

H

NOBORIMACHI PARK

H

H

-d

Ek o- ima ha e sh i

Memorial Cathedral for World Peace

NOBORICHO

utsu

ku

Kam iy bas anagi hi

Noborimachi Primary School

TEPPOCHO

NCHI

ho

H

H

JR HIROSHIMA STATION

H

H

ori

SHINKANSEN

H

TOBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

KAMI NOBORIMACHI PARK

Haku shim a-do

hi

ebas

Saka

3

Heiw

H

H

Noborimachi Junior High School

Onaga Primary School

Hiroshima Bank

Shukkeien-mae

uji le

ONAGAMACHI

Katei Saibansho-mae

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

HIJIYAMA PARK Hijiyamashita

DANBARAHINODE

/27

ta

KAMINOBORICHO

OSUGACHO

Memorial Cathedral for World Peace

/ Densha-dori HAioi-dori Yanagibas hi

i i-dor

1 45 quarante-cinq

Takeya Primary School

Ts

uru

mi

ba

ori

ri do aam jiy

Butsudan-dori

HIJIYAMA PARK

DAN

Hijiyamashita

5 Cafe Spice

15 Molly Mallone’s

8 i Washington Hotel

24 Porta H Porte

2

d

Koba 11

ijiy

Namiki-dori

H

Tanuki

Chuo-dori

Tropical Bar Revolution 19

FUKUROMACHI PARK

am Lotus aba shi

8

Galley

Hijiyamabashi

Mugen ∞ 5610

Sky Walk Escalator

sh

DON QUIJOTTE

MACHI

6

13 Mac

Danbara Shopping Center

Barcos 2

Bon Voyage 3F Enryuji Temple (Tokasan)

H

Mambos 14

6 Choi Choi Ya H

BILLY THE KID

namiki / nagarekawa area

DANBARAYAMAS

La Luna DANBARAMINAMI 12

New King 16

H

7 Centre Point

23 Plus Minus

3 Bar Edge

4 9

Enjoint Bar Cover 2F H

28\

H H

or i

Fuji Grand Shopping Center

ALICE GARDEN

TSURUMICHO

H

Yagenbori-dori

PARCO SHINKAN

PARCO HONKAN

MINA

DANBARA

a

18 The Shack Bar and Grill

H

Chinatown

KIRIN BEER

Hondori

HIROSHIMA BANK

4 Yamatoya

Hi

Kinzagai-dori

HIGASHIHIRATSUKACHO 3 Cinetwin Hondori

SHINTENCHI PARK

Yage

H

Danbara-1chome

5 Chamonix Mont Blanc 25 Robatayaki Jindaiko

15 Kemby’s+ Taps & Tapas

Kanayama-cho

MOMIJI BANK

Nagarekawa-dori

nbor

reka

Naga

i i sh sh ga ba Hi ima Ebisu 3 Popeye Ebisu-dori sh Shrine ro Hi Ebisu-dori Ebisu-dori

hi

as

ob

shigaw

i

T

Ebisu-cho

NISHIKANIYA

Hiroshima Mall

h ais

MATSUGAWA PARK

Kyoba

Cafe Jamaica

HIGASHIKOJINMACHI

NISHIKOJINMACHI

MATOBACHO

MITSUKOSHI

3 Travel With

or

16

K’s House

HIRATSUKA PARK Kinzagai-dori

H

6

LABI

NISHIHIRATSUKACHO

-d

H

6 Hatchoza

19 Ninnikuya Manao

ae

Matoba-cho

H

ae-d

ori

ashi

FUKUYA

Southern Cross YAYOICHO 17

H

hi

bas

jin

Ko

b

Ake 7

a

wa-d

Inarioh

INARIMACHI

TANAKAMACHI

KOJINMACHI

E

H

2 ori

-d ono

H

ri

KAWACHO

ATAGOMAC

HIGA

Enkobashi-cho

ash nkob

H

H

YAGENBORI Tate-machi

CHI

H

ENKOBASHICHO Hana Hostel i

Inari-machi

n-do

KANAYAMACHO

H

MATSUBARACHO

gaw

TENCHI

Hiroshima Bank

H

Hiroshima Bank

8

H H Kanayama-cho

Momiji Bank

WAKAKUSACHO

H

-d

H

18

Hiroshima Station

Fukuya

Kyobashi

H

27

12

ko En

uda

i

28

HASHIMOTOCHO PARK

Mitsukoshi abi

Buts

16

KYOBASHICHO

HASHIMOTOCHO

Hatchobori

RIKAWACHO

or

H

NOBORIMACHI PARK

EBISUCHO

11

-d

Kam iy bas anagi hi

Noborimachi Primary School

Ebisu-cho

ku

Hotel Flex

NOBORICHO

ri

ho

H

H

JR HIROSHIMA STATION

Jo

H

TOBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

3

SHINKANSEN

H

ae

ri hima -do

Haku s

eb

Saka

H

TEPPOCHO

ashi

m

Jogakuin High School

H

Noborimachi Junior High School

KAMI NOBORIMACHI PARK

H

a-do

Hiroshima Bank

Ek o- ima ha e sh i

Jogakuin Junior High School

kuin-mae

kakuji mple

i

Shukkeien-mae

station area

H

or

17

Ekim

c

-d

ki

5

ba

KAMIOSUGACHO

SHUKKEIEN GARDEN

13

2

3

B HANOVER PARK

Cinematographic and Audio-visual Library

H Bus 1 Center (3F)

SOGO

11 Tennis courts

C

Legal Administration Office

ri

YMCA

n-do

Jona

Prefectural Office East Office

Momiji Bank

HATCHOBORI

H

H

Jogakuin-mae

7

Chokakuji Temple

Tokyu 15 Hands

Enryuji Temple (Tokasan)

H

H

5

Jogakuin High School

Shukkeien-mae

Jogakuin Junior High School

H

H

Noborimachi Junior High School

KAMI NOBORIMACHI PARK

KAMINOBORICHO

H

KANAYAMACHO

YAYOICHO

i

h ebas

D

Saka

H

TOBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

3

H

H

Hijiyamashita

8

3

or i

JR

Fukuya

Hirosh Ban

H

H

Mato

MATOBACH

-d

1

Jo ho ku

OSUGACHO

27

2

MATSUGAWA PARK

Inari-machi

KYOBASHICHO

Kam iy bas anagi hi

H

Kyobashi

shi

Inarioha

INARIMACHI

i i sh sh ga ba Hi ima sh ro

H Yanagibashi

Hi

Kyoba

HIRATSUKA PARK

i

sh

iba

rum

shigaw

a

D

Hijiyamabashi

Ts u

HIGASHIHIRATSUKACHO

NISHIHIRATSUKACHO

H

Hiroshima Bank

H H Kanayama-cho

HASHIMOTOCHO PARK

HASHIMOTOCHO

Noborimachi Primary School Memorial Cathedral for World Peace

NOBORICHO

TEPPOCHO

i r do

TSURUMICHO

TANAKAMACHI

ae

H

MIKAWACHO NAGAREKAWACHO

H

oro

er-d

met

im Ek

Fuji Grand Shopping Center

Momiji Bank

NOBORIMACHI PARK

Ebisu-cho

Hatchobori

dori

sha-

Den

Mitsukoshi Labi

EBISUCHO HORIKAWACHO

-dor i

bisu

E

Fukuya

i-do ri /

Aio

Tate-machi

TATEMACHI

de)

arca

1

KYUGUCHIMON PARK Chuo Police Station

Hiroshima Municipal Hospital

Kencho-mae Prefectural Office (Kencho)

Kamiya-cho Higashi

1

Hiroshima Bank

2

KAMIYACHO 1

i

Outdoor 2 Family Pool Open July-August

Aioib ashi

Sun Mall

Mizuho Bank

Kamiya-cho Nishi Rijo

33 4 Kaikan 17 OTEMACHI 2 Sumitomo Mitsui Bank

red

i (co ve

Mitsubishi Tokyo Hondo 3 r UFJ Bank 4F

ash

PARK

TOKAICHIMACHI

29

4

Genbaku Dome-mae Hiroshima Naka Post Office

1

u oyas Mot shi ba

Hondori

10

HONDORI

wab

A

Honkawa-cho

HONKAWACHO Kizunaya

Mitsuboshi Yatai

20 31

Tokaichi-machi

Ride Diner

Honkawa Primary School

9

14 10

H

30

NAKAMACHI

/ Pe a

aku

FUJIMICHO

d/ Hy

ce B lv

H

Buts PARCO Hiroshima 1 uda n-do Information ri Former ALICE SHINTENCHI Plaza 9 4 Bank of FUKUROMACHI GARDEN Japan Don Fukuromachi FUKUROMACHI Fukuro-machi YAGENBORI Quijotte SHINTENCHI Primary PARK PARK School H H

Crystal

H

dori

a-o-

KOMACHI

Heiw

10 Plaza

1 Dormy inn

Reino Inn Peace Park

Chuden-mae

H

Shirakami Shrine

H

OTEMACHI 22 PARK 1

7

H

Hei

HIROSEMACHI

Ichiriki

NISHITOKAICHIMACHI

1

HONKAWACHO

Dan Dan NEKOYACHO

Fuji Toys HONKAWA PARK

Ho nk bas awa hi

PEACE PARK

12

a-oh ashi

Heiw

H

H

Kokutaiji High School

26

Takeya Primary School

shi

Ek

ri

/29

i

sh

ENOMACHI

ENOMACHI PARK

SAKAIMACHI Columbo

Koami-cho Dobashi

Fuji Wholdesale Toys

3

5

14

Tsuchiya Hospital

13

OTEMACHI

SEIBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

OTEMACHI PARK 2

Hiroshima Chuo Post Office Naka Ward Office

Kokutaiji Junior High School

TAKARAMACHI

Hij iya

ma ba

ori

c

a-do shim Haku ori

Dobashi Onsen DOBASHICHO nice nonsense books

J-Hoppers

21

NAKAJIMACHO

4 Iwaka Ryokan

Bunka Koryu Kaikan

Aster Plaza

KAKOMACHI

Shiyakusho mae

KOKUTAIJI PARK

TAKEYACHO

C

nbor Yage

KOAMICHO

2 KAWARAMACHI

Na Kan kajima zakib ash i

Funairi-machi

Kozaki Primary School Nakajima Primary School

Otemachi Commercial High School

Hiroshima City Hall

HIGASHI SENDA PARK

Naga

o- ima GetHiroshima / Winter 2014 ha e

ri

do

a-

am

Chuo

wa-d

reka

d

ori

iki-d Nam

i

Shin-sum iyoshi bashi

Ta Shopkanobas hi ping Stre et

B

Takanobashi

dori

jiy

i

i-dor

KAMISHINONOMECHO

SAKI

ae-d

dori

i-dor mach Tera

shiba shi

hi ibas Meij

32

Jizo-

Sky Walk Escalator

HIJIYAMA

Hi

-dori

NBARAHINODE

ri

UNAIRIMACHI

3 Sum iyo

A

-do Ozu

AMIKANIYA

Ekim

Rijo-

COSTCO

MAZDA ZOOM ZOOM STADIUM

awa

Geibi Line

a)

nsen

yasug

e

aw tag

Nobuishi Babaji

a( aw nk Ho

u-o

Shinka

ONAGAHIGASHI ONAGANISHI

Ky

Sanyo

ri do o-

ASHIKANIYACHO

on eb Ak

CHI

Onaga Primary School

Moto

Lin ain oM ny Sa

city center

e

onmachi

Junior High School

f 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)

i

tor

ka Ta

Limousine bus (Hiroshima City > Hiroshima Airport)

su

iya

m Ka

Meipuru~pu bus

shi

iga asuh

Y

ndai

amo

Bish

Chorakuji

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

chi

Oma

ichi

Furu

Matsuyama Super Jet Ferry

Tomo Obara

Nakasuji

Transport Museum

Tomochuo Ozuka

¥190~480

Big Arch Stadium

Gionshinbashikita

Ushita

Hakushima

(Fudoinmae)

e

Yokogawa Station JR

Kencho-mae

Betsuin-mae

ai

Tera-machi

Hiroden nishi Hiroshima

s

hi

ac

m

n-

no

an

K hi-

c

a-

him

us

k Fu

ho

Line Shinkansen Station

m

on

nn

Ka

hi

ac

c a-

nm

Te

ho

i-c

m

a Ko

ho

d u-

b

m Bo

ak ic nb(Atom hi Dobashi ac chi a i-m air n-m n Fu i-ho ir a n Fu Ge

ae m ome)

e-

om

Kamiyacho Nishi

Hiroshima Station JR

Hakushima Line, All Destinations,

¥110

Hakushima

Hiroshima Station

Shukkeien-mae Jogakuin-mae Kamiyacho Higashi

ho

-c

isu

Eb

a

m

ya

na

Ka

En

o

h -c

hi

ac

i-m

ar

In

Hondori Peace Park

Okonomi-mura mae

M

Funairi-minami-machi

Nisseki byoin mae

Hiroden Honsha mae

Minami machi 6-chome

i

b

ki-

iyu

h as

The flat fare for inner city travel is ¥160, (child ¥80)

a ug

k zo Fu ai- ae d -m ro Hi oin y nb Ke

e m ho -c e -3 om a h e in Uj -4-c om a in -ch Uj a-5 i in or Uj n-d iga a K

Ujina 2-chome

¥160

Moto-Ujina-guchi Hiroshima Port

Miyajima

Matsuyama

30\

ae

m

o-

kk

M

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

i-m

m

ina

Eba

Miyajima-guchi

e

m

ho

-c

i-2

h ac

M

Takano-bashi

Funairi-kawaguchi-cho

uy

ae

m

o-

sh

u ak

i-k

m

ina

i

sh

ba

a-

am

H

Shiyakusho-mae

Funairi-saiwai-cho

am

ijiy

Museum of Contemporary Art

ita

sh

a-

jiy

Hi

Fukuro-machi Chuden-mae

a

c 1-

ar

nb

Da

Mazda Stadium

e

m

ho

Matoba cho

Hatchobori

Tate-machi

D

ho

i-c

sh

a ob

k

Katei Saibansho-mae

Bus Center

o ch

a-

aw

nk

Ho

Tokaichi machi

Nishi Hiroshima Station JR

Sanyo Main

Museum of Art

Yokogawa 1-chome e

in nL

oM

(Ushita)

Johoku

Yokogawa Station

ny

Big Wave

Kabe Lin

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)

yokogawa by day / by night Words / Photos : Judith Cotelle (with the precious help of guides : Kazue Okawa, « Pon » Miyuki Sakata and Mami Takeshima)

Welcome to Yokogawa, the retro neighbourhood west of Hiroshima’s center that has retained its Showa charm. In Yokogawa, not everything is as it may first appear. Flower shops become bars, bookshops are cafes, cafes do fortune telling*, okonomiyaki mamas (owners) read palms and art cinemas do gigs. Here artists make sculptures with KFC nugget bones and an 80 year old woman, deaf as a doorpost**, runs a night bar dressed in sexy outfits... It’s quiet and everybody seems to know each other like in a small village (Japanese refer to it as a shita-machi, literally “down” or “low town”). *Nekobako cafe **Unfortunately, she didn’t allow me to take a picture To locate Yokogawa in Hiroshima, see map p.26 [B-2]

Entering the little shopping arcade you’ll find on your right when you get off at Yokogawa streetcar station. You are immediately immersed in the atmosphere of Yokogawa: No hipster shops and trendy cafes, but dusty, old clothing stores, paper lanterns and timeworn shop signs, ramen shops, bookstores selling books with yellowed pages.

The grannies clothing shop is called ジュネッス (“Jeunesse” which means “Youth” in French!) The tabacco shop is famous for the high number of winning lottery tickets it has sold.

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/31

Crossing the main road at the end of the shopping arcade takes you to Hoshi-no-michi (“The Star Path”) - go up the stairs of the あさなるビル (Asanaru Building) on the main road just to the left of the gate decorated with stars to get a look at the street from above. Of the restaurants in this building 悠生 (Yuuki) has a good reputation for its traditional Japanese food and selection of sake. The hand-crafted udon noodles at いってつ手打ちうどん (Ittetsu Te-uchi Udon) and pasta shop Kitchen Yoshiki, pictured above, also come recommended. Narrow tunnel paths criss-cross the area. Yokogawa is a like a maze with lots of places where you can hide!

Turn left at the end of Hoshi-no-michi and take the street that runs parallel to it and you’ll find a more “arty” area.

At the entrance to the street is Chinese restaurant 力 (Riki) which is open until late and quite lively. Then we come to an artists workshop 横川創荘 (Yokogawa Souso).

Among the four resident artists, one makes skeleton sculptures out of KFC nugget bones, one does etching and another makes stamps from rubbish he collects on the streets of Yokogawa. They also organize art events. A few steps further is Yokogawa Cinema which was refurbished this year. Here you can watch independent films and documentaries, but they also host art events and music gigs. On its wall, you can admire a big piece of graffiti from the now internationally well-known graffiti artist Suiko, in collaboration with Kac. Opposite the cinema is bar and curry shop 外国 (Gaikoku which means “foreign country”). It can get really crowded here at night and I’ve been told that the owner is quite eccentric.

32\

Down the alley to your left, there is a bookshop and cafe called 本と自由 (Hon to jiyuu: books and freedom). They sell new and secondhand books of course, but also old records and magazines. When I visited, a customer was listening to old 60’s French music, looking for something very rare. It’s a really warm and cosy place, with a small kitchen and a counter at which you can enjoy a coffee, a glass of wine or beer.

Cross Johoku-dori to the southern side of Yokogawa (Yokogawa Nichome and Itchome), you can get your fortune told at カフェネコバコ (Cafe Nekobako) or visit カモ メのばぁばぁ(Kamome no baabaa), a gallery-cafe (where you can draw your own mandala or have something to eat at the counter). A delicious soba-ya called 康次郎 (Kojiro) uses amazingly fresh produce. Here, you can eat not only soba noodles, but also very good sashimi (that you don’t even need to dip into soy sauce or to put wasabi on), tempura, and some delicious, rarely seen vegetables (note Kojiro is a non-smoking restaurant). There’s also a very old-style supermarket run by a lovely granny (田中食料品店 Tanaka Shokuryouhinten). 10 meters further on, you’ll find a funny big clothing and household goods shop, really old-style, chaotic and cheap (竹田衣料品店 Takeda Iryouhinten).

You’ll bump into a lot of old ladies in kimono in this area. Just strolling around, looking at the old houses trimmed with wild plants and flowers is fun. Take a break in the spacious cafe and live venue カフェチアス (Cafe Cheers).

After sunset, head back to the station area where restaurants are clustered under railway tracks and bridges in the same way as you see in many parts of Tokyo. Try しんご (Shingo) for good teppanyaki or 串焼 狄 (Kushiyaki Teki), Yokogawa’s most famous yakitori shop.

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/33

Now, head north to Misasa-cho with its many little bars and restaurants. You can find the best oden in Yokogawa in ramen-shop 高砂屋 (Takasagoya). Or go to the small and messy okonomiyaki shop ほていや (Hotei-ya) to get your palm read - apparently everyone gets the same fortune, “A near death in an accident!” You can also meet Kazue at Madame Tété, a flower shop that turns into a bar at night. She speaks French too. You can also have a good cocktail in a stylish dimly lit place run by a an ex-hotel bartender at Bar Off Time.

For dinner, I warmly recommend 路地裏 (Rojiura), a small, tasty and incredibly cheap izakaya run by a friendly couple. You can try their specialties like the namerou: minced raw mackerel with nira, a special togarashi (Japanese hot pepper) and a secret ingredient, or their super fresh myoga green pepper salad, their crispy dashi-tonkatsu (tonkatsu that you dip into a broth containing a raw quail egg), or their spicy nabe hot pot - evrything is delicious!

Go to 日々来 (Hibiki) for a delicious and crispy okonomiyaki. The underside of the noodles is grilled on the teppan. You can then go to 一貴 (Kazuki), a Japanese style bar serving a wide selection of sake. But only if you’re lucky enough to get a seat, as it gets really crowded even on weekdays. It’s only safe to recommend you going to 星のうた (Hoshi no uta), a neighbourhood karaoke bar, only if you’re accompanied by some Japanese friends; as the charismatic mama and her court of long time regular customers might feel uncomfortable to party and sing old Japanese songs in front of a table full of newcomers. But if you have the opportunity to be taken there, you will certainly spend a good night steeped in Showa atmosphere.

34\

三篠町 Misasa-cho 22

UCHIKOSHICHO

KUSUNOKICHO

ig h Kabe H

21

TIPS

17 16

JR YOKOGAWA STATION

18 14

Yokogawa-eki

ping

Depending on the day you go, shops can close quite early, so if you want to go out late, Tokaichi is not really far and there a plenty of nice bars and restaurants too.

19

15 5

三丁目 Sanchome Shop

20

As Yokogawa is really close to Mitaki, it’s a good idea to visit Mitaki until 5 when everything closes and to spend the rest of the day and night in Yokogawa.

arc a

de

1

H o sh i n o 23

m ic h i

To go there, take the streetcar line #7 from Hondori, or #2 or #6 anywhere between the Hiroshima Station and Tokaichi, and change at Tokaichi for the line #8 or #7. You can also take a JR train (Kabe Line) from Hiroshishima JR Station.

4

6 7 2

3

How to transfer on Hiroshima’s streetcars 8 13 YOKAGAWACHO

1. Within Hiroshima city limits there is no extra charge when transferring between streetcar lines.

12

2. Make sure you get off at a transfer stop.

HI

3. Tell the driver your final destination (Yokogawa made ikitai desu ga...) and pay your fare.

M

二丁目 Nitchome

isa

s

ab30 minutes from time of 4. The driver will give you a Transfer Card valid for as issue. h

11

i

Yokogawa-1chome

5. When you get on the second streetcar, insert the Transfer Card into the card reader at the entrance door (in the middle of the streetcar).

一丁目 Itchome

6. Give the Transfer Card to the driver and say arigatou gozaimashita when you exit the tram.

9

Sh Yoko in gaw bashi a

10

1 Yuuki: 3-5-20 Yokogawa-cho Asanaru Blg 2F, Nishi-ku,

Hiroshima, 082-233-6177

9 Kamome no baabaa (Gallery): 1-5-23 Yokogawa-

cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 082-232-5074

2 Ittetsu Te-uchi Udon: 3-4-13 Yokogawa-cho,

Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 082-296-6090

10 Kojiro: 1-6-6, Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima,

082-231-6912

-mae

3 Kitchen Yoshiki: 3-5-27 Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku,

18 Madame Tété: 3-1-29, Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku,

Hiroshima, 082-237-1187 19 Bar Off Time: 3-1-34, Yokogawa-cho Nishi-ku,

Hiroshima, 082-238-6941

11 Tanaka Shokuryouhinten

Hiroshima, 082-230-2262

o

Hiroshima, 082-233-8400

MOTOMACHI

20 Izakaya Rojiura: 1-14-9, Misasa-cho, Nishi-ku,

TERAMACHI

21 Okonomiyaki Hibiki: 1-7-3, Misasa-cho, Nishi-ku, 13 Cafe Cheers: 3-12-3, Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku,

082-291-6994

Hiroshima, 082-237-9617

Hiroshima, 082-295-5799 5 Yokogawa Cinema: 3-1-12 Yokogawa-cho,

Shoutengai Bldg, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 082-231-1001

22 Kazuki: 1-7-14, Misasa-cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 14 Teppanyaki Shingo: 3-2-13, Yokogawa-cho,

Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 082-238-0830 6 Gaikoku: 3-4-23 Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 15 Kushiyaki Teki: 3-2-11, Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku,

090-7595-0996

Gion S

4 Riki: 3-1-6 Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima,

hind

12 Takeda Iryouhinten

Hiroshima, 082-237-2271

082-239-2233

Hi

Motomachi

23 Hoshi no uta (Karaoke): 3-5-20, Yokogawa-cho, Primary

Nishi-ku, Hiroshima, 082-532-2250 School

7 Hon to Jiyuu: 3-4-14 Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku, 16 Takasago-ya: 1-14-9, Misasa-cho, Nishi-ku,

Hiroshima, 082-233-9239

Hiroshima 8 Cafe Nekobako: 3-11-3 103 Yokogawa-cho, Nishi-ku,

Hiroshima, 082-292-7910

-machi

CHUO PARK

17 Hotei-ya: 1-14-15, Misasa-cho, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima,

082-237-4319

Sorazayabashi

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/35

Gok S

SPORT

Carp Catch Up Words: Tim Buthod / Photos: Morison “Heyniki”

2014: CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR The Carp improved again in 2014, raising their record to 74-68-2 for a second consecutive third-place finish.

There were no playoff heroics this year, however, as the Carp were eliminated in two games by the Hanshin Tigers in the first stage of the Climax Series.

The team had several bright spots in 2014, and they look to build on them next year. Ryosuke Kikuchi emerged as a rising star at second base, hitting .325 with 11 home runs. Centerfielder Yoshihiro Maru continued to develop, setting career highs with a .310 average, 19 home runs and 67 runs batted in. Ace Kenta Maeda saw a bit of a drop in his performance, but he still finished 11-10 with a solid 2.60 earned run average. Ironically, that drop off in his production now looks like good news for the Carp as it may have prevented the star from jumping to the North American major leagues. Rookie Daichi Ohsera showed plenty of potential as well, finishing the year at 10-8.

Unfortunately the Carp will be losing two of their most productive imported players. Central League home run king Brad Eldred and relief ace Kam Mickolio are moving on, leaving large holes to fill. Dominican outfielder Rainel Rosario, who hit .336 in limited playing time in 2014, looks poised to fill the void in the lineup, but the closer’s role remains a question mark.

Ogata knows a little something about effort. He played all over the diamond and around the world, even spending a year in the American minor leagues. He broke in as an infielder, but excelled in center field, where his speed and strong arm won him five Golden Glove awards. He stole 268 bases in his career, three times leading the league. He also twice led the league in being caught stealing. And he was perennially among the leaders in being hit by pitches. Ogata was not all guts and hustle, however. He hit .300 or better six times and posted six years of twenty or more home runs. By the end of his career, he was a respected player-coach, pinch-hitting and helping the young outfielders with base running and defense. Since his retirement in 2009, he has continued as a coach, and the weak-hitting Carp have consistently impressed with their outfield defense and stolen base totals. In Ogata’s time as coach, two Hiroshima players, Eishin Soyogi and Yoshihiro Maru, have led the league in steals.

Expectations for Ogata’s squad will be high, coming off two straight third-place finishes and two straight Climax Series losses. In Nomura’s five years at the helm, the Carp returned to respectability, but they have not been able to finish the job. Carp fans are counting on Ogata to carry them to the next level.

You can hear Ogata’s fight song here: http://bit.ly/ogatasong

MEET THE NEW BOSS

THE BAD OLD DAYS

When the band in the right field stands of the old ballpark played the spaghetti western sound of the opening notes of Koichi Ogata’s fight song, fans would tremble with anticipation. The star shone in center field, at the plate and on the base paths in Hiroshima for more than twenty years, dating back to the Carp’s last Japan Series appearance in 1991. The excitement is back as Ogata takes over as the team’s new manager, replacing Kenjiro Nomura, who stepped down at the end of the 2014 season.

Carp fans sometimes grumble that the team simply can’t keep up financially with the Giants or Tigers. Perhaps they should look at the team’s early history and count their blessings. At least the current team doesn’t have to go out in the street begging for money to pay their players.

Fans may well tremble with excitement again, but the players tremble with fear of the new “devil manager”.

Media reports indicate that barely a month into his tenure, the hard-driving Ogata has already sent several players home from their winter training camp for lack of effort.

36\

The source of a lot of the problems for the Carp in the early 1950s was a system where the winning team took 70% of the gate for each game, regardless of where it was played. The Carp were founded in 1950 by local leaders from the Chugoku Shimbun newspaper and Hiroden transit company, and most of their players were local semi-pro and former high school players.

Naturally the team was outmatched against established professional teams.

So revenue was slim.

After the last-place 1950 campaign, the team couldn’t afford to travel to Osaka for a preseason tournament, and league officials urged the owners to sell, threatening the Carp with expulsion from the league. But manager Shuichi Ishimoto was determined to make the team survive, and he launched a public fundraising campaign that raised four million yen, saving the Carp, at least for the time being.

In 1951, the Carp again finished last, again with a winning percentage under .300. In the Central League that year, once teams’ places in the standings were determined, irrelevant games at the end of the year were canceled, which meant that the cellar-dwelling Carp had 21 games canceled, depriving them of that revenue, but possibly saving them a bit in payroll.

After the collapse of the team in Fukuoka, the Central League was left with seven teams for 1952, which presented obvious challenges to scheduling, so the league was determined to eliminate one team, and the Carp were a top candidate. Before the 1952 season, the league passed a rule that any team that failed to reach a winning percentage of .300 would be dissolved.

As of July 27, the Carp stood at 13-46-2, giving them a winning percentage of .220, and things looked grim. But the pride of Hiroshima rallied, finishing the year at .316 (37-80-3). In its way it was a heroic triumph.

As it happened, the Matsutake Robins finished under .500, and they were thus sent to the chopping block.

The Carp lobbied to absorb the weaker team, but were rejected. However, several of the Matsutake players were left as free agents. Normally you would think that Hiroshima could never compete for players on the open market, but the Carp again pulled out their secret weapon, the people of Hiroshima. A public fundraising campaign raised 14 million yen to sign three Japanese free agents and two American players.

As the years went by, the Carp gradually solidified their precarious position. Changes to league revenue rules guaranteed the home team 60% of the gate for each game, and the city agreed to build a stadium right in the center, near the A-Bomb Dome. In 1968, the Matsuda family stepped in as owners as well as sponsors, and the link with Mazda made the Carp a stable franchise.

In future issues we will look at the glory years of the 1980s.

ART

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 E p.29 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 C p.28 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 E p.29 11

10:00-17:00 (End of year holidays: 12/27-1/1) 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 (End of year holidays: 12/26-1/1) 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 (End of year holidays: 12/29-1/2) 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.

The 3rd Junior Kenbiten: Annual Competition of Art for Junior in Hiroshima Prefecture, December 17-25

Gallery G Map C p.28

Japan Beauty: enchanting bijin-ga paintings treasured in a private collection, January 2 - February 15, Adult ¥1200 Student ¥700 JHS, Elementary School ¥400

5

Hiroshima Museum of Art Pearls of Japanese Western-style Painting, December 13-January 18 (People), January 20-February 22 (Landscapes), Adult ¥1000 Student ¥500 JHS, Elementary School ¥200 Normandy Home of Impressionist Art, February 28-April 12 Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art

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

EXHIBITIONS

Gyokuyo Kurihara Christian girl Asazuma with cherry blossoms, 1918

Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum The World of Kenji Ekuan: A Great Master of Design, Hiroshima Produced November 18-December 23, Adult ¥1200 Student ¥900 The 61st Japan Traditional Kōgei - Art Crafts Exhibition, February 25-March 15

Guess What? Hardcore Contemporary Art’s Truly a World Treasure: Selected Works from the YAGEO Foundation Collection, December 20-March 8, Adult ¥1030 College ¥720 Senior High School, Seniors ¥510, Junior High School and younger free. (© Marc Quinn, Miniature Venus, 2008, Yageo Foundation) Fukuyama City Museum of Art Painters of the night Candlelight and Tenebrism, January 24-March 22, Adult ¥1000, High School and younger free Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art Kogei Superlative Craftsmanship from Meiji Japan, February 21-April 12

Soy Sauce Table Dispenser 1961

YONEDA Kazu Bowl with bird and flower design in black painting

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/37

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 E p.29 [B-2] 10

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

9:30-21:00 /22:00 (Fri. and Sat.) 082-247-4443 map E p.29 [B-1] 2

Media Cafe Popeye Hondori / Ebisu-dori So much more than Internet in 2 city centre locations Internet access (PC), Free soft drinks, Shower rooms available (additional charge), Overnight stay OK Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Popeye Ebisu-dori map D p.28 2 Popeye Hondori map E p.29 [C-1] 3

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

11:30-15:00, 18:00-22:00 Closed Tuesdays 082- 942-3424 map E p.29 [B-1] 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 D p.28 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 D p.28 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

Karşiyaka

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

11:30-13:20, 18:00-24:00 (L.O. 23:00) 082-243-3669 map E p.29 [C-2] 9

Kebabs and authentic Turkish dishes prepared by a Turkish chef near Peace Park. Vegetarian and Halal diners catered for. Belly dance shows at weekends.

11:30-14:30 (L.O. 14:00) 17:30-23:30 (L.O.22:30) 082-247-2202 map E p.29 [B-2] 14

Kemby’s+ Taps & Tapas

Namaste Hiroshima Station

Budd runs a full bar which includes craft brews on draft and bottled ales, complimenting tasty tapas in the evenings.

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

17:00-01:00 Closed Wednesday 082-249-0630 map D p.28 15

11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (L.O.) 082-568-0045 map C p.28 18

Lunch 12:00-14:00 Cafe 14:00-18:00 Dinner 18:00-24:00 (L.O. 23:30) 082-243-3669 map D p.28 8

Organ-za

Otis!

Bohemian queen, Goto Izumi's avant guard center of operations. Great decor, food, drink and bizarre stage shows.

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

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 E p.29 [A-1] 20

Mon-Sat 12:00-22:30 (L.O.) , Sun, hols 16:00-22:30 (L.O.) 082-249-3885 map E p.29 [A-2] 21

Pasta La Vista

Plus Minus

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

Smoke free at lunch. Vegetarian options.

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

Good range of local sake.

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 E p.29 [B-2] 22

17:00-06:00, Bar 19:00-06:00 082-236-8810 map D p.28 23

Porta Porte

Robatayaki Jindaiko

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

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

11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (L.O.) Closed Mondays 082-249-8010 map D p.28 24

17:00-23:30 (L.O.) 082-246-4873 map D p.28 25

Rojiura Teppan Kotaro

Roopali

Young grill master Kotaro serves delicious seasonal dishes & drinks just off Peace Blvd.

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

17:00-02:00 (L.O. 01:30) Closed Tuesdays 082-249-1953 map E p.29 [C-3] 2F 26

11:00-14:30 (L.O.), 17:00-22:00 (L.O.) 082-264-1333 map C p.28 27

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 E p.29 [A-1] 29

11:30-24:00 Sun-Thurs, 11:30-01:00 Sat, Sun & hols 082-546-0007 map E p.29 [B-2] 30

Tokaichi Apartment

Warung Matahari

Quirky smoke free cafe in Tokaichi. 짜850 set lunches served 16:30.

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

11:30-23:00 (lunch L.O. 16:30) Closed Tuesdays 082-231-9865 map E p.29 [A-1] 2F 31

17:30-22:30 (L.O.) Closed Mondays 082-240-2082 map E p.29 [B-3] 32

Zucchini: bar and cucina

Bar Edge

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

Small underground club with a good sound system.

11:30-15:00 (L.O 14:00) 17:00-24:00 (23:30 L.O) 082-546-0777 map E p.29 [B-1] 33

082-248-8146 map D p.28 3

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 D p.28 4

18:00-03:00 082-246-7934 map D p.28 5

Chinatown

Centre Point

Well worn, but large dance venue in the depths of Nagarekawa, rented out by local promoters for live and club events.

Check local listings for events 082-247-5270 map D p.28 6

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

Eki-mae Chelsea Cafe

Enjoint Bar Cover

Drinks, tapas and meals. Good whiskey selection.

Carp baseball games live on big screen.

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 D p.28 7

Monday-Saturday 17:00-03:00, Sunday 17:00-24:00 Tel/Fax 082-263-4330 map C p.28 8

Closed Mondays 082-249-3917 map D p.28 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 D p.28 11

22:00-late Closed Sundays 082-241-6788 map D p.28 12

Mac Legendary Hiroshima watering hole with massive CD collection.

18:00-late Closed Sundays 082-243-0343 map D p.28 13

Mambos Fully licensed Latin American dance club.

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

18:00-01:00 082-246-5809 map D p.28 14

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 D p.28 15

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

21:00-05:00 082-247-4487 map D p.28 16

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 D p.28 17

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 D p.28 18

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

18:00-03:00~04:00 Closed Sun, hols map D p.28 19

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

Outsider Book Nook/ Global Lounge Used English books to buy or exchange.

Internet, cafe & meeting place. Lunches daily, bar from 19:00 Fri & Sat.

082-240-2051 map E p.29 [B-1] 1

Mon-Thurs 11:30-21:00 Fri & Sat 11:30-23:00, Closed Sun, hols 082-244-8145 map E p.29 [C-1] 2 1

Travel With

Yamatoya

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

Produced in limited quantities yet reasonably priced, a bottle of Hiroshima's top quality local Japanese sake makes for a great souvenir. www.piconet.co.jp/yamatoya/

10:00-20:00 (Sat, Sun, hols until 19:00) Closed Wednesdays 082-544-7718 map D p.28 3

09:00-22:00 Closed Sundays 082-241-5660 map D p.28 4

Cleo Hair International

Laff Hair Design

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

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

10:00-20:00 082-511-2470 map E p.29 [B-1] 1

082-504-7636 (English line) map E p.29 [B-1] 4

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 E p.29 [B-2] 1

082-263-2980 map C p.28 2

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 C p.28 3

www.ikawaryokan.net info@ikawaryokan.net 082-231-5058 map E p.29 [A-2] 4

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 C p.28 6

082-233-1360 map E p.29 [A-2] 5

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 E p.29 [B-2] 7

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 D p.28 8

EVENTS MITSUKOSHI BRITISH FAIR

XMAS SALSA PART Y

DUBWISER

f December 18-25

f December 26, 20:00-01:00

f every 2nd Wednesday

f Mitsukoshi Department Store

f Mambos, ¥1500 (incl 1 drink)

f Agit

NEW YE AR’S E VE PARTIES

Mini salsa lesson 20:00-20:30

f December 31, 20:00

CHRONIC SPECIAL

f Kemby’s

f December 29 22:00-05:00

¥3000 incl one drink, food, live music f December 31, 20:55~ f AGIT, ¥2500 (plus 1 ¥500 drink order) CosmicDwarf PresentsPsychedelic trance CountDown Party f Also Barcos / Cafe Jamaica / Bar Edge

f Bar Edge

NEW YE AR K AGUR A f January 2-3, 12:00-17:00 f Hiroshima Ueno Gakuen Hall

¥2000, ¥3000 (+¥500 on the day)

LIVE MUSIC VOLKSOPER VIENNA

¥2500 (incl 1 drink) Bass music

SPORTS GANSU INTERNATIONAL HIKING GROUP Friendly group leads local hikes usually tied in with a cultural experience.

December 14 Mt Saka & year-end okonomiyaki party January, February and March outings are yet to be decided.

See http://gansunetwork.wordpress.com/ for details.

KURE TOBISHIMA MAR ATHON

f Symphonia Iwakuni

Full marathon and 10km road races on the beautiful Tobishima island route. Entry deadline January 4.

TR ADITIONAL LIVE IRISH MUSIC FROM K ATHRYN CL AIRE AND AIKO OBUCHI f January 23 f Molly Malone’s

No cover charge, http://www.kathrynclairemusic.com/

KISS JAPAN TOUR 2015 f February 26, 18:00 open/19:00 start f Hiroshima Sun Plaza

¥9000-¥12,500 (assigned seating)

JACKSON BROWNE f March 17, 18:00 open/18:30 start

AFC ASIAN CUP f January 9-31

Japan’s campaign in Australia live on screen at Molly Malone’s

HIROSHIMA NATIONAL MEN’S EKIDEN

COMPACT f every 3rd Wednesday

WHAT ABOUT WEDNESDAY? f every 3rd Wednesday f Centre Point

ULTR A HAZE f every 2d Sunday f Bar Edge

FROIDE f every 3rd Friday f Enjoint Bar Cover

THE CLUB ROCKS f every 3rd Friday f Bar Edge

NEW WORLD f every 4th Friday f Sacred Spirits (Cafe Jamaica)

SOUL FOOD f every last Thursday

National road relay championship with teams from all 47 prefectures that starts and finishes at Peace Memorial Park.

f Centre Point

SE TOUCHI ISL AND TR AIL R ACE IN KURE - K AMIK AMAGARI

f every last Friday

f March 29

¥9000, ¥10,000

NOEL GALLAGHER’S FLYING BIRDS

REGULAR NIGHTS

f April 9, 18:00 open/19:00 start

f Bar Edge

f January 18, 12:00-3:00

22km & 11km trail races on Kamikamagari Island Entry deadline January 31 http://www.setouchi-itrail.com/

f Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen Hall

f every 4th Thursday

f Bar Edge

f January 10

¥6000, ¥7000

EUR ASIAN SUITE

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

RED BULL NIGHT f every last Saturday f Bon Voyage

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

f Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen Hall

CR AZ Y SE X Y COOL

¥9000

f every Thursday

IZMICAL

f Club G

f every 4th Friday

CLUB EVENTS E XERCISE END OF YE AR PART Y f December 12 20:00-

SACRED SPIRITS f (almost) every Saturday

CAPSULE

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

f every 3rd friday

f Cafe Jamaica

LUSH

¥2500 (With flyer) ¥3500 (Door) Special guests DJ NOBU (FUTURE TERROR,Bitta), DJ HIKARU (BLAST HEAD) Underground house, techno, electronica

f every 1st Saturday f Mugen5160, ¥1000 (plus 1 drink order)

E ASY SK ANKING f every 2nd Tuesday f Centre Point

42\

f Bar Edge / Eclectic dance

f Sea Cake Style

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

nabemono Words: Matthew Mangham / Illustration : Naomi Leeman

Nabemono, literally “pot things” and shortened simply to nabe, is a universal winter meal in Japan. Across the country, the arrival of cold weather is marked by the appearance of clay or cast iron pots simmering on tabletop stoves. A snug, shared event, there are almost as many variations of nabe as there are places where it’s eaten. You’ll find many of them here in Hiroshima, but let’s focus on three very different styles.

DOTE NABE - KANAWA

shop in Yokogawa 80 years ago, and is still run by the same family. The butcher shop is still open too, right next door. Six decades ago, the owners decided to offer cheap, tasty meals to a city suffering from both post-war scarcity and the aftermath of an atomic bombing. Today, many of the items on the menu are identical to those served when the restaurant first opened. Indeed, little has changed over the years. Everything from the worn furnishings and old-fashioned light fixtures to the fading wallpaper (hung by the present master’s mother-in-law) and the TV playing in a corner give the restaurant what the Japanese call an “at-home” atmosphere.

It’s no surprise that Hiroshima’s most distinctive nabe involves oysters. In addition, dote (or riverbank) nabe is made with napa cabbage, the leaves of a daisy-like flower called shungiku, and shiitake mushrooms or other vegetables, all simmered in a clay pot lined with a thick layer of miso (the riverbank). One of the best places to try it is Kanawa, with restaurants both in Hiroshima Station and in a boat moored on the east bank of the Motoyasu River, just south of Peace Park.

Kanawa’s dote nabe is a rich stew cooked at your table with the restaurant’s own signature red miso and oysters farmed in deep, cold waters off a small uninhabited island in the Seto Inland Sea. The oysters are firm and slick, with a clean, crisp flavor. When they’re gone, the zosui set includes an egg, vegetables, and a choice of udon noodles or rice to stir into the remaining soup before polishing it off.

SUKIYAKI - MASUI In the U.S., at least, sukiyaki was for many years the best known Japanese dish. Thin slices of beef, konyaku noodles, tofu and vegetables, cooked in a sweet stock of soy sauce, mirin and sugar made for a dish that was accessible to palates not yet sold on raw fish. And it’s delicious.

Masui, just a few minutes walk from the downtown department stores, is a great place to eat sukiyaki in Hiroshima. Look for the red and white sign proclaiming “Sukiyaki and Foreign Food.” Masui began as a butcher

More than half the restaurant’s customers plump for the pork cutlet, the dish that first brought them streaming in sixty years ago. Even today, it’s just ¥350 with rice.

But we’re here for the sukiyaki. There are three choices, varying by the quality of the meat. The best (and most expensive) includes Wagyu beef, but the cheapest, at only ¥1700, is still very good. A stove is attached to the gas hose on the wall and the waiter sets you up, lighting the fire under the iron pot with a wooden match. The green onion takes longer to cook than the beef, tofu, konyaku noodles and enoki mushrooms that are also included, but it’s all soon ready. You’re also given a raw egg in a bowl. This is meant to be whisked with your chopsticks, then used for dipping each bite. Try it.

It tastes wonderful, and raw egg is a life-giving boon to man and beast. You should also ask for the udon noodles, to finish off the stock. Don’t miss it.

counter and twinkling bottles of shōchu along the back wall, is a terrific place to linger over a beer or something stronger, ordering oden a few pieces at a time. The master and his staff are in constant but unhurried motion behind the counter, the customers are mostly middle-aged and older and Tanuki’s atmosphere is one of relaxed, almost accidental elegance. I recommend sticking around, but if you’re on a marching schedule, takeout is available too.

ODEN - TANUKI

The master, who’s been doing this for 38 of the restaurant’s 68 years, takes great care in choosing and preparing his ingredients, and the results are light years beyond what you’d get at a convenience store. The eggs are boiled in stock for five to six days, cooled, then moved to the vats. The result is a dense, flavorful and darkly stained jewel. The gyusuji, or beef tendon, was exactly right, chewy but yielding. The shumai dumplings were delicate, not sodden, with a wonderful shrimp filling. The mochibukuro, the tofu pouches described above, were the best I’ve ever had, and appropriately or not I spooned Tanuki’s thick, searing mustard onto everything. You don’t have to, of course, but the sensation of mustard fumes leaking out around your eyeballs is one of oden’s singular joys. After a perfect gobomaki (fish paste wrapped around burdock root), two skewers of chicken, enoki mushrooms and a cabbage roll, my endurance gave out. A Japanese winter’s supper, done exceptionally well.

Oden is real Japanese winter soul food. Fished out of steaming vats of dashi broth, the sheer variety of ingredients can halt a newcomer in his tracks. Hard boiled eggs, fishcakes, thick slices of daikon radish and pouches of fried tofu filled with pounded rice mochi and tied off with chewy strips of calabash, choosing what to have is at least half the fun. You can always grab a bowl of convenience store oden, but there are far better ways to go. I suggest stopping in at Tanuki, a half a block off Namikidori downtown. This shop, with its long, cozy

Nikuno Masui (Sukiyaki), 14-12 Hatchobori Naka-ku 082-227-2983, 11:00-20:45, Closed: Wednesday/Second Tuesday map p.29 [C-1] 1 ASSE Kanawa (Oyster Dotenabe) See page 51 Tanuki (Oden): 1-7 Nakamachi Naka-ku, 082-247-3617, 17:00-23:00 (Saturday/National Holidays: - 22:30), Closed: Sunday (Open every day in December) map D p.28 2

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/43

goto izumi's deep hiroshima vol.

Words and photos by Goto Izumi translation by Paul Walsh

4 「大衆演劇〜清水劇場〜」

Taishu Engeki - Sh imizu Gekijo Japanese Vaudev ille

Discovery by the int repid t raveler of the world’ s li ttle known places oft en comes at some risk. In this respect, dear reader, you can consider yourself most fortuitous. I, Goto izumi, intimate as I am with all Hiroshima’ s nooks and crannies, can help you navigate such spaces and remove risk to both body and budget. On this occasion I would like to int roduce a place both highly economical and most convenient. A place that the native Japanese who inhabit this city, though highly int rigued, are largely too fearful to enter. Let me take you to the Shimizu Gekijo Theater.

Lying 10 minutes on foot from Hiroshima Station, and merely a minute away from the Matobacho streetcar stop, Shimizu Gekijo specializes in Taishu Engeki a variety of theater often rendered into English as “Japanese Vaudeville” that literally means “theater for the masses”.

A different itinerant troupe takes up residence in the theater for a month at a time. Every day they perform two three hour long variety shows featuring Japanese dance and drama. With the unabashed aim of entertaining regular folk, the shows are lighthearted and free of the pretension that often accompanies highbrow theater.

Shows start at 12pm and 6pm. Be sure to get there a good 30 minutes before showtime.

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 / 082-295-1553 http://www. organ-za.com / organzainfo@gmail.com

44\

PART 1 Mini show 20 minutes

After the “Please switch off your mobile phones.

Photography during the dramatic performance part of the show is prohibited” announcement there is a short 20 minute show during which each of the day’s performers makes an appearance to introduce themselves to the audience.

PART 2 Dramatic performance 60 minutes

A different play is performed each day. It is usually a classic Japanese period drama, however, contemporary dramas are occasionally performed (which can be more difficult to follow without a knowledge of Japanese).

“Grand Show”

PART 3

60 minutes

Usually a dance show, though singing is also sometimes involved, of about 15 numbers performed with gusto and at high volume! The taking of photographs is welcomed during this part of the show.

After the show, get your photo taken with the players!

Sure to be a great souvenir!

TIPS

3 hours can be a long time for those who don’t know any Japanese. Show up only for the final “Grand Show” and pay only ¥1000 to enjoy the atmosphere and great costumes.

Shimizu Gekijo 清水劇場 082-262-3636, 2-1-15 Matobacho, Minamiku, Hiroshima-shi Day show 12:00-15:00 / Night show 18:00-21:00 Adults ¥1900 / Children (3-10) ¥1000 “Grand Show” only ¥1000 http://www.hshimizu.com/gekijo/

Caution • Photography is allowed on Parts 1 and 3 of the show, but is prohibited in Part 2. If you do try and take photos during Part 2 you will be told off, as I was!

• Do not take photos from right in front of the stage.

The only time customers should go to the front of the stage is to tip the players.

• It goes without saying that no one here speaks a lick of English.

So, there you have it dear reader. Shimizu Gekijo provides a wonderful opportunity to experience first hand a slice of Japanese culture that even very few Japanese people ever pluck up the courage to discover and is truly off the tourist track. This has been just a cursory introduction, and the world of Shimizu Gekijo has many more secrets of which I am not at liberty to write. Secrets to be uncovered by those who do more than merely pass through, those who make the Shimizu Gekijo a regular haunt.

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/45

Carp Crazy

Meet the superfans for who the Hiroshima Carp are not only a baseball team, but a way of life.

C

Words : Judith Cotelle / Brian Byrne, Photos : http://www.anaisetpedro.com/

arp games in Hiroshima are great occasions on which the full spectrum of Hiroshima society becomes one in cheering on their favorite team. You’ll see people from all walks of life; families with kids, grannies and grandpas, countryside folk, city people, middle-class people, blue collar workers, salarymen and young women. Even people who don’t have the slightest interest in baseball go for the great atmosphere, the food and drink. The Carp’s superfans are, however, something else, and I recently had the chance to sit down with two of them, Potty (35) and Morison a.k.a Heyniki (36).

Let me say at the outset, that I personally have no interest in sports so if you are looking for hardcore baseball journalism rather than an insight into the lives and motivation of superfans, I advise you to turn to page 36.

All this is topped off with aggressive piercings and a wide repertoire of contorted faces. His reply is quite unexpected.

« The Carp are not the most winning of teams, but they’re famous for having some of Japan’s most fervent fans. What makes them so special? » Before my interviewees can answer, a random guy with a nonsensical haircut who has gatecrashed our sofa, chimes in, to the obvious chagrin of Potty and Morison.

In a school masterly tone, he informs us that the Carp are special because the team was established during the reconstruction of Hiroshima, just after the dropping of the A-bomb, when the city was in dire financial straits and citizen donations helped fund the new team - good to know, but nothing more than you can find on Wikipedia (if you want to hear about this backstory in more detail, again turn to page 36). He adds, the now famous Hiroshima Flower Festival held every year during Golden Week grew out of a parade for the victorious Carp team of 1975. OK, I have to admit I didn’t know that...

Potty doesn’t actually seem to know that much about baseball. He is in no way embarrassed to suggest that we ask Morison any baseball questions because, “He’s the real expert.” This we do and he takes advantage of the break to go back to his apartment to grab some of the many signed uniforms he owns and that he’s really eager to show us.

« I get a really positive and warm reaction!

People look at me, smile and compliment me on my look saying it’s kakko ii (stlylish and cool). Even the grannies, and little kids too! To them, I’m just a true Carp fan! On game days, salarymen walk up to me in the street and exchange banter like « Hey! We’re going to win tonight, aren’t we? » «I have spotted you many times in the streets of Hiroshima and every time you have been in your full outfit. Do you dress like this every day? » « Absolutely! It’s my everyday look! I go to work dressed like this. I work in a metal cutting factory and my boss is fine with it as he’s a huge Carp fan too! »

What I am dying to hear about, though, is how people at the stadium react to Potty’s crazy - and it must be said quite scary - look. He wears a fully customised Carp player’s uniform, has a mohican (sometimes dyed red) and tattoos cover his whole body including his head.

46\

I assumed Potty would never miss a home game, so I’m surprised to hear him confess that he watches most games on TV from the comfort of his living room couch, and only goes to the stadium when games fall on a weekend. His real passion is actually Japanese anime, especially Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) from 1980s, known for its violence and gore.

Photo © Junpei Ishida

Morison is a reggae singer and is also a bartender at Speak Easy, a place where tattoo-covered boys and girls, hardcore punk fans and band members gather until late at night. Morison is probably Hiroshima’s most famous Carp fan, and he takes the role very seriously. He has even created a character, a caricature of himself using the Carp’s graphics and prints out stickers, badges, posters and CD sleeves. Hiroyasu Tanaka, infielder for the rival Tokyo Yakult Swallows, has shared Morison’s creations on his official fan page.

Morison never misses a game. Well, I should say that he no longer misses a game.

He did miss three games back in 2012, and the Carp lost all three. Wary of bringing the team such bad luck again he has since attended all of the 70 or so home games played each year and can tell you precisely how many times they have won, and how many times times they’ve lost. And lost they have, many times. He reminds us that their last championship was 23 years ago, back in 1991. He also goes to as many away games as possible and even follows them to their training camps in other regions such as Kyushu too.

Potty returns bearing his uniforms. He also has a helmet and body protection armour of the kind you’d see in a Mad Max movie. I notice he has lost the plug in his earlobe, leaving a big wide-open hole. Not in the slightest bit worried, he grabs a Carp-red Coca-Cola bottle cap from off the ash covered table and pops it into his earlobe. I also notice he holds one cigarette in each of his hands. « Ha, yeah... ha ha, I forgot I had already lit one up! ». He’s full of self derision, and very frank about his social background and education. The guy who got in touch with him for me told me he was getting really excited about our interview, and that he was planning to wear one of his fanciest outfits for the photo shoot..

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/47

Asking them about when their passion started, Potty tells me that he became a Carp fan only 4 years ago, and almost by chance. When he was in a local punk band, he got a large tattoo of the Carp “Boya” - the cute, bat-wielding character that features on Carp merchandise - on the side of his head. The aim was to show his loyalty to his hometown, and to get a rise out of Hanshin Tigers fans at gigs in Osaka. He was never into baseball as a kid, but when he did eventually start getting into the game, dyed-in-the-wool fans would start up conversations assuming that he was one of their own. Soon finding himself out of his depth, he decided he had better acquire a knowledge of Carp history and lore; Pronto. In the process, a passionate love of the team took hold.

Morison can’t remember when it started, probably in the crib, and he was already working part-time at the stadium by High School. He’s now a permanent feature, sat in the front row in his trademark black sunglasses. He can often be seen on live TV broadcasts and has become something of an iconic figure at the stadium. People now queue to take his photo or a selfie with him. Some even ask him to sign autographs!

Following the team everywhere he has also got close with some of the players, and with Kikuchi in particular.

Carp players now listen to his albums during training and Kikuchi’s father even took it upon himself to make Morison famous by distributing his CD’s everywhere he can.

Morison’s nickname « Heyniki » comes from a contraction of « Hey ! » and aniki. « Hey ! » because that’s just what he shouts while watching the games « hey ! Hey !

Hey ! » and aniki, a familiar word for « elder brother », or « dude » in Japanese. Let’s just say « the hey-guy ».

You can listen to his music and watch his videos here. http://heiniki.com/

I was also curious about Potty’s nickname. By the way I hadn’t even thought about asking his real name, but who cares.. So, when I asked them about the meaning of « Potty », they grinned and warned me it was coming from a shimoneta (indecent joke) that you will certainly understand by seeing the photo of him with the bat between his legs ! (potty > potent, ok..)

48\

To finish, we asked Potty if he could show us his tattoos.

His neck, skull, arms, hands, palms of his hands, all of his torso and back are covered with old school American-style tattoos with American pop culture and movie references (Ghostbusters, Tarantino’s From Dusk Till Dawn), references to Japanese anime (the big “Z-666” on his skull is a Hokuto no Ken reference), Motorhead lyrics and images (his favorite band) and, in the middle of everything, a very realistic portrait of Steven Seagal!

I’m curious about Potty’s relationship with his parents, but he just laughs and mimes 2 horns on the forehead which is a Japanese gesture for being mad, and adds « and as my wife is almost the same as me, they’re even madder! » A wife?!

He calls over Mrs Potty who had been sitting a few tables away from us the whole time. They’ve been married for 9 years now, and she also wears tattoos on visible areas of her body (quite unusual in Japan where tattoos still have a bad reputation). Nonetheless, we greet each other in the traditional Japanese way, all very proper. I ask her how she feels about her husband’s second love. « Well,» she says, « I was pretty happy when I ended up with a guy who wasn’t really interested in baseball. It meant I didn’t have to deal with it being on the TV every night of the week. And then one day... ».

Appearances notwithstanding, they are, in fact, just the kind of lovely guys (yes, they are!) that you might meet in the street or in a bar, on an average day in Hiroshima!

Matt’s Moment “Something in the Air” Words: Matthew Mangham

T

The question “Do you like Japan?” is one you’ll hear often, functioning as a rhetorical foot in the door for the more pressing, “What do you like about Japan?” More and more, that’s when I start talking music. Not J-Pop, or any one kind of music really. I mean the wonderful, absurd ways music intrudes on daily life in Japan.

“But there’s music everywhere,” you say. True, and perhaps I’m too easily won over, but I don’t recall ever being surprised in quite the same way back home. That surprise arises both from musical traditions entirely new to me and the way familiar songs are mugged and misplaced and given new meanings.

If you’re traveling, you may already be sick of jittery loops of koto music in temple gardens, or the irritating tune played ad nauseam on the trains. But listen a little longer, a little more carefully.

I remember the first time I heard “Auld Lang Syne” played over and over again to signal that it was time for all of us to clear the hell out of Sogo department store so they could mop the walls and wax the mannequins. I knew instantly what was wanted, and even if I hadn’t the sheer repetition would have driven me toward an exit.

Not long afterward I sat in a chain café, surrounded by pleasant middle-aged women leafing through furniture catalogs. From the speakers overhead, Trent Reznor groaned, “I want to fuck you like an animal.” I looked around, hoping in vain for a chat about what kind of animal Trent Reznor had in mind. Domestic turkey? The red-lipped batfish? I still feel cheated. And once, in a bakery in Ujina, I was assailed by a children’s choir singing something called “The Bible Tells Me to Be Healthy.”

I was buying a sticky cheese bun.

This time of year things get interesting. The BGM is never quite BG enough, is it? It’s loud, in fact, and I forgive you if your thoughts go wandering in the dark the next time you’re forced to live through “Last Christmas,” a song for which someone, somewhere, deserves to be beaten with a length of wet rope. On the other hand, I’m happy handing over Robert Burns in exchange for the unearthly gagaku that fills the air at New Years. The strange, insectile drone of the bamboo shō has never gone stale. It’s just too odd a thrill to get accustomed to, and I suspect that no matter how long I remain in Japan, it will always leave me feeling intensely alien.

New Year’s Eve is also the time to sit with my family watching NHK’s Kōhaku, a garish, four-hour “singing contest” pitting female against male artists. It’s also an annual testament to the pop music industry’s freedom from facile concerns like talent, originality, or even bare competence. Somehow, I’ve tricked myself into thinking this is fun, and so it is. At midnight NHK commences live coverage of temple bells across the country being tolled 108 times. This signals a mass descent on the local shrine to be cleansed of the old year’s evils, so that we can begin sinning afresh hours before the sun’s even up.

hopelessly in love with the dead. A handful of desolate old min’yō songs, heard late at night, have raised the hair at my nape like no other music ever has.

And you may not like karaoke, but be assured that karaoke adores you, especially after that third beer.

Particularly for the traveler, refusing to grace some steamy little bar with your own, onliest spin on “Tiny Dancer” is a bit mean-spirited, no?

A fair number of bars and cafés serve, in part, as places for the owners to share their record collections.

Japan is susceptible to musical fads, and as each wave breaks and recedes, the shore is littered with stranded diehards. Once you have several thousand recordings of fado or funk or British folk, what else is there to do but open shop? Murakami Haruki’s defunct jazz bar Peter Cat was one example. And where better to be on a gray afternoon than across the bar from a melancholy café proprietress, gazing into the murk of a half-drunk mug and listening to ballads about the drowning deaths of Lisbon prostitutes?

You get the point. Keep your ears open. And let us know if you hear anything good.

And don’t forget the gentler style of nightlife. I’m not wild about enka or other fading pop genres, but listening to Misora Hibari sing “Shina no Yoru” while drinking shōchu and hot water is the fastest way I know to fall

GetHiroshima / Winter 2014

/49

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

KAKI GOZEN (¥4,104 / inc. tax

13

and service charge) Lunch time only

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.

PEACE PARK

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]

KAISEKI Oyster course (lunch and dinner) ¥5,400 Various course menu available from ¥5,400

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 6F

¥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)!

PORT 3F

A AIR 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

sh

a-

oh

as

hi

sh

i

Kit

a-

Highwa

oh

as

Ushita Primary School

HAKUSHIMA NAKAMACHI PARK

Kabe

hi

San

yo

Yokogawa-1chome

ag aw a

nS hin do Gio

nd ab Ka

dori

hima-

-dori

ori

/

i

or

-d

ae

HIRATSUKA PARK

yak

e

11. Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary ArtEkima Hiroshima Chuo Post Office

Kokutaiji Fuji Grand (1F entrance) High School Shopping

Ts

uru

Naka Ward Center Office

mib

as

hi

Takeya Shopping And Alice Garden, Kinzagai Shopping Street, Hiroshima Primary Shiyakusho-mae School Center Sky Walk

Ts

Escalator

Danbara Shopping Center

High School Hall Airport,CityMomijihonjin Souvenir Shop at Miyajima-guchi Port etc KOKUTAIJI

PARK

Takeya Primary School

igo -do ri

Danbara-1chome

10

mib

as

hi

11 Hijiyama Primary School Sky Walk

Escalator

Danbara Shopping Center

Hij

iya

ma

Hijiyamabashi

hi N

bas

hi

Takanobashi HIGASHI SENDA PARK

Hij

iya

dori

me-

ishizu

Ta Shopkanobash ping i Stre et

uru

hi

as

ob

ish

Ta

HIJIYAMA PARK Hijiyamashita

Fuji Grand

Kokutaiji Junior

Hiroshima

HIRATSUKA PARK

ori

dori Jizo-

Hijiyamashita

i

or

d e-

zu-d MATSUGAWA ori PARK

COSTCO

i

hi hi as bas Hig ima sh

o Hir

um

im Ek

Och

O

Danbara-1chome

terdoro room) 10. Hiroshima City Manga Library (2F reading HIJIYAMA PARK o

Hiroshima Mall

Geibi Line

ash

iwa-o

-dor

MAZDA ZOOM ZOOM STADIUM

ae-d

Yanagibashi

hi

as

ob

ish

Ta

Ekim

ori

shi

(Bunka Koryu Kaikan) (1F front desk lobby) He

Enryuji Temple (Tokasan)

Matoba-cho

e

Inarioha

Hiroshima Mall

Enryuji Temple (Tokasan)

Pea ce B 9. Urabukuro Shopping Street lvd Chuden-mae /H

oM

ma

Hijiyamabashi

bas

hi

Hiroshima City’s official free WiFi service

1. Tap “settings”, open the Wi-Fi settings screen, and turn on the Wi-Fi option.

2.

From the list of wireless networks shown, select SSID “Hiroshima_Free_Wi-Fi”.

3. Follow the instructions.

After agreeing to the Terms of Service, you can connect to the Internet easily after registering with just your name and email address.

On connecting, the “Adventure Travel on the Wi-Fi” download screen will automatically appear. From here it is possible to access any desired online content.

o-d

bon

Ake hi

s nba

ji

Ko

ny

ain Inari-machi Lin

bori-d

Chuo

Nam

Momiji Bank

sen

wab

ori

ae-d

Ekim

-dori

ri iki-do

i

i-dor

nbor

Yage

Naga

MATSUGAWA PARK

hi hi as bas Hig ima h os Hir

-dori

Hiroshima Bank

Shinkan

ibas

Mei

dan

Sa

Kanayama-cho

Yagen

ori

wa-do

reka

ori

iki-d

Nam

Shirakami

hi

bas

jin

Ko

Sanyo

Kyobashi

i

Matoba-cho

Butsu

PARK

Shrine ashi 8.

Hiroshima City Crystal Cultural Exchange Hall Plaza

a-oh

Ek ob ima as e hi

Hakus

ri

shim

Haku

Ek ob ima as e hi

En

GARDEN

Yanagibashi PARK

ri

Motoy

i

School

dori

HIGASHI SENDA i PARK jibash

Funairi-saiwaicho

dori

Enkobashi-cho

onsh o-idori ba

Enkobashi-cho HASHIMOTOCHO ori o-d PARK bon Ake Ebisu-cho

Labi

Hiroshima Station

Hiroshima Bank

Akeb

sh koba

ri

ashi

HOW TO SIGN UP TO USE HIROSHIMA FREE WI-FI bashTakanobashi i

sha-

) Inari-machi

Inarioh

Plaza

Bank of

-dor

me-

iyoshi

Hiroshima Bank

Momiji Bank

i

Enko

Miyuk

Shin-meiji bashi

Rijo-d

wa

atsuga

ori

a-do

a)

aw

tag

u-o

Ky

a(

aw

nk

i

udan

ishizu

Sum

ash

ove

(1F multipurpose hall)

Heiw

OTEMACHI PARK 2

hib

Buts

PARCO

Don Quijotte SHINTENCHI PARK

Otemachi

Ta Shopkanobash ping i Stre et

/ Den

or

NOBORIMACHI PARK

Japan 7. Former Bank of Japan Branch Don FukuromachiHiroshima FUKUROMACHI Fukuro-machi Quijotte SHINTENCHI Primary

ALICE GARDEN

/ PeaSEIBUKAGAN ce B RYOKUCHI PARK lvd / Hya ku m

KokutaijiCommercial Junior High School High School

KOKUTAIJI PARK

Hiroshima Station

Hatchobori

u-do

red Mitsukoshi (1F International Exchange Lounge) arca OTEMACHI Kanayama-cho Labi de

hi N

ashi

Meijib

Ho

ori a-d ijim

sh

Yo

Primary School

Tokyu Hands

Ebis

ori (c

UFJ Bank 4F

u-PARK dori 1

ibas

shi

dori

Kyobashi

ond

Ebisu-cho Mitsubishi Tokyo

dori

Ebis

)

eter

us

dori

Shinsei Bank

HASHIMOTOCHO PARK

sha-

Memorial Cathedral for World Peace

Hiroshima Bank

Aioi-

-d

Fukuya

Kam iy bas anagi hi

Noborimachi Primary School

2

JR HIROSHIMA STATION

ku

JR HIROSHIMA STATION

Fukuya

Kam iy bas anagi hi

PARCO Hiroshima (central plaza vicinity) 6. Kamiya-cho Shareo Information Former ALICE

cade

PARK

Tsuchiya Hospital

a-o-

Kokutaiji High School

Shin-sum iyoshi bashi

shiba

Primary School

roz

PARK

Noborimachi Primary

School Mizuho Memorial Cathedral Bank for World Peace Hiroshima Bank Sun Mall

Sumitomo NOBORIMACHI Mitsui PARK Hondori Bank Hatchobori

Tokyu Hands

/ Den

Fukuya

PARK

ed ar

Miyuk

Shin-meiji bashi

Naka Ward Office Nakajima

Hiroshima City Hall

Funairi-honmachi

n-sumiyosh i bashi

Rijo-d

awa yatsug Moto

Chuo Post Office

Kozaki Primary

dori

-dori

Tera )

wa

ga

-ota

yu a (K aw nk

a agaw Tenm ori a-d ijim sh

Yo

i

School Otemachi Commercial High School Shiyakusho-mae

Aioi-

Heiw

Yo

SOGO

Nishi

-d Temple or i

Momiji Bank

Fukuya 5. International Conference Center Hiroshima Mitsukoshi H

Shinsei Bank

Hiroshima

Aster Plaza Hiroshima

East Office

ho

TOBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

KAMI NOBORIMACHI PARK

SHINKANSEN Onaga Primary School

Jo

Hijiyama-dori

ash

h YMCA oku

TOBUKAGAN

NOBORIMACHI (Kencho)

(1F general counter vicinity)

asu i bash

Sak

a

Nakajima Primary School

hib

(3F)

i

aw

Bunka Koryu

Momiji Bank

Kaikan

3

Crystal Plaza

Chokakuji Temple

YMCA

oy Tate-machi Mot

Kaikan Chuden-mae

Nak Kan ajima zaki bas hi

KYUGUCHIMON PARK

or

Futaba Junior High School

i

sh aeba

Jogakuin Hiroshima High School Bank

SHINKANSEN

Youth House) 4. AsterRijoPlaza (Hiroshima International Tate-machi

nk bas awa hi

7

Jo

-d

Hiroshim Bank Noborimachi Junior High School

higawa

us

Jogakuin Junior High School

i

Kyobas

roz

or

Jogakuin-mae

KYUGUCHIMON

Jogakuin High School

3. Hondori ShoppingKamiyacho Street Kamiyacho Higashi

9

Funairi-machi

Junior High School

Hiroshima

Prefectural Office East Office

PEACE Mitsubishi Tokyo Hondo ri (c UFJ Bank 4F over

Shirakami Shrine

SEIBUKAGAN RYOKUCHI PARK

Yo

i

Prefectural Prefectural Naka Underground Plaza) (vicinity) RYOKUCHI (South Post Exit, Office Office KAMI Office PARK

Hiroshima Ho Bank

Fukuro-machi

ashi

ri

Jogakuin-mae

Information Former Nishi Plaza Bank of -h obas eiwa Japan hi Fukuromachi FUKUROMACHI

a-oh

OTEMACHI PARK 2

-d

Hijiyama-dori

Aster Plaza

ba

Noborimachi Municipal Hospital

igawa

4

ta

n-dor

Kyobash

Bunka Koryu Kaikan

Fu

Jona

ba

kog

machi

i

Legal Administration Office

Cinematographic andSHUKKEIEN GARDEN Audio-visual Tennis courts Library

ta

Tetsudo Hospital

Shukkeien-mae

Junior Schoolof the as hi (1F Free RestJogakuin Lounge and High part entrance lobby) eb Saka

n-do

Fu

SHUKKEIEN GARDEN

Katei Saibansho-mae

a

ash

Kokuchiso Detention Center

aw

neh

Heiw

Immigration Office

Kencho-mae PARK Station Chuo Bus 2.

Tourist Information Center, JRPoliceHiroshima Station Center Chokakuji Genbaku Dome-mae

Kamiyacho Higashi

Sumitomo Mitsui Bank

Hondori

OTEMACHI PARK 1

1

Tetsudo Hospital

hi

Gokoku-jinja Shrine

kog

8

Mifu

Nak Kanz ajima akib ashi

Jona

Chuo Police Station

Prefectural Office (Kencho)

HONKAWA

PEACE PARK

Tsuchiya Hospital

(3F)

6

PARK Kamiyacho Nishi Mizuho Bank Rijo Kaikan Sun Mall

Dobashi

Nish i-h obas eiwa hi

as

Hei

-dori

machi

Honkawa Kencho-mae Bus Primary Center School

SOGO

u oyas Mot shi ba

5

Katei Saibansho-mae

En

Midor ohas i hi

ab

as Pagoda hi

Toshogu Shrine

PARK 1. HANOVER Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Hiroshima

shi

Hiroshima Naka Post Office

Ho nk bas awa hi

o-dori

kiw

Toshogu Shrine

Peace

ab

En

Heiwa-

Kokuchiso Detention Center To

Legal Administration Office

Aioiba

Genbaku Dome-mae

Ho

Dobashi

kiw

TeishinShrine Hospital

LOCATIONS:

and Audio-visual Honkawa-cho Tennis courts Library

-dori Tera

machi

HONKAWA PARK

Hakushima

Shukkeien-mae

Ai

Hirode Tenm n a bashi

Motomachi Primary School

Immigration Office

Tokaichi-machi Cinematographic

Tokaichi-machi

oibas ENOMACHI hi PARK

Hakushima Primary School

Hakushima

Outdoor Family Pool Open July-August

Hiroshima Municipal Hospital

Honkawa PrimaryKoami-cho School

ri

Hiroshima Castle

Teishin Hospital

Outdoor Family Pool Open July-August

Tenm bash a i

ri

Hakushima Primary School

SORAZAYA PARK

HANOVER PARK

Tenma-cho

-do

Castle

Motomachi Primary School

Honkawa-cho

miyo

Motomachi Senior High School

Gokoku-jinja Shrine

shi

Motomachi Senior High School

Pea Pago

Kinko Inari Shrine

-do

Kinko Inari

oku

Chuo

Nak ahir o-d ori

ori Hirose ba

sen

Sorazay Hiroshima abashi

Tera-machi

Sorazayabashi

SORAZAYA PARK

sen

Aiming for more than 300 access points by end of March 2015!

Hirose Primary School

CHUO PARK

shi

Joh

Nakahiro ohashi

Aioi-d

kan

CHUO PARK

HIROSEKITA PARK

Tera-machi

hin

kan

FUTABAYAMA RYOKUCHI PARK To

dori

Hirose Primary School

oS

Betsuin-mae

HIROSEKITA PARK

Jonan-

oku

do

ny

i

hin

Sa

sh

hin

FUTABAYAMA RYOKUCHI PARK Joh

Johoku

ine

Jizo-d

Te nm Yoko ga bash wa i

Sh Yoko in gawa bashi

a)

in L

w

ga

ta

-o

yu

(K

Johoku

a aw

aw

nk

Ho

Betsuin-mae

Te nm ag

a

Ma

a igaw

Yokogawa-1chome

ba

yo

Gio nS

Yoko ga bash wa i

sa

San

oS

a hit hi Us bas o

h bas Kyo

M

isa

Ho

ny

HAKUSHIMA NAKAMACHI PARK

n

Sh Yoko in gaw bashi a

Nakahiro Junior High School

ine

Sa

i

as hi

a

w ka

in L

sh

w

ga

ta

-o

yu

(K

a)

ba

wa higa bas

sa

Kyo

isa

JR YOKOGAWA STATION

Yokogawa-eki

Ma

M

Hakushima

Hiroshima Jogakuin University

a hit hi Us bas o

ri

nkansen

Sanyo Shi

a-do

e

y

Lin

Yokogawa-eki

Ka nd ab as hi

n Line

Sanyo Mai

Hakushima

Gion Shin do

JR YOKOGAWA STATION

ekaw

ba

ibash i

uo

Kohe

Ota ga (dra wa-h osu ina iro ge c an al)

Ry

Nakahiro Junior High School

Ushita Primary School

Gion

Kit

USHITA PARK

Kabe

i

Nagar

iba

Highw

ak

ay

ine

Mit

Download the app to help you get the most out of your stay in Hiroshima!