Relaxed Focus: December 21, 2008

Day 2 starts with a daytime visit to the Genbaku Dome.

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Note the crane - symbol of peace in Japan, kind of - who's taken up his place in one of the windows.

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The hypocenter/ground zero of the bomb is now a hospital. Appropriate, that.

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Hiroshima streetcars.

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I'm the one with 4 years at the Naval Academy and 5 years in the Marines, but my wife is the one who wants to visit, not one, but two military themed museums.

First up, the Yamato Museum.

Yamato Museum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Yamato Museum is a nickname of the 'Kure Maritime Museum' in Kure, Hiroshima, Japan.

...It is called the Yamato Museum due to the display in the lobby of the large model ship Yamato Hiroba, a 1/10 scale model of the Japanese battleship Yamato."

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I mock Neptune. Without fear.

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Japanese battleship Yamato - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"IJN Yamato (大和), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, and flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet. She was lead ship of her class. She and her sister ship the IJN Musashi were the largest, heaviest, and most powerful battleships ever constructed, displacing 72,800 tonnes at full load, and armed with nine 46 cm (18.1 inch) main guns."

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Manned torpedoes. Suicide weapons. You know, the psychology of Japan at war is actually pretty freaking disturbing.

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Kaiten - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Kaiten (Japanese: 回天, translated 'Turning of the Heavens' or 'Reverse Destiny') was a torpedo modified as a suicide weapon, and used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of the Second World War."

[That's it below, with Sandy getting her learn on.]

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The deservedly feared Japanese Zero.

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A6M Zero - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Mitsubishi A6M Zero was a lightweight fighter aircraft operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (IJNAS) from 1940 to 1945... The A6M was usually referred to by the Allies as the "Zero"...

Its history mirrored that of the Empire of Japan in World War II. When it was introduced, the Zero was the best carrier-based fighter in the world and it was greatly feared by Allied pilots. The IJNAS also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. A combination of excellent maneuverability and very long range made it one of the finest fighters of its era. In early combat operations, the Zero gained a legendary reputation, outclassing its contemporaries. Later, design weaknesses and the increasing scarcity of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer fighters. By 1942, due to the evolution of new tactics and techniques, Allied pilots were able to engage the Zero on more equal terms. By 1943, American and British manufacturers were producing fighters with greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approaching the Zero's maneuverability. The Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, but remained in production. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was utilized in kamikaze operations."

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Kairyu class submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Kairyu (海龍, Kairyū?, 'Sea Dragon') was a class of midget submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed in 1943–1944, and produced from the beginning of 1945. These submarines were meant to meet the invading American naval forces upon their anticipated approach of Tokyo."

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Sandy is the master of all pink submarine mock-ups. That is all.

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It being the Yamato Museum, there's a whole section devoted to the manga/anime Space Battleship Yamato [Star Blazers in English].

One of Sandy's first crushes was apparently on the lead character. But I'm not jealous.

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Space Battleship Yamato - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Space Battleship Yamato (宇宙戦艦ヤマト, Uchū Senkan Yamato) is a Japanese science fiction anime series and the name of its eponymous space craft...

The release of Space Battleship Yamato is often cited as the beginning of the Golden Age of Anime..."

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Befitting the Space Battleship Yamato theme, there were some space related shenanigans.

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Lunch!

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Half the fun of traveling is the food.

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Youme Town now has its own Navy.

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Kidding. That's actually the front of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force Museum.

JMSDF Kure Museum:

"JMSDF Kure Museum is established to introduce and exhibit submarines and minesweeping just as JMSDF HISTORY MUSEUM SASEBO and AIR BASE KANOYA MUSEUM exhibit surface ship and aircraft, respectively.

The aim of the museum is to educate Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) personnel and promote understanding by the public of JMSDF through extensive PR activities by exhibiting and preserving materials owned by JMSDF as well as contribute to coexistence with the region."

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Sandy, much stronger than she looks.

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Japan actually has some extensive minesweeping operations. Really appropriate to the Japanese mentality, imho.

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Even the military is cute in Japan.

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Our last Hiroshima cultural event was eating up some okonomiyaki. I'd had it once before, and didn't particularly care for it, but having it made Hiroshima style - much better than Kansai style, imho - made all the difference in the world. Delicious.

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Okonomiyaki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, Okonomiyaki) is a Japanese dish consisting of a pan-fried batter cake and various ingredients. Okonomi means 'what you like' or 'what you want', and yaki means 'grilled' or 'cooked' (cf. yakitori and yakisoba); thus, the name of this dish means 'cook what you like'. In Japan, okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region.

...In Hiroshima, the ingredients are layered rather than mixed together. The layers are typically batter, cabbage, pork, optional items (squid, octopus, cheese, etc.), noodles (yakisoba, udon) topped with a fried egg and a generous dollop of okonomiyaki sauce. The amount of cabbage used is usually 3 - 4 times the amount of Osaka style. It starts out piled very high and is generally pushed down as the cabbage cooks. The order of the layers may vary slightly depending on the chef's style and preference, and ingredients will vary depending on the preference of the customer. People from Hiroshima tend to claim that this is the correct way to make okonomiyaki. This style is also called Hiroshima-yaki."

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That's all she wrote, folks. Two very full days.

Bright and early on Xmas day - catching the train from Fukuma to Hakata.

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Catching the shinkansen.

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Shinkansen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Shinkansen (新幹線, Shinkansen?) is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the 210 km/h (130 mph) Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network (2,459 km or 1,528 miles) has expanded to link most major cities on the islands of Honshū and Kyūshū at speeds up to 300 km/h. Test runs have reached 443 km/h (275 mph) for conventional rail in 1996, and up to a world-record 581 km/h (361 mph) for maglev trainsets in 2003."

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Why anyone travels by airplane in this country is beyond me. Spacious, peaceful, comfy... I dig on the shink.

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In Hiroshima an hour and a half or so later. Catching the ferry out to Miyajima/Itsukushima.

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We're going thataway.

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For the second year in a row we're hanging out at a World Heritage Site on Xmas. Last year was the Great Wall of China, this year it's Itsukushima Shrine.

Itsukushima - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Itsukushima (厳島, Itsukushima?) is an island in the Inland Sea of Japan. It is popularly known as Miyajima (宮島, Miyajima?), the Shrine Island. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was the town of Miyajima prior to the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi.

Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine."

Pic from the ferry.

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Said ferry.

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"Please pay special attention to your babies."

You can't make this stuff up.

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Proof the gods do smile on me. [HA!]

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Sandy teases the stone dogs. Later, they came to life, animated by the spirits of demons, killing 17.

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The famous torii gate. The slightly less famous Sandy.

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Creepy white horse statue with red eyes. No idea what that's about.

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Low tide.

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No idea who this dude is, but it makes for a dramatic shot, ne?

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The deer contemplates going into the shrine, then realizes it's "Exit Only."

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"Wonderful scenery is seen by least." Wait, what?

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"The people without time should be careful." Indeed.

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Hmmm.

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Monkeys are indeed around here.

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For Dad Snider.

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Saddest. Monkeys. Ever.

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Baby monkey!

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Pagoda coolness.

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Really low tide.

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Sandy gets her torii love-on.

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Oysters, a specialty in Hiroshima.

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Momiji Manju, another Hiroshima specialty.

Manjū - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Manjū (饅頭, Manjū?) is a popular traditional Japanese confection. There are many varieties of manjū, but most have an outside made from flour, rice powder and buckwheat and a filling of an (red bean paste), made from boiled azuki beans and sugar."

Chocolate, cheese, cream and azuki varieties.

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Sandy's manju haul.

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The day's second World Heritage Site [one last year, two this year... do we have to find a place with three next year?]

Hiroshima Peace Memorial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome (Japanese: 原爆ドーム Genbaku Dome), in Hiroshima, Japan, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996."

At night.