Miyajima a gateway to traditional attractions

It was a dream come true when I spotted O Torii (Grand Gate) as the ferry neared the island of Miyajima. I recalled a session during my first year in architecture school that discussed the gate as an example of special ways to greet visitors.

O Torii is the gate to Itsukushima Shinto shrine, but you cannot walk through it because it stands in the sea, some 200 meters in front of the shrine's main hall.

The complex itself is built on stilts on the beach so during high tide you might think the shrine is floating on the sea.

It was built in the first half of the 6th century, but general Taira-no-Kiyomori remodelled it into the present structure in 1168. The shrine and O Torii are easily recognizable for the bright vermilion color, showing the artistic beauty of the Shinden architecture style.

Walking out from the ferry terminal along the shore, visitors will soon be greeted by a herd of tame deer on the way to the shrine (tame they may be, but they can get quite aggressive in their pursuit of a snack).

The shrine itself is a formal, symmetrical wooden structure with hallways connecting sections to the main hall. There is an open deck in front of the main hall with a direct view to O Torii, and a raised stage on the terrace for Shinto religious festivals.

One of the most dramatic festivals is the Kangen-sai music festival, held annually in July or August, featuring court dances and music. During the festival, the Itsukushima deity is taken on a boat journey to visit other shrines located on the nearby islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

Itsukushima shrine was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. In addition, the Japanese government also designated 30-square-kilometer Miyajima Island, about a one-hour ferry ride from Hiroshima, a special historic site and a special place of scenic beauty.

Leaving Itsukushima, there is the Daiganji Buddhist temple to the right and the Homotsukan Treasure Hall to the left. Two celestial guardians stand watch at Daiganji's gate, believed to curse visitors who have committed evil deeds in the past.

The Homotsukan Treasure Hall displays the Heike clan's Buddhist sutras as well as treasures dedicated by clan members to the Itsukushima shrine as prayers for prosperity.

The collection has 130 works of arts (paintings, sculptures and handicrafts) designated as important cultural properties by the Japanese government.

Close by is the Senjokaku shrine and its five-storied pagoda. The shrine, also known as Hokoku shrine, is a library of Buddhist sutras built by Hideyoshi Toyotomi for the war dead.

The 27-meter-high pagoda was built in 1407 in a blend of Japanese and Chinese architecture. There is a full-color image of Buddha on the inside wall.

Take a cable car to Mt. Misen; the mountain stands at 530 meters above sea level and offers a magnificent view of the island. The mountain itself is considered sacred.

At the foot of the mountain is Momijidani Park, covered by primeval forest. It is best to visit the park in autumn as there will be a splendid view of red-tinted maple leaves. From spring to early summer, cherry blossoms provide more magnificent scenery.

As for souvenirs, visitors can buy the popular confectionery momiji manju in the shape of maple leaves and shakushi senbei (rice scoop-shaped crackers).

The island is renowned for its method of making the wooden rice scoop, devised by a Buddhist priest named Seishin. The particular technique ensures that the scent of the wood is not transferred to the rice. The scoop is also used as a good luck talisman.

Published on The Jakarta Post on Sunday, November 23, 2003

Hiroshima: Peace reigns in a city with a shadowed past

All of us know about the terrible fate of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first and only victims of atomic bombs that were dropped during the waning days of World War II.

During a brief visit to Hiroshima recently, I learned more. Unfortunately for the city, an important military and industrial hub during the war, its size and topography made it a suitable place to observe the enormity of the big bomb.

The legend of the phoenix, who resurrects itself from the ashes, is perhaps the most suitable metaphor for Hiroshima rebuilding itself from the rubble of that act.

Today, it is the largest and most vital city in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions, its Aioi-dori avenue packed with modern buildings and shopping malls.

Hiroshima's long history began with Terumoto Tori, the lord of the Chugoku region, who started constructing Hiroshima castle in 1589 on the Otagawa river delta. After being ruled by a succession of clans, the Meiji Restoration restored power to the imperial court in the mid-19th century.

Hiroshima was granted city status in April 1872 when the feudal divisions of Japan were replaced by the prefectural system. It gained its military importance during the Sino-Japanese war that began in 1894 and the Russo-Japanese war in 1904.

Today, much of that history is overlooked, superseded by its status as a potent global symbol of peace, with the slogan, "No More Hiroshimas".

Its history through the fateful bombing of Aug. 6, 1945, is shown at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in the Peace Memorial Park on the northern tip of Nakajima islet.

There is the famous Genbaku Dome, or Atomic-bomb Dome, across the Motoyasu river from the islet.

The museum consists of East and West buildings. Visitors start the journey from the East wing, with photo panels and models presenting the city's history before and after the bombing.

The West building concentrates on grim artifacts from Aug. 6 -- charred summer uniforms, a charred lunchbox, even human remains shriveled by the intense radiation. On the way out, there is a section where visitors can write their own message of peace.

The park also houses many sculptures and other monuments to remember the victims and survivors. The cenotaph for the A-bomb victims is easily recognized by its saddle-shaped structure.

There is a stone coffin under the cenotaph, recording all the dead, with the inscription: "Let all the souls here rest in peace; For we shall not repeat the evil".

Hiroshima's mayor is kept busy, not only with daily affairs but also in making sure there is no repeat of the tragedy that befell the city.

A collection of letters from mayors protesting nuclear or atomic testing are also part of the monument.

The Children's Peace Monument, also known as the Tower of a Thousand Cranes, is in the park, consisting of a bell inside a three-legged bombshell-like structure.

It commemorates junior high school student Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia on Oct. 25, 1955. She had hoped to recover from her illness by folding paper cranes.

Since then, school students have made a pilgrimage to the site, bringing paper cranes to remember her struggle for life. On top of the nine-meter monument, there is a statue of a girl stretching her arms up in the air holding a golden crane.

But the city's present is also notable for travelers.

Manga (comics) lovers will find the Hiroshima City Manga Library a must visit while car lovers should stop by the Mazda Museum and the Hiroshima City Transportation Museum.

Sushi, sashimi and udon noodles have become Japan's contributions to global cuisine, but Hiroshima is known for oysters and its okonomiyaki, a combination of pancake and noodles, stuffed with the diner's choice of ingredients and served with a special thick sauce.

The downtown district of Shintenchi is the place to get the dish, skillfully prepared before customers' eyes on a hot metal griddle.

Published on The Jakarta Post on Sunday, November 23, 2003