Hana Hostel is a family friendly hostel located in Kyoto and Hiroshima. In this blog, Our working staff will post something interesting or useful for guests at random times. We may drop some cheesy small talks, though ...
So let's start !
As Tomoko wrote in the previous blog,I'm finishing job here in this April and leaving to Spain next month.
In September 2008,I started to work at J-Hoppers Hiroshima as a cleaner and worked there as a regular staff about 6 months from January 2009.After that,I transferred to Hana Hostel and worked there until the end of this April.It has been a real plesure to work at both J-Hoppers and Hana hostel.Also,I was very happy to meet people who are from different countries.
I would like to say thank you to all staff members of Hana Hostel and J-Hoppers.I was very lucky to be able to work with them! and I will never forget time I worked with them.
This watch is a gift from the staff members. I will take the watch and set to the local time in Spain!
When I look at the watch,I will think of J-Hoppers and Hana Hostel.
Hi there, I'm Mamoru, a staff member of Hana hostel. Today I'd like to tell you a sad story, but it's something what we - people in Hiroshima - need to tell you.
I was born and grew up in Hiroshima. My grand mother is one of the survivors of the A-bomb in Hiroshima in 1945. Her sister was killed by the bomb, even now her ashes have not been found. My grand mother was always crying whenever she talks about that.
I'm the 3rd A-bombed generation.
Since my parents were a two-earner couple, my grand mother reared me, tenderly, until I was 6 years old. I had heard some stories from her of how terrible the injures from the bomb were and how she survived them like a nursery song.
Now she is 90 years old and still living, but she can't tell the stories of A-bomb anymore, she developed dementa 5 years ago. She forgets everything - even her name - and now she spends her days in peace and quiet in an asylum.
Only a few people are living to tell the tales of the horrible A-bomb now.
Recently I have read an article in a local newspaper. That was about "Voices of the survivors of A-bomb is now in web site". I found that this is what I should up load in this blog to show history of Hiroshima.
The web site is VOSHN.com (Voices of the survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki).
In this website, you can listen 9 voices of survivors with English subtitles, and can watch 18 movies of survivors. In the movies survivors tell stories in English by themselves.
This website was created by Itou Akihiko who died at age 75 last March. He compiled over 1000 voices of survivors traveling with a 13kg sound recording machine and to over 21 prefectures from Aomori to Okinawa for 8 years starting in 1971. I think this website is made from his devotion to leave messages for posterity.
I wish you could feel something about history of Hiroshima from this website.
[Voices of the survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki] VOSHN.com
Cherry blossoms are starting to bloom all over Hiroshima!! Yesterday I went " Hanami " which means cherry blossom viewing to CHU PEA park and KINTAI KYO(Iwakuni).
CHU PEA park is near Miyajima. You get off at the next station after Miyajima, and it's about 10 min walk. They have many types of cherry blossoms.
Actually, it wasn't fully bloomed. But it was still beautiful.
This is a hanging cherry blossom. The whole picture of the hanging cherry blossom is the first picture at the top.
After visiting this park, I went to Kintai-kyo in Iwakuni. This place one of the major viewing spots in Japan. Iwakuni is also a very nice place for a day trip. Very easy access from Hana Hostel.
Please don't miss this beautiful season for cherry blossoms!
The other day,I went to a nice place with live music that is called "Jazz Club Bird". This club has the nice atmosphere and you can enjoy nice jazz music which are selected by the owner before live music.
Usually,local musicans perform at the club.
However, occasionally Japanese professional jazz musicians come for performances.
I could see wonderful performances by pro musicians that date and enjoyed the luxurious time.
In the central of Hiroshima city,there are some places with live music.
For more information about clubs of Hiroshima, please click here!
The way from Hiroshima station to Mazda baseball stadium is commonly called "Carp Road" (the Hiroshima Toyo Carp are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League). Just in the backside of the Carp Road, there is our Hana Hostel.
There is a rāmen shop which shows a big signboard to the Carp Road. The name is "Ouenya" which means "The Supporters" in Japanese. The name just matches the place, doesn't it? On the day of a baseball game, it's teeming with people.
The menu is mainly three kinds, a pork bone broth rāmen, a Kure style cold noodle, and a Hiroshima style cold noodle. Some tidbits and sakes are on the menu, so you can enjoy drinking after watching a baseball game.
The photo is "a carp rāmenshirodama (white ball)" You'll like it if you like kotteri (thick) soup ramen. The Kure style cold noodle and the Hiroshima style cold noodle are also nice.
It's open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. , last call is 10:30 p.m. If you would like to try Hiroshima style rāmen, we recommend you to go "Ouenya". It's two minutes walk from Hana Hostel.
The most surprising thing that I saw was a Huge building about the size of Hiroshima railway station.( I was exaggerating?)where electricity was manufactured. From out side ,it looked scary, however once inside, I felt peaceful within me. It was indeed very quiet and comforting.
I didn’t know anything about this Island until I read Chika’s blog. I was embressed by hot knowing about this Island.
I highly recommend for those who wat to know more about would war 2 to visit this Island.
The other day I got a week off. I went to Nagano to attend my brother's wedding party, and went to Tokyo to see my friends.
I am not a rain bringer but it rained and snowed all the time except for 1 day out of 5 days. Even the day I was going to go back to Hiroshima, the weather in Tokyo was alright but the weather in Hiroshima was bad. So they announced that the flight might be canceled or, it might land in Osaka or turn back to Tokyo even if it flew. But, it flew and successfully landed in Hiroshima.
During a flight, the captain announced that you can see Mt. Fuji on your left side in 5 minutes. I got my camera out and got ready, but he never announced again about it! So I almost missed a chance to take a shot! But here is what I took.
In Hiroshima,the plum trees have only partially blossomed so far. You can enjoy plum-blossoms viewing in the Shukkeien Garden.
The plum trees will be in bloom until early March.
I went to the Shukkeien Garden last weekend and found some beautiful plum-blossoms then.
I could not remember that when was the last time I went there, so I felt as if I visited there for the first time and it was fun walking in the garden.
The garden was bigger than I expected and also
it was a peaceful place with song of birds.
There are some benches in the garden,so you can have a long break there!! Why don't you go on an outing for plum-blossom viewing?!
