This week was very travel-oriented. We spent this week traveling to Hiroshima and Kyoto, visiting many different types of historical sites while we went. After our trip as a group, I went back to Hiroshima to visit a friend and explore more of the city.
While at the Itsukushima Shrine, I felt as if I really understood why the Japanese people value order and harmony. The area was very lush and green, and the various buildings and stone monuments within the shrine felt as if they were a part of nature. Just by walking though the shrine, I felt at ease and peaceful. I understood why the Japanese people valued this place as a spiritual location long ago, as described on the whatever shrine website. While walking through, I wondered if America had anything similar to the Itsukushima shrine. I wasn’t able to come up with any sort of monument that blends architecture and nature as seamlessly. I also found it difficult to think of an American monument with as much spiritual significance.
On Tuesday, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. I had anticipated that this visit would be difficult, and it was. It was upsetting to read the diary entries of children and parents who were struggling to find their loved ones, and it was also difficult to learn about the aftereffects of the bombing. During our discussions, we questioned why there wasn’t a similar sort of monument in the US. We felt that we hadn’t learned just how catastrophic the bombing was. While I tried to look for some of the victimization that Orr described, I found that the museum was much more focused on setting an example. The museum served as a tribute to peace, and helps us realize how terrible nuclear weapons are so we can avoid using them again in the future.
I found the Ryoanji temple to be very peaceful and relaxing. While I walked through the temple, I found it similar to some of the National Parks within the United States. While our national parks do not have the same sort of religious backing, I think that both emphasize the appreciation of nature and our earth. The amount of greenery reminded me of Washington and actually made me feel a little homesick. Compared to some of the other shrines and temples we have visited, I felt that the Ryoanji temple was the most integrated into our natural environment. I wondered if this was because of the more rural location, or because of buddhist religious values.
On the weekend, I traveled back to Hiroshima to visit a friend of mine. It was very nice to be able to travel with someone who fluently speaks Japanese. I felt that I was able to have a more authentic experience in Hiroshima because I was able to communicate better. We went to restaurants and shops I otherwise wouldn’t have gone into because I couldn’t read the signs or menus. One of the things I noticed immediately is how people treated us, but specifically how they treated him. People assumed that I was his girlfriend most of the time, and would talk about me in Japanese so I couldn’t understand. My friend explained to me that other men were “impressed” that he had “gotten” a white girl. It was strange to learn that even in Japan, being white is beneficial. The other thing I noticed was how I was treated as a white woman. When people spoke to us, they wouldn’t look at or talk to me at all, only talking to my friend. Occasionally, they’d look at me to size me up, but otherwise I was invisible. I would hear comments about my appearance, but I was not included in the conversation. I think that this is reflective of the sexism that still exists in Japanese society. However, I have definitely experienced this type of treatment in America, even when I speak the same language as everyone else. I think that the world as a whole needs to work on its treatment of women, both legally and socially.