Day 6 - Hiroshima - 14 Dec 2016

We had breakfast at the hotel at 8am. At about 915am, we set off for the Mazda Museum where we did a guided English tour.

Shortly after we arrived, the guide led us up a coach and en route to the museum, she introduced the different facilities within the Mazda compound. Photography was strictly prohibited. About 15 minutes later, we reached the Mazda Museum. The guide showed us the history of Mazda by presenting to us its first three-wheeled truck. She then went on to introduce a few of its others old models. Next, she showed us their rotary engine technology and its latest SkyActiv technology. What impressed me most was their assembly line. Many different models are produced on that singular line. Some parts of the assembly process are automated and some are done by workers. I began to appreciate the hard work behind the end product by watching the assembly effort. Also, the guide showed us the future of Mazda and their next-generation vehicles such as cars using hydrogen for power. We ended the tour by watching a video of Mazda's history and how it continues to evolve.

The coach took us back to Mazda's office. We took a short coffee break as we got some discount (probably entitled to it as we were one of its tour participants) for Tully's coffee and I got myself a cup of latte. It was a good break to rest our legs before continuing on our journey in the afternoon.

We stopped by at Fresta supermarket for about half an hour where we did some supermarketing. Half an hour was all it took us.

We got back to the hotel and dropped off our cars. We then walked to Hakata Ippudo and had ramen for lunch. No question about its taste and quality. I gobbled down within minutes after it was served.

Next, we visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It was informative but sad to learn about the effects of the atomic bombing. There were stories of people who survived but because of the effect of radiation, passed away ten years later. It was depressing to see the torn and tattered clothings and shoes of the victims being on display. One of the exhibits was the gory scene after the atomic blast and it depicted some mannequins whose skins melted off.

We then walked around the Peace Memorial Park where the cenotaph for the A-bomb victims was located. We also saw the A-bomb Dome (formerly known as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industial Promotion Hall) which is now designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site. It now serves as a memorial of the tragic bombing that happened at 815am on August 6, 1945.

At about 5pm, the kids then had MacDonald at a nearby shopping arcade. We shopped around and bought some gifts and stuff. After that, our family decided to have early dinner at about 630pm. We settled for our dinner at Tinto which serves Italian food. Finally, a change after 5 days of Japanese meals. After dinner, we got back to our hotel.

After showering the kids and getting them to bed, I wrote this post and went to bed after that.