The Seto Naikai, or Inland Sea, from a peak on Miyajima

The Seto Naikai, or Inland Sea, from a peak on Miyajima

Hokule'a on the Inland Sea

Courtesy Kato Kosei.

On deck

Nainoa going over the sail plan

Turning the canoe with the steering paddle

Offshore off Miyajima

Swimming in a line to the Miyajima dock

Itsukushima Shrine

Itsukushima Shrine, on an island off Hiroshima commonly known as Miyajima, was founded in 593 A.D. and is dedicated to a kami (god) who protects against sea disasters and wars.

"The priest explained that there are bigger Shinto shrines in Japan, but the unique quality of Itsukushima is its construction over the water. The reason for this, he said, is that traditionally the whole island was considered a shrine, to which Itsukushima is the point of entry." (Ferrar)

Torii

The torii, just offshore of Itsukushima, marks the entrance to a sacred space. When the tide is high, the torii appears to be floating on the water.

"[The priest] also explained that the huge O-Torii (Photo Right) has no bracing structures and remains standing upright in the soft tidal flat purely by the downward force of its own massive weight. In addition, he said that the formation of the piers is designed to protect the shrine from the storm surges of frequent typhoons, such as the one that caused heavy damage on the island three years ago." (Ferrar)

Temple in Miyajima

Miyajima: crew folding paper cranes

"That night our gracious hostess at the temple, the head priest’s wife, showed a few of us how to fold paper cranes to give as offerings of peace at the atomic bombing memorial in Hiroshima the next day. She explained that her father had lived through the bombing as a child, and that it had caused to her be born with a heart defect caused by radiation mutation, a fact she was unaware of until she nearly died while giving birth to her daughter." (Ferrar)

Hiroshima, from a hilltop in Miyajima

Hiroshima, ("Wide island") (population 1.1 million), in Hiroshima Prefecture, from Miyajima Island. The city is built on islands in the delta of the Ota River on the southern coast of western Honshu. It is a major industrial area, with factories producing steel, rubber, ships, automobiles (Mazda is headquartered here), furniture, textiles, and canned foods.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the largest group of Japanese immigrants came to Hawai'i from Hiroshima prefecture to work on the sugar plantations.

On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima city became the target for the first Weapon of Mass Destruction, the atomic bomb known as "Little Boy." Out of a wartime population of 255,000, an estimated 140,000 people died, mainly civilians.

Hokule'a at Kanon Pier, Hiroshima

Photo by Kato Kosei.

Students greet Hokule'a at the Kanon Pier in Hiroshima

High school students greet Hokule'a at the Kanon Pier in Hiroshima. Courtesy of Kato Kosei.

Hiroshima: cheerleaders with Nainoa

Cheerleaders from a sister school of Moanalua High School in Honolulu talk with Nainoa at the dock. Courtesy Kato Kosei.

Miyajima fisherman with Maka

"One special participant [of the welcome party] was a wonderful 85-year-old fisherman who had greeted the canoe at Miyajima and promised there to bring some fish to the party. True to his word, he went out and caught 27 fish and fed us all!" (Caption by Derrek Ferrar; Photo by Kato Kosei).

Miyajima fisherman with Nainoa

“I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have you here, and to see how much you love the ocean,” [the fisherman] said. “For myself, I intend to go out to sea and fish until the end of my days" (Caption by Derrek Ferrar; Photo by Kato Kosei).

Crew visits a traditional fishing sail boat

“Utsumimaru,” a traditional fishing sailboat called utasebune. Photo by N. Yagi.

Hokule'a Crew in Hiroshima

Hokule'a crew in Hiroshima with the crew of “Utsumimaru,” a traditional fishing sailboat called utasebune. Photo by N. Yagi.

Aoi bridge and the atomic bomb dome

Aoi bridge, a T-shaped bridge at the fork of the Ota and Motoyasu rivers, provided the target of the first atomic bomb. The gutted ruins of the Industrial Promotion Hall, the so-called A-Bomb Dome, on the eastern bank of the Motoyasu, has been left as a reminder of the tragedy of imperialistic wars.

Atomic Bomb Dome

The gutted ruins of the Industrial Promotion Hall, the so-called A-Bomb Dome, on the eastern bank of the Motoyasu, has been left as a reminder of the tragedy of imperialistic wars.

Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome

Nainoa Thompson, Mike Taylor (behind Nainoa) and other crewmembers, listening to the story of
the atomic bombing and standing in front of the last remaining building destroyed by the atomic bomb. Photo courtesy Takashi Ichikura.

Children's Peace Monument

Visitors gather to ring the peace bell at the Children's Peace Monument near the Peace Museum and leave lei of a thousand folded paper cranes. "... we presented the paper cranes we had made at the beautiful Children's Peace Monument in the park. The paper cranes are a tradition started by Sadako Sasaki, a young girl afflicted with leukemia caused by radiation who had steadfastly folded 1,000 cranes ini hopes of a cure in her hospital bed before she died." The monument was built in memory of Sadako."

Sky presenting lei of cranes at the Peace Park

"... we presented the paper cranes we had made at the beautiful Children’s Peace Memorial sculpture in the park, a tradition started by a young girl afflicted with leukemia caused by radiation who had steadfastly folded 1,001 cranes for peace in her hospital bed before she died." (Ferrar)

Flowers at the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Memorial

"...we visited an arch under which lies a stone casket containing a registry of the names of the 140,000 souls who died in the immediate aftermath of the bombing, and the 100,000 more who died later from the effects of radiation. Led by the youngest crew member, Sky Takemoto, we each presented flowers at the arch." Crew members placed flowers at the memorial to the men, women, and children who died in the first use in history of a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD): on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped by an American warplane on Hiroshima; 140,000 of the 255,000 people in the city, mainly civilians, perished.

Nainoa, Chadd, and Maka at the Memorial

This picture shows Captain/Navigator Nainoa Thompson, Captain/Navigator Chadd Paishon and Watch Captain Maka Makanani laying flowers at the cenotaph in Hiroshima's Peace Park wherein the names of the victims of the atomic bomb blast are recorded. Each member of the crew laid flowers and prayed individually or in two's and three's, then the crew chanted in unison. To the left of the cenotaph, you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few structures left standing after the attack, now a memorial to remind us of the catastrophe. Photo by Mike Taylor, Captain, Kama Hele.

Nanea and Sky presenting flowers at the peace memorial

"At the museum, I asked Nainoa his reflections on the significance of bringing Hokule`a to a place that is such a powerful symbol of the horror that humans beings can – and still do – inflict on one another.

"I think an experience like this really rocks you into realizing that peace is not an option for our world – it’s an absolute requirement,” he said. “And when you look at peace, it really is something that has to begin in the heart of each individual, and that depends largely on what we teach our children. I look at Hokule`a as a bridge across cultures to the core value of aloha that can allow us to navigate toward a more peaceful future. So I think Hokule`a has no choice to continue to sail, and to spend more time in different parts of Island Earth, in order to honor our own culture – which brings self-esteem and pride to our children – but also carry a message of aloha and respect for all cultures, as well as for our precious global environment and natural resources.” (Ferrar)

A tree that survived the atomic blast

A tree that survived the atomic blast; dawn, Hiroshima Castle grounds, November 2006, 61 years after the bombing.

Hiroshima Castle