Hiroshima Flower Festival

View of the park from inside the museum.

 Food.  Music.  Dancing.

Paper crane lanterns being paraded to the park.

These are three things you will always find at Japanese festivals-and probably any festival anywhere, come to think of it. 

Fire and Flowers

We were fortunate enough to happen upon one of Hiroshima’s biggest festivals during our visit-the Flower Festival.  Peace Park and the surrounding streets were brimming with bustling activities, delicious food, and lively music and dancing. 

The iconic arch-the eternal flame which will never go out until world peace is achieved.

It was a fantastic juxtaposition of the otherwise somber feeling of the park. 

People entering the park.

The festival was full of unity, beauty, and life.    

A tree that had been exposed to the atomic bomb.

We spent the greater part of the day at Peace Park, exploring every corner.  We also spent several hours taking in the very well done museum-there is a whole post (or two) coming soon on that.

Because we spent so much time there, we were able to experience the sunset and see how beautiful the park was by candle light.  It was beautiful. 

Gorgeous evening.