I visited Hiroshima last year. The Former U.S. President Barack Obama visited Hiroshima on May 27 last year, you know. 
Actually, I visited Hiroshima about a week before he came.
On August 6 in 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, and on Nagasaki on August 9, in 1945, during World War Ⅱ.
Maybe I should update my blog that day (I mean on August 6), but it takes hours for me to write a blog post about Hiroshima, so maybe I can't post a good one during the day. I also think I want people to remember Hiroshima in advance before August 6 comes, so that's why I update a few days early.
To be honest, I thought at first, "Well, if I update my blog again this week, many people don't see a previous blog post about Tully's Coffee 20th Anniversary and the interview of its founder. I'd like a lot of people to listen to it," but I also thought I will publish a new blog post on August 7 to say, "Happy Birthday" to Tully's Coffee again, because August 7 is the day Tully's Coffee was born in Japan. So, I'll mention the interview again when I update my blog that day. You know what? I've listened to radio streaming many times.
As I wrote in the previous blog post, the first and the second half of his interview was broadcast on NHK No.2 radio last week, and they will be broadcast again on August 3 (Today!) and August 4 (Tomorrow).
Check them out.
Well, it's still hard for me to express myself in English. To tell the truth, I thought I shouldn't write about these kinds of things...I mean, political and historical things... For example, some people hate those who visit Yasukuni Shrine, even though they (I mean people visiting the shrine) are not politicians, or popular singers like a Canadian artist, Justin Bieber. 
And... I love Eggs 'n Things, and I know Ohana, the staff members at Eggs 'n Things, are from many countries. I mean, the Eggs 'n Things restaurants both in Japan and in America. On top of that, Eggs 'n Things was born in Hawaii, America, you know. I don't want to hurt anyone. 
But still, I think I should write about these things after all, to let people know about Japan. I hoped I could make myself understood in English.
Well, I think that in America, a lot of people are interested in politics and have their own opinions, but in Japan, a lot of people are indifferent to politics. To be honest, I was one of them when I was in my early twenties. I became interested in politics after I met him. So, I can't force others to be interested in politics. What? Who is "him"? Well, guess who?
Besides, the political world in Japan is very, well, frightening and dangerous place, I think. I'm not a politician, though. Sometimes people who are involved in politics will be involved in criminal cases. I think people should vote, but I don't think people should be deeply involved in politics unless they are strong and smart enough to protect themselves. That doesn't mean you should have great knowledge of politics if you're interested in politics. Hope my English makes sense. I guess people persuade you not to do that if you say you want to be a politician and will run for the election. The other day I read an article about a young politician, who is not a Diet member but the mayor of a local city in Japan. The judical system in Japan is weird. Oh, maybe some people wonder why I'm interested in the case. Well, the main attorney who defends the young mayor is a famous lawer in the legal industry in Japan. Though I've never met him before, I have his books.
Oh, the founder (and the entrepreneur as well) I mentioned earlier was once a politician. He was once a member of the House of Councillors. There are the House of Representatives (the Lower House) and the House of Councillors (the Upper House) in Japan, and a Diet member wears a badge. These badges have the crest of chrysanthemum, but the size of chrysanthemum seems to be different, and the color is also different. The badges of the Lower House are red purple while these of the Upper House are deep blue. And it seems that the latter (the badges of the Upper House) is bigger than the former. About the crest of chrysanthemum, please check out the blog bost I wrote in June.
Memo: For those who learn Japan or Japanese.
the House of Councillors (the Upper House): 参議院 （Sangiin)
the House of Representatives (the Lower House): 衆議院 （Shyugiin)
Well, actually, I usually visit Yasukuni Shrine before August 15 every summer since 2015 or so, though I've never visited on August 15. August 15 is "the Day to Commemorate the War Dead and Pray For Peace" in Japan. And while visiting the shrine, I always think that a great number of people were killed, because of... well, I think, because of the politicians who had strong powers at the time (I mean not only politicians in Japan but also those in other countries), because of the Japanese government at that time.
Oh, I know the Emperor in Japan at that time was not just a symbol of Japan. Well, I majored in Law when I was a university student, so I know the Constitution of Japan and how it was drafted. Of course I also know we shouldn't take peace for granted. We live in peace thanks to the... how should I put it in English? Japanese people call them "先人 (Senjin)". Well, I mean, people who struggled to give a good era to the next generations.
As the saying goes, "Fools say they learn from experience; I prefer to learn from the experience of others." And I hope politicians nowadays learn a lot from historic or historical events happened in the past, in the world. I think top of a country changes, the country itself changes, for better or worse. Top of a country means top leader of a country like "the Prime Minister" in Japan, "the President" in America, and so on. In Singapore, people seem to call this person "Prime Minister"like in Japan. I find it interesting.
Well, if you aren't interested in politics and history at all, I wrote about local food of Hiroshima, so scroll down and just check them out lol 
That's okay. I don't mind.
I hear that Former President Barack Obama used Daiso's Origami to make paper cranes he gave to Hiroshima. Well, paper cranes are called "折り鶴" in Japanese. These four paper cranes were on public display at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (English ver.) until the end of August last year, according to the article written in English.
The left photo: I got these 折り紙, or "Origami", at Daiso shops. Japanese-style origami are so beautiful, aren't they? There are a lot of 100 yen or 300 yen shops in Japan, and Daiso is a very famous 100 yen shop. The middle and the right photos: these are the paper cranes that I folded last month for the decoration of Tanabata, or 七夕. Well, sorry that I haven't written about Tanabata yet, though I said I would... Maybe some other time.
My parents told me before that we had taken a trip to Hiroshima when I was little, but I don't remember... I can't remember. Oh, I have a sister, who is 7 or 8 years older than me.
Last year, I went to 宮島 (Miyashima) and 厳島神社 (Itsukushima Shrine), 広島平和記念資料館 (the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum), 広島平和記念公園 （Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park）, 原爆ドーム (the Atomic Bomb Dome) and so on, during my stay in Hiroshima. I stayed in Hiroshima for three days. I had a great time there.
I was really surprised to find that there were sooooooooo many tourists from other countries, including America. Thanks to the Former President Obama's visit, I think more and more people visit Hiroshima in Japan. Still, I don't think many Japanese people have visited or will visit Pearl Harbor. You know what I mean. I know not only American people but also Japanese people should remember Attack on Pearl Harbor as well. Remember Pearl Harbor. Don't forget.
Well, I came to know while watching TV last summer (I mean in summer last year) that some American people think the war ended thanks to the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities, Hiroshima & Nagasaki. I told it to one of my friends who is half American and half Japanese, and she agreed with that. Oh, we talked in Japanese. She also said, if an atomic bomb had dropped on Kyoto or another city in Japan instead of Hiroshima, people in Hiroshima would not complain that much.
I actually thought, "How could you say that? You've never been to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and never seen the real Atomic Bomb Dome. Can you say the same thing in front of atomic bomb victims and people in Hiroshima? Can you feel the same way after you visit these places?
... Wait, but I've never been to Pearl Harbor, though I saw a lot of foreign tourists visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome."
So, that's one of the reasons why I'd like to visit Hawaii someday. 
I want to visit Pearl Harbor and "the USS Arizona Memorial" located in Oahu island, Hawaii.
Of course I'd love to go to Eggs 'n Things restaurants in Hawaii as well. 
And, I want to try surfing with someone special and to swim with dolphins. 
I want to visit the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii, a branch shrine of Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, too. I like reading news pages on the official website of Eggs 'n Things in Hawaii, and I really like this blog article that mentions branches of shrines and temples located in Hawaii.
Not only should I improve my English skill, but I should know much more about history, politics, and a lot of other things. I definitely think so.
During the stay in Hiroshima, I had Hiroshima Okonomiyaki twice.
Oh, Okonomiyaki is "like an omelet and a pancake." Well, actually, I quoted that part from a text book of "English Conversation Time Trial July Issue", haha! 
To tell the truth, I didn't know the difference between Osaka-style Okonomiyaki and Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki before I took a trip to Hiroshima last year. Also, I heard some people of Hiroshima don't like a word Hiroshima "- style", in Japanese "～風 (fuu)".
How should I explain in English? Well, both Okonomiyaki have eggs, sauce and so on, but Hiroshima's Okonomiyaki usually has noodles inside while Osaka's doesn't have. Usually, customers can choose betweeen うどん and 焼きそば at Hiroshima Okonomiyaki restaurants.
...I'm not sure if I can say choose between うどん "or" そば. You know, I'm still learning English! Maybe I can say, Hiroshima Okonomiyaki is served with your choice of うどん （Udon) or そば (Soba). Oh, it seems that most of the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki restaurants use 中華そば or 焼きそば when they make Okonomiyaki with Soba, so そば in Hiroshima Okonomiyaki means 中華そば (Chinese noodles in English) or 焼きそば (Fried noodles). Japanese people usually think そば is 蕎麦 , which is called "buckwheat noodles" in English.
I tried both. I like Hiroshima Okonomi with Udon better than that with Soba. The left one is Hiroshima Okonomiyaki with Soba, and I ordered cheese as a topping. The right one is Hiroshima Okonomiyaki with Udon, and it's seafood Okonomiyaki. I had that seafood Hiroshima one at 胡桃屋 (Kurumiya).
Well, I had 汁なし担々麺, or Dandan noodles without soup, after having that seafood Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima. I DIDN'T like it at all, though I like spicy foods including 担々麺, which is Dam Dam Noodles, Dandan Noodles, Szezchuan Noodles or something like that in English. I guess Dandan noodles without soup is popular in Hiroshima, but I prefer usual ones, I mean, Dandan noodles with soup. So maybe that's why I couldn't find any photos of 汁なし担々麺 on my smartphone and IPad, haha. I guess I took some photos, but deleted all of them, not because the photos was bad but because I didn't like the dish. But I think I shouldn't have done it... It was not my favorite dish, however, I wanted to introduce it with photos. Maybe some people will try and like it.
Okay, go back to the topic, Hiroshima Okonomiyaki. I think a lot of people use sauce and mayonnaise when they eat Osaka Okonomiyaki. On the other hand, I found some Hiroshima Okonomiyaki restaurants didn't have mayonnaise on the table. I heard that they usually have Hiroshima Okonomiyaki with sauce, and not with mayonnaise. Oh, though I tried only two Hiroshima Okonomiyaki during my stay, I went to other Hiroshima Okonomiyaki restaurants after I came back to Kanto region. Well, I thought I should have tried Hiroshima Okonomiyaki at 八昌 (Hassho) and 八紘 (Hakkou), both of which are popular Okonomiyaki restaurants in Hiroshima. I went to one of them (I forgot which one), but it was closed when I visited, actually.
So, I went to Hassho Tokyo location （strictly speaking, it's "のれん分け" in Japanese） with two of my best friends last fall. Hassho in Tokyo is located in Setagaya-ku, and you can make a reservation. Well, it's hard for me to explain のれん分け in English, so please wait. I'll try though... Of course in my own words. Each blog post has a character limit, and I don't think I can write more in this, so I'll explain it sometime. I think it's difficult for me even in Japanese, too, haha. Maybe the founder of Tully's Coffee can do both in English and in Japanese. You know, owning restaurants or cafes seems to be tough, I think. Oh, I visited some Tully's Coffee shops in Hiroshima, too.
I had Okonomiyaki with Udon, and I added cheese as a topping.
Hassho in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. You see the shop curtain has the name of a place "薬研堀 (Yagenbori)" above the shop's name "八昌 (Hassho)". Well, 薬研堀 is the place where the original 八昌 in Hiroshima is located. It seems that Tokyo and Hiroshima have a place called 薬研堀, but that curtain must mention Hiroshima's.
Well, I love both Hiroshima Okonomiyaki and Osaka Okonomiyaki. If you like cheese, you should try a cheese topping when you have any kind of Okonomiyaki at a restaurant or at home. It's really good. I had a lot of Hiroshima Okonmiyaki at home last year, after I took a trip to Hiroshima and I came to like Hiroshima Okonomiyaki. Oh, when we make Osaka Okonomiyaki, ingredients are mixed up, and we flip Okonomiyaki like a hot cake. I guess it's easier than making Hiroshima Okonomiyaki at home, maybe. Both are great, so you should try them both at Okonomiyaki restaurants. That doesn't mean you can order both Osaka Okonomiyaki and Hiroshima Okonomiyaki at one restaurant. At least I've never seen this kind of Okonomiyaki restaurant. I guess dinner restaurants in Japan can do that, but I recommend you have Okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki restaurants like Hassho, not at these restarants. In Japan, we call these dinners "family restaurants", but maybe they are different from "family restaurants" in America.
This curry with oysters was what I had for lunch, when I visited Miyajima and Itsukshima Shrine. Hiroshima is famous for its oysters. Actually, I sometimes got food poisoning from oysters when I was younger, so I hesitated to have oysters while I stayed in Hiroshima. I told so to the staff members at the restaurant (I forgot the name of this restaurant, sorry), and they served curry with heated oysters!
Well, I stayed in Shimane prefecture before I went to Hiroshima. I visited Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine while staying in Shimane. People say that the Izumo Taishakyo Mission of Hawaii had a hard time during and after WWⅡ. I think I'll write about the shrines I visited sometime. Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine has a branch located in Roppongi, Tokyo, too.
This one is GREAT.
I had this pasta with oysters at Caffee Ponte, which is located near the Atomic Bomb Dome. It tasted great! According to its own English ver. website, this dish is "Pasta with Oysters and Spinach in Cream sauce". I asked one of the staff members if they had a location in Tokyo or Kanto region. Unfortunately, Caffee Ponte doesn't have any locations. I wish I could have that pasta again in Kanto region!
Well, I highly recommend you try this pasta as well as Hiroshima Okonomiyaki, when you have a chance to visit Hiroshima.
Cream Pasta topped with oysters, and Mango drink.
That reminds me. Guess what? Eggs 'n Things is doing a new seasonal menu "Mango A Go Go" during this summer. It started on August 1, and will be available until the end of August. I can't wait to try mango items at Eggs 'n Things. Come by and enjoy seasonal pancakes and shave ice.
