広島西郵便局 (Hiroshima Nishi post office) Fukeiin - Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima

If you're wondering why the thumbnail image is different from usual... well, there's a story to it. Keep reading to find out what happened 🤣

The Last Days of Hiroshima Castle Tenshukaku

Last year, my husband and I saw the news that Hiroshima Castle would be closed indefinitely in March 2026. We've been to the castle park and the Ninomaru, but never actually went inside the Tenshukaku (main keep). And so, we decided to visit Hiroshima Castle two days before it was scheduled to close.

... which was a bad idea, since apparently hundreds of other people also had the same idea. There were so many people that they had to do a timed-ticket system. Fortunately, we only had to wait for an hour, so we went to Pacela to kill some time.

The current Hiroshima Castle was rebuilt in the 1960s after it was completely destroyed in the 1945 atomic bomb, as it was located near ground zero. Unlike Himeji Castle or Matsumoto Castle, though, the interior had been completely rebuilt, so it might be a bit disappointing for those of you who wanted to see a "real" Japanese castle from the inside. The castle would be closed because the current structure was deemed too old and did not meet safety standards in the event of a major earthquake. However, it provided extensive information on the history of Hiroshima, from the pre-Edo period to the post-World War II period. 

 
As a HIT Hiroshima tourism ambassador and a history nerd, I learned a lot that day. For example, a huge part of the current Hiroshima City did not exist until the Edo Period; it was all sea. The hills that were scattered here and there (like Hijiyama, Ebayama, Niho, etc.) were actually islands! Also, after World War II, there were discussions about what to build on the former Hiroshima Castle site, one idea being... a second Statue of Liberty. I'm actually glad they didn't follow through with the idea, lol. 

At the castle souvenir shop, I got myself some wooden postcards of Hiroshima Castle mascot character, Shirou-nya. These are for my safekeeping and not for swap, though, since I don't know if these will be on sale ever again. 

Hiroshima Nishi Post Office

Since it was a public holiday, most of the post offices were closed. I looked for a post office that was open on weekends and public holidays and found one about 2 km from the castle: the Hiroshima Nishi Post Office. 

There are a couple of ways to reach Hiroshima Nishi Post Office using public transportation:

  • From Hiroshima Station, take the Hiroden Streetcar route 2 to Kan-on-machi and walk 190 m (around 4 minutes).
  • From Hiroshima Station, take bus no. 25 to Midori-ohashi-nishizume bus station and walk 650 m (around 10 minutes).
On this day, I sent two postcards from this post office, both to Indonesia. As usual, I took an obligatory pic at the mailbox and entered the post office. Since it was a public holiday, the usual counters were closed, but they had a service counter open where I bought a plain postcard to put my own address on, asked the post office to put fukeiin on all the postcards, and posted them. 

I thought it would be all business as usual. However, on this day, I accidentally witnessed something horrific. I guess the service counter staff on that day were not familiar with stamping fukeiin. And... well, you should see for yourself. 

Hiroshima Nishi Post Office Fukeiin

My postcard with the fukeiin arrived a few days later. Just as I had feared, the staff that day stamped the fukeiin RIGHT ON TOP of the stamp part, so it was difficult to see the image (screams internally). I mean, look at this:

Well, okay, I guess it didn't look so bad once I scanned and zoomed in on the stamp, but compared to how it was usually done... The clear image is supposed to look like this, by the way:


Anyway, I could see the Genbaku dome and the Genbaku monument on the fukeiin. From the Japan Post official website: The image of the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Children's Peace Monument. The fukeiin was launched on December 10th, 1974. 

The Children's Peace Monument was inaugurated on May 5th, 1958 (Children's Day in Japan). It pays tribute to Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old girl who fell victim to the atomic bomb radiation after being exposed at two years old. It was built at the request of Sadako's classmates, who launched a nationwide campaign to erect a monument in honor of Sadako and all the child victims of the atomic bomb. Every year, millions of origami cranes are placed around the monument, testifying to the collective will of peace and reconciliation.

You can buy postcards made of recycled origami cranes at various places in Hiroshima, including Hiroshima Station, the Orizuru Tower souvenir shop, and the Hiroshima Castle Sannomiya shop. 

I'll see you all on my next fukeiin adventure!


Cheers,


Mulic





 

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