Leaving Japan with emotional times in Hiroshima

The Corrib Company finished its earth-movingly successful tour of Japan in Hiroshima. We arrived early and had most of the day to ourselves, as our Shinkansen/Nozomi (Bullet Train for those who have just joined the tour diary readership) had departed Nagoya at a fairly cruel hour that morning. When the train pulled into Hiroshima we only had 60 seconds to get out before the electronic doors shut automatically - wonderful Japanese efficiency! During these 60 seconds the cast and crew scrambled for the exit in a blind panic. Once we alighted, the panic continued as we thought somebody had been left on the train. I will never forget the sight and sound of the entire company, believing somebody to be trapped inside, shouting at the departing Shinkansen as it accelerated from the station. Luckily we had all made it out safe, and continued onto the hotel a little exhilarated from this nail-biting episode.

On arriving at the hotel we freshened up and prepared to explore our new surroundings. Some of us took a boat trip out to Miyajima Island - one of the most beautiful in Japan. It was covered in bright autumnal reds, oranges and yellows, with Japanese maple trees towering all around us. The island is renowned for its places of historic interest, cultural assets and promenades of exceptional natural beauty. We were greeted at the jetty by some inquisitive local deer. I was very emotional with thoughts of Bambi running through my head when many of them surrounded me in an almost loving way, rubbing up against me. It was then I discovered they wanted the food out of my bag, although I still believe they actually liked me.

There was just time for a brief snack of deep fried octopus balls and jellied fish on a stick, before taking a cable car to the summit of the island. When we arrived at the top of the mountain there was a sign that warned " If you find monkeys in the woods you won't see them". We were a little confused by this, but excited at the prospect of monkey-spotting. Without being too graphic, we were shocked to find out what 'monkey business' could really mean. Our day at the island ended with a beautiful Japanese sunset and a boat ride back to the mainland to enjoy our first night in the city.

As always there was an Irish pub to be found not far away, where the cast were able to enjoy real Irish food prepared by a real Irish chef. We were even treated to hearty roast dinners after our matinee shows, which I believe really enhanced our evening performances. Members of the Riverdance band took the opportunity to get some practice in, and organised a session one night after the show giving the locals a real treat. The place shall live on in many Corrib memories, with 'Molly Malone's' t shirts now being regularly worn by the cast. Hiroshima is really a cosmopolitan city with many restaurants and bars catering for the western pallet, so we were spoilt for choice and the pot noodles are now well and truly forgotten.

Hiroshima is one of those places we all know about; infamous for being the first city to be annihilated by an atomic bomb 60 years ago. We were preparing for quite a disturbing and upsetting time here, visiting the site of the bomb and learning about the resulting devastation of the city. It was 8:15 on August 6th 1945 when an American B29 - the Enola Gay - flew across a clear Hiroshima sky with the single purpose of dropping the world's first atomic bomb. It detonated 600 meters above the city and destroyed almost everything within 3km of the epicentre, creating temperatures of 3000BC -4000BC. The result was total devastation; people burned alive, buildings reduced to rubble and all life wiped out in an instant. The additional after- effects of the radiation meant continued suffering, and people have been dying from related diseases until this day.

It was a privilege to be in Hiroshima on the 60th anniversary of the bomb and visit its museum in the city's Peace Park. We saw a poignant memorial to the children who died in the tragedy, along with a cenotaph containing the names of all 140,000 people who were killed that day. Walking around this whole area was extremely moving, and really brought the shocking events into perspective. However it was wonderful to see how Hiroshima has truly transformed itself into a place that is dedicated to peace and the disarmament of nuclear weapons around the world. Engraved into the cenotaph memorial were the words "Let All The Souls Here Rest In Peace; For We Shall Not Repeat The Evil."