Hiroshima

A lot was crammed into this day, the Peace Memorial Museum and a trip to Miyajima Island were highlights.

The Shinkansen got us here is about 7.5 hours, with a transfer at Tokyo Station which was an absolute swarm of people in a maze of platform directions. We spent the evening in Hiroshima shopping at our now two favorite thrift chains, 2nd Street and Bookoff Super Bazaar.  And yes another stop at the infamous Don Quixote on the search for more smiskis.  

We tried the local okonomiyaki at a very local type place.  The walls were yellowed with smoke and the air vents hadn’t been cleaned in a long time.  It was a weird place but the food was quite good.  The only other patrons were a group of chain smoking high school boys.

Up bright and early, I sat at the clock tower to hear the daily 8:15 bell chime which marks the time the nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. A small somber crowd gathered to listen.

I met Maya at the museum where we spent a heavy 2 hours reading every exhibit. No photos, but I’m sure you can imagine the atmosphere is a museum dedicated to telling the world about the atrocities of nuclear weapons.  Out in the sunlight we walked around the park to look at the memorials.

A short trolley ride to the Shukkeien Garden for a walk around the lake to see all of the little gardens tucked away here and there was lovely.

Sometimes we go to bright clean places to eat, and here we finally got to try udon noodles at this place.  Cheap and good!

Back on the trolley for an hour long ride to the port to catch a ferry to Miyajima Island.  Sort of a touristy vibe but worth it for sure.  There’s a unique Torii gate in the water, the  fantastic Daishoin Temple, and deer wandering the streets.  The deer population isn’t as aggressive or as large as the ones in Nara so it made for a more palatable experience.

We stayed in a hostel with roykan vibes, or a roykan with hostel vibes that was around the corner from a public bath which is my new favorite thing to do.  It was so old school, nothing modern about it.  I just loved it.

If I haven’t already said it, bathing in a public bath is extremely liberating.  Even though it’s really hot here, the hot water in the bath is nice and cleansing.  You have to make sure you understand the procedures and rules though so you don’t mess it up.  

We got a late start the next day to head to Naoshima, an island dedicated to art with museums and outdoor art installations.  After a trolley, 3 trains, and a ferry we are finally here and ready for an inspiring day tomorrow.