Hiroshi-MAgic

We arrived in Hiroshima after some beers and bento boxes on the bullet train, I must say it was the bougie-ist train ride we have had so far.

Not in Hiroshima for long we had a lot to cover in a couple of days, including the much looked-forward to giant floating torii gate!

Traditional Japanese Woodfired Pizza

After checking in and checking out the spa facilities, I headed for a wander around the city. We were in a great location, right near Hondori Market. As the sun set, the lights of the market got brighter as one street lead to another then another.

After a very traditional dinner of wood fired pizza (it was delicious!) we called it a night and got ready for our big day ahead.

Fried Oysters are definitely not our thing

The next day we got up early and had a delicious buffet breakfast, ready to head to one of my “to-do’s” on the trip: Miyajima Island to see the floating Torii gate. After a train and ferry ride, we started our walk around the Island. Similar to Nara, the island is inhabited by deer, they wander around the street with not care in the world. They even popped in to a couple of shops!

The island is stunning! Streets filled with restaurants, breweries and bars break up the hundreds of shops selling local souvenirs and crafts. The view when standing on the shore line, looking back over Hiroshima, was amazing; the mountain ranges in the background providing the perfect backdrop for the city.

The giant torii at Miyajima is the gateway to the Itsukushima Shrine, another World Heritage Site in Japan. FACT: The torri gate is not built in to the ground, it is kept in position by it’s own weight. Incredible! The gate was more amazing in person than in pictures! The bright orange contrasting with the blue of the sea is really a sight to behold, so to is the Shrine the gate leads too.

A completely open air building that has over 200 meters of corridors leading in to various rooms and areas of worship. You can see why this area receives over 3 million visitors per year!

Being right on the coast, the speciality food of this area are oysters. Neither of us are fans of them by any stretch… but “when in Rome Japan”. There were hundreds of stalls selling them grilled, fresh, crumbed and tempura. We found a sandwich bar and opted to try the oyster this way… fried and in bread with sauce and salad! I am glad we tried it, but not something either of us will do again! After visiting the local brewery we headed back to the main town of Hiroshima.

A truly moving experience

Our afternoon took a sombre turn, but an experience I will never forget. We headed to Hiroshima Peace Park, the site of where the Atomic bomb was dropped on the 6th of August 1945. I found the park to be so peaceful and tranquil. Set on either side of the river, with plenty of benches and grassed areas for people to just sit and take it in. I personally think that exactly what is required when coming to this site too.

The parks central feature is the A-Bomb dome. Until the day the bomb dropped it was the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, now it is a skeletal-like reminder of the horrors that occurred that day. Looking at the photos of Hiroshima after the bomb was deployed, it is mind-blowing how this building is still standing, when the rest of the city was obliterated. We continued to walk through the park to the Peace Pond and Eternity Flame. The flame is a symbol of the existence of nuclear weaponry and will remain alight until they no longer exist. The pond encircles the epitaph with the victims names on it, making it look like it is floating.

Behind the pond is the Hiroshima Peace Museum. We did a self-guided audio tour leading about what happened not only on that day, but stories of what followed. This was an incredible experience and I can not recommend going and learning about the history enough.

After what was a very big physical and emotional day, we had a fairly quiet night. I reflected on the day and the things I had learnt and seen. I am struck by what has come from the tragedy that was the A-Bomb, it’s a call for peace. There is no hatred, violence or revenge. In fact there is an ongoing commitment to peace, evidenced by the local school kids in the park. They were required to approach people and ask them about where they were from and their view on peace. An ongoing commitment that is clearly being taught the importance of.

Hotel Happy Hour had free drinks

After our huge day the day prior we decided for lay low and stay local for the day. A sleep in was 100% required and for me it was followed by a day of shopping, cafes and navigating the Japanese postage service. Hiroshima is a city that you can just wander for hours. I found a Denmark bakery where I enjoyed some delicious olive and blue cheese bread while doing a wine tasting and then on the way home saw that Mr Minit has branched in to Japan as well!!

I met back up with the Big Boss later in the afternoon where we headed to the hotel happy hour. To our surprise the drinks (including cocktails) were free… so obviously we made full use of that, why would you not?! We had an early night, ready for our very early flight to the tropical paradise of Okinawa the next day.

Our time in Hiroshima was short, but incredible! It was absolutely one of my favourite places so far.