Miyajima via Hiroshima

I arrived in Hiroshima Monday evening after almost exactly 12 hours of hopping local trains. Everything went well despite a couple of unexpected transfers. Each station name is marked in Japanese and English but other than that all of the announcements and info are in Japanese. Some of the faster trains have announcements in English but so few tourists travel on ordinary trains that it’s not worth the hassle for the train companies to offer both languages on all trains. If something goes off schedule or there are any changes you simply need to follow the lead of the other passengers. One thing that confused me at first is that on one stretch of rail there may be 8 cars but the total number of cars might be reduced for a section with fewer people, especially outside of rush hour. So, if you’re sitting in the rear car and everyone gets out at a stop when you don’t expect it follow the crowd. As long as you’re paying attention the trains are really quite easy. Everything usually runs on time and is well managed.

In Hiroshima I checked into another business hotel that I booked online. Booking ahead seems to be the way to go in Japan. Since everything is paid in advance all I do is walk in, show my passport, and print my name and address on a registration card then I’m good to go after a couple of bows and a an “Arigato”. The hotel I'm currently staying at is in a great location. It’s only 15 minutes’ walk from the train station and right on the edge of the entertainment district.

The first thing I noticed on arrival in Hiroshima is a buzz and/or energy I haven’t noticed from in other cities, including Tokyo. Every city has its vibe. While Tokyo was what I expected and Kanazawa was relatively uninteresting, Hiroshima is distinctly different. I suspect it’s rooted in the obvious fact that city was totally flattened and demolished by an Atomic Bomb in 1945. Where I currently sit was completely decimated but now you would have no idea.

Hiroshima rebuilt is a completely vibrant city. Pardon my cliché but, “Risen from the Ashes”, literally. The buildings are modern but a lot of the architecture is 1950’s so it’s not like it looks totally brand new. There are several waterways that dissect the city with walkways and parks which create a nice aesthetic. The most prominent is Peace Memorial Park which is dedicated to what happened when the A bomb was dropped.

Funny enough it’s Wednesday and I have yet to really explored Hiroshima. When I awoke Tuesday I chose to visit Miyajima Island. It’s a Unesco World Heritage Site known for its temples and temple gate. It also has a nice network of hiking trails up to a couple of peaks and view point. Since I had one day left on my train pass that is also good for JR ferries I took advantage of it and made the trip to the Island in about an hour.

It proved to be a perfect day for Miyajima with nice sunny weather which I haven’t seen too much of in Japan. The temples were all very impressive and the hiking was good. I caught some nice views off two summits and a side point that can be reached by tram that had a little café for lunch. I wound up spending all day on the Island. Deer roam around like dogs and cats amidst tourist in the main village. Up on the trails I didn’t see many except for those accessing some of the mountain temples via the tram. I noticed a warning about poisonous snakes and saw 2 but they were extremely docile. By time I got back to Hiroshima I was pretty tired.

Well, the day is young so I’m going to wander down to the Peace Memorial Park and see what it’s all about. The photos in this post were all taken on Miyajima.