- We all know why Hiroshima is famous. It’s for a terrible reason. Seeing the A-Bomb Dome for the first time is undeniably striking. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, planned and designed by Kenzo Tange, is visited by more than a million people each year. The memorials are sombre, and the museums are comprehensive in conveying historical complexeties surrounding the city’s devestation.
- Yet modern Hiroshima is just like many other Japanese cities. It has its monuments to past wars and conflagrations, and the locals just go about their business, dealing with tourists and school groups who come to experience the past. Having been there it’s obvious, but the ordinariness of Hiroshima was the biggest surprise on first impression. The things we most enjoyed about Hiroshima had nothing to do with the A-bomb.
- The World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine on the island of Miyajima is a fantastic day trip. We caught a ferry across the bay, visited the shrine which dates from 1168 and is very extensive, then wandered through the grounds and buildings of nearby temples. Caught a ferry back to Hiroshima at the end of a most rewarding day.
- The savoury pancake called okonomiyaki is a speciality of Hiroshima, and we had a lot of fun seeking out good pancake grills, with some drinks on the counter, and baseball on the TV. Preferably featuring the beloved Toyo Carp baseball team.
- On the last morning of the trip, we checked out from our hotel in Hiroshima, caught the train to Narita airport near Tokyo, and flew home to Hobart.
