Category: Itsukushima

Land of the Rising Sun Day #13 “Hiroshima, Need I Say More?”

by reissmd, posted in Hiroshima, Itsukushima, Japan, Miyajima

We had a very restful night in Miyajima.  The hotel is a ryokan so wearing the hotel provided pajamas or robes is acceptable attire anywhere in the hotel including the dining hall. The hotel and staff were lovely similar to what we have experienced at all our accommodations throughout this trip.  On our way to breakfast one of the staff members noted that Patrice did not have her robe on correctly so she assisted with an adjustment.

Patrice being helped with her robe. As I said, the staff at all the hotels have been amazing.

We got a late start because breakfast didn’t start until 8.  I think the late start time is to give the staff some rest.  Yes, the same people who served us dinner were here for breakfast this morning.  Below is what we were served.

Except for the salad and fruit the only item I can name is the yogurt (white stuff with 2 purple dots).

If I ever get serious about losing weight, one month in Japan should take care of things.

After breakfast we got our things together and checked out. The clerk thanked us for our patronage, walked us to the elevator, and pushed the button sending the elevator to the exit floor.  Just like in the USA, no?

Exiting the hotel we were stunned by how quiet it was outside with virtually no one on the street.   But we soon saw hoards of school children in large groups marching our way. When we arrived at the ferry station we saw loads of tourists as well.  Looks like another big day on the island. 

After exiting the ferry we took the train back to Hiroshima.  In order to find the correct train we again needed a lot of pointing from the station staff.  I find it humorous that the workers in addition to pointing give us a myriad of instructions in Japanese in spite of my vocabulary being limited to two words (thank you and delicious).  

After dropping off our bags at the Hiroshima hotel (again we were too early to check in) we headed to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park. The Dome is the remnant of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall which was located 490 feet from the hypocenter (ground zero) of the first atomic bomb ever dropped (August 6, 1945).  It is a very sobering experience and I promise no jokes will follow.  We saw people taking pictures of themselves in front of the memorial.   Sorry, I don’t understand this behavior.  I wanted to tell Patrice I’m not taking pictures of us in front of the memorial but I couldn’t get the words out because I started to get choked up.  We are talking about the site where over 140,000 died or were sentenced to death within seconds.  It reminded me of people taking pictures in front of the 911 Memorial in New York.  These are memorials to the dead who were victims of tragic events not a ride at Disneyland! I’m tempted to ask these people if they would take selfies in front of their relative’s gravesites.

Atomic Bomb Dome. (previously the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall)
Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall (circa 1921-1933)

We then visited the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. The park was beautiful and a wonderful tribute to those who lost their lives and for the hope of peace in the world.

The Hiroshima Victims Memorial Cenotaph. Through the center of the memorial you can see the Peace Flame and the Atomic Bomb Dome.

In the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum we saw some horrific pictures of the post bomb Hiroshima and the victims.  It reminded us of the holocaust museum.  I wouldn’t begin to compare the two but both were very moving. 

After we became incredibly depressed at the museum there was only one possible remedy.  You guessed it……. Food. 

Our tour company had recommended we try okonomiyaki while we were in Hiroshima. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese teppanyaki, pancake dish with all sorts of yummy things inside (cabbage, pork, seafood, shrimp, oysters, squid, etc).   We went to a Michelin star restaurant called Icchan which is very close to our hotel.  The meal was very affordable (about $7 per plate) and absolutely “OISHI” (I had to use one of the two Japanese words I know, see above, and I’ll give you a hint, it doesn’t mean thank you).  This morning I was feeling ready to go home but after this meal I think another day or two would be just fine.  

Patrice opted for the udon noodles.
I chose the soba noodles.
I am adding this in case you would like to read the Michelin review.

We are down to our last 2 nights of the trip. Hopefully some more magic moments are still to come. Possibly I can learn a third Japanese word?

Sayonara (heck I know three)

Land of the Rising Sun Day #12 “How Does This Float With You?”

by reissmd, posted in Itsukushima, Japan, Miyajima

Last night we had another lovely dinner with our new friend Tomoko.  We bid her farewell then got back to our hotel where we prepared our luggage to be shipped to Tokyo while we set off on an adventure to two different towns.  One thing I have to say about this trip is that the hotels have been fantastic.  The Thousand in Kyoto has been especially nice in that the staff seemed more proficient in English, the hotel is conveniently located near the Kyoto Station, and the facility was beautiful.  In addition to the room being superior check out the staircase leading from the first to second level.  It puts on quite a show at night.

Day time: Stairs look functional but ordinary.
At nighttime the stairs get dressed to kill. They also put on a show. Check out this video. See below.

After breakfast we caught the 8:03 train to Hiroshima. We have come to depend on the agents at the train stations. We typically think we are going to the correct train track but we fear putting our ticket in the machine and then finding out we’ve made an error. To avoid this complication we check with the agents and they confirm that we are at the right spot. With that reassurance we are on our way. The agents have been incredibly helpful in spite of not speaking much English. A point of the hand can go a long way.

Today we set out to go to Miyajima (also known as Itsukushima).  To access this area you take a train to Hiroshima and then a ferry to Miyajima island.  It is known for a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Floating Torii Gate.  See below.

The torii gate as seen from the ferry from Hiroshima to Itsukushima (Miyajima).
The torii gate as seen from the shore.

Soon after arrival at the island we used the “What 3 Words” app to locate the hotel. We were not previously aware of this app but our tour company let us know about it. According to the App’s instructions every 3 meter square on Earth has been identified by 3 words. For example The White House is identified by “goods.enjoyable.loft”. My office is located at “foster.knots.applied”. I have no idea how these locations are assigned these 3 word addresses but it can come in very handy when the address you are looking for is very difficult to understand (e.g. the majority of addresses we have tried to find in this country). We used the hotel’s W3W location and found it with Google maps. We first tried to locate the hotel using Google maps but without success. We then asked W3W to find the hotel on Google maps and then we were on our way. We were enjoying the walk looking at all sorts of shops when Google said, “Look Around” and sure enough we were at the hotel.

We left our bags at the hotel (too early to check in) and decided to go on a discovery tour. As I said before we saw lots of souvenir shops and places to eat. We also stopped into the tourist information center. The guide there was very nice but if he spoke any English it was well hidden. Patrice asked about where we could fine okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) in town. He seemed to understand but his ability to explain how to find the restaurant was limited. So he just left the tourist bureau and took us about 75 yards to the restaurant. Again I am amazed by the kindness of these people.

We ventured on to the Rope Roadway which is a cable car that takes you to the top of Mt. Misen. This is the highest peak on the island and it is 1755 feet high. There is a free shuttle that brings you up to the starting point of the cable car. We saw a bunch of young people lined up waiting for the shuttle. Rather than waiting, I said to Patrice let’s just walk. At first we weren’t sure we were going the right way but then we saw this sign.

I wanted to run part way but Patrice would have no part of that. (Patrice here now, Robert is full of it. He was whining the whole way about how much his back hurt and wanted to stop to rest repeatedly. IT WAS A 10 MINUTE WALK UP A MILD GRADE! He is such a baby!)

We reached the start of the ropeway and boarded one of the cable cars. The views of the forestry, water, Hiroshima were spectacular. (Patrice here again. I don’t know what views he is talking about. As you probably remember from previous posts he is terrified of heights. This was his view the entire trip to the mountain top (see below).

This is what Robert was looking at while I was enjoying the views and trying to calm him down.
Here we are at the top of Mt. Misen.

We then returned to the hotel to check in. This is another superb hotel. It seems to be a little boutique ryokan on the island. It has a public bath (onsen) that is not as ornate as the one we had in Hakone but still very relaxing.

After the bath it was time for dinner. We took the elevator to the dining room and another guest joined us. I let him enter the elevator first and he said thank you. I tried to impress him with my Japanese and said, “Oishi”. He smiled and after he exited the elevator Patrice said, “Do you realize you just said delicious?” Oops. Maybe I am clairvoyant and I was thinking of the dinner to come. Breakfast and dinner are included in the stay and tonight’s food was fantastic. Not only was the food excellent the number of courses was embarrassing. Sit back and relax. You are not going to believe what is to follow.

Persimmon with tofu
Salmon, eggplant, simmered sardine, crab, and pine needle.
Pike conger (don’t ask, I have no idea) and matsutake mushroom (again don’t) clear soup
Steamed sea bream and prawn.
Citrus grilled Spanish mackerel and lotus root.
Deep fried sesame tofu in yuba and duck loin in thick soup
Steamed oyster.
Clam miso soup and rice.
Cheese cake with seasonal fruit and tea

Are you exhausted? I am, see you tomorrow.