Yesterday we went to the island of Miyajima. It’s a must if you’re in Hiroshima, because the world’s probably most famous torii gate stands in the water in front of the Itsukushima Shrine. After a ride on the cable car and a short hike, we got to enjoy the view from the top of the mountain over the Inland Sea all the way to Hiroshima.
Today was long but pretty uneventful. We took the express train and the Shinkansen from Nagasaki to Hiroshima. Once there, we went on the obligatory trip to Miyajima.
We were really looking forward to seeing the Itsukushima Shrine and its famous torii gate again, but our schedule was so jam-packed today that we barely had time to properly enjoy the place and take nice photos.
At least we didn’t miss out on the food front today. In a shopping arcade next to the shrine, we tried skewers of deep-fried fish paste and octopus, matcha ice cream, and steamed buns filled with Hiroshima beef.
And since we were hungry again by the evening, we treated ourselves to a regional speciality: okonomiyaki, also known as Japanese pizza. It’s a comforting home-style dish made mostly of cabbage, noodles, and egg, cooked right in front of you on a teppan hotplate.
We also managed to squeeze in a bit of time for the Peace Park, just to make sure we saw it at least once on this trip. We’re heading off early again tomorrow.
After an early breakfast, we used the time to check out Hiroshima Castle. Unfortunately, we only had time for a quick visit before meeting up with the group and taking the tram to Miyajima.
On the island of Miyajima is the Itsukushima-Shrine with its torii gate standing in the water - a world-famous postcard motif. The shrine complex stands on stilts and is also in the water at high tide. The building is a wonderful backdrop for traditional weddings.
Finally, we headed back to Hiroshima by tram, where we had a look at the Peace Park. It’s located right beneath the spot where the atomic bomb exploded in 1945. It’s an interesting, but also a depressing place.
Late in the afternoon, we tried to reach the Shukkeien-Garden on our own, but we had double bad luck: it was already closed, and on top of that, it started to rain.
