Miyajima, Mt. Misen, and Momiji Manju

On 11/22 I continued my weekend in Hiroshima by setting off for Miyajima, an island just off the coast. Hopping on a short, very crowded ferry, I joined the throngs of tourists taking advantage of the long weekend to see the sights. I started off my day there at Miyajima Park, which was full of wild deer and maple trees.


I forwent the expensive cable car and instead chose to hike up Mt. Misen, the tallest mountain on the island. The ETA was 1:30, but I managed to make it up under an hour. It felt good to stretch my legs, and Japan's hiking trails continue to be satisfying.

At the peak was Reikado Hall, with a fire known as Kiezu no Hi (the eternal flame) which has been burning for 1200 years, and was used to light the Flame of Peace at the Peace Memorial Park back in Hiroshima. There is a large cauldron of boiling water within the hall which is said to cure disease The Sankido Hall right next door focuses on family happiness and business success, although I bet the hike would test familial relationships rather than strengthen them.

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At the very peak was an outcropping of large boulders and a lookout tower with a great panorama of the bay. I was happily surprised to see quite a lot of people had climbed onto these rocks to sit and each lunch. Apparently eating lunch at the top of a hike is a very common thing for Japanese people to do using kerosene canisters, bowls, noodles, and all.

After taking a well deserved break atop a rock, I set off a different route down the mountain passing a really quaint shrine near the top, and reaching a massive religious complex at the bottom. The Daishoin temple is a large Buddhist complex that also once served as a political headquarters. Throughout grounds there were 500 Rakan statues, each with a unique face, and since it was cold, little knitted hats. There was also a cave with icons of 88 temples representing a Buddhist pilgrimage. There was so much more in this area that it's best just to browse the descriptions from their actual website here.

Afterwards I headed back into town, where I got to go to the island's icon, the Otorii (Big Gate) at low tide. Crowds gathered around the base of the massive gate to shove coins into the pillars. I myself joined in. Afterwards I headed into the shopping arcade, a street filled with tons of shops and even more people. After finding a quick bite to eat I wandered the shopping arcade, noticing a large amount of shops selling rice scoopers, called shamoji. Apparently Miyajima claims heritage to inventing the shamoji, and they also have the largest one ever made, 7.7 meters long, which in a display in town. Today shops sell rice scoopers as souvenirs and good luck charms, complete with inspirational phrases. I picked up a small phone strap version for myself as a souvenir, and the staff then wrote my name on the back for me!

Needing a break from the crowds I headed back towards the shrines to check out the nearby 5 story pagoda. Unlike some of the other pagodas I have seen, this one was pristinely maintained. But more impressive was the massive hall next door. Senjokaku hall was a shrine that was never completed, but now serves is an art gallery of sorts, with quite varied artwork hanging from the ceiling. I spent some time relaxing here with the great view of the surrounding town and mountains to rest my legs.





Feeling refreshed I headed into the main Shinto shrine complex, Itsukushima Shrine. It was built in the bay, so at higher tides the whole complex looks like it is floating on the water. It is a really neat effect. Here I joined a massive queue to have a photo taken on the shrine's doc, which lines up with the Otorii. If I have not mentioned it before, Japan has a unique appreciation for lines. People line up for anything and everything for much longer than would be considered reasonable in the west. Restaurants, concerts, tourist attractions, etc all end up with extraordinary long waits that people do not seem to mind at all. In this case the line worked in my favor, and the tide had come in by the time it was my turn to take a photo, so I got a good one.


Before I left, I needed to pick up some omiyage (edible souvenirs) for my coworkers, as it is customary and good manners (but totally optional). So I decided to pick up some momiji manju, which is a hand held cake with filling, shaped like a maple leaf (momiji). This treat is Hiroshima's signature gift, so naturally there were a ton of shops to choose from. A neat part of these stores was they had the massive machines and bakers up front behind a glass wall, so you could watch the snacks be made in front of you. One of the restaurants even flash fried their momiji manju, so naturally I had to try it. After picking up gifts for my coworkers, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky a brilliant orange. I rushed back to Otorii, which was now lit up. The sky perfectly matched the gate, creating a brilliant sight to end my day on.

Yet I guess my day wasn't quite over after all. Upon returning I still had the evening to myself. As I set out back into downtown Hiroshima to find a restaurant, I noticed along the main road Heiwa-o-dori a large illumination was set up. For a massive stretch of the road, a variety of light structures adorned the walking paths. The displays had a variety of themes, such as a Moby Dick display and a Cinderella staircase. At the end was a massive tree strung with lights that you could actually walk inside!

Icing on the cake, that evening back in Hiroshima, I went to a ramen shop recommended by my hostel, which had some of the most delicious ramen I have had so far.


That next morning I had a rather riveting discussion about politics with a Swedish girl at my hostel, who's mother is a renown journalist in Sweden who had the chance to interview Edward Snowden. It was enlightening to hear perspectives about America. It seems the news other countries present about America, while not entirely inaccurate, fail to include much about circumstances surrounding the news, which creates a somewhat skewed perspective. Then again, I am equally, if not more so, uninformed about most other countries in the world. So it was a fun experience to speak about the news and politics, especially about taxes and healthcare. I learned about Sweden's systems, both the strengths and the shortcomings, which gave me a better understanding of how different America is from Europe, and why Europeans hold the views they do about America.

Hiroshima

I cobbled together a last minute trip on the holiday weekend of 11/21. I am both proud of myself and also disappointed in myself for not getting ready sooner. I ventured out to Hiroshima for the long weekend. 

Upon arrival I went to straight to Hiroshima Castle ruins. Only the historic tower in the far corner of the castle grounds and the bridge and gate at the moat were rebuilt, since the rest of the complex mostly had turned into western style buildings used by the Japanese army during WWII.  Now the grounds are just ruins, with trees have since grown to make the land into a nice park. The scenery is so nice that I even saw a few couples taking wedding photos under the trees.  There are actually two trees on the property which not only survived the bombing, but continue to grow.

The reconstructed tower itself has been turned into a cultural museum. A notable exhibit featured the masks that samurai wore, had a really neat aesthetic. The top of the castle provides an interesting view of the surrounding city, with a stark contrast of the trees and foundations of the castle complex and the tennis courts and apartments right across the moat.

After the castle I met Donald, an English professor I met prior in Tottori briefly during the JALT conference (I wrote about that here). He took me to a delicious local spot, Mitchan, where I ate Hiroshima style okonomiyaki .  Okonomiyaki, which are basically grilled veggie pancakes, are unique in Hiroshima with the addition of noodles and excessive amounts of cabbage. But thanks to the meats and the okonomiyaki sauce, this strange conglomeration of foods ends up being delicious!  


Along the way he showed me a large catholic Jesuit church which was built during the restoration of the city. It's architecture was rather unique, and the iconography inside was very abstract. We saw a couple weddings taking place on the grounds as we walked on through. I learned that Hiroshima has a particular large number of Christians, which is surprising since Japan is a very secular society with a history of persecuting Christians.

The last stop we made was at a big shopping arcade, where we stopped at Anderson's bakery to pick up Hiroshima Sour, delicious sourdough I was thankful to have on me the next morning for breakfast. The bakery was impressive! They had tons of brick oven breads being cooked, and a delicatessen cutting fresh slices of ham. 

Afterwards parting ways with Donald I ended up at the Dome and peace park. The Dome stands in striking contrast to the landscape of skyscrapers and shopping arcades, purposely preserved in the exact state it was after the bomb dropped nearly directly overhead.  The Dome was one of just a few buildings left standing after the bomb exploded, leaving the rest of the earth totally scorched. 


Across the river from the Dome is the peace park, a large open area with memorials for the victims of the bombing. The main memorial has a burning flame under an arch, which faces the dome.  The solemn mood around these monuments filled the atmosphere, and even the most touristy visitors had an air of reverence.

The museum itself does not pull many punches either. It enshrines everyday items which were often the sole identifiable thing left from those killed by the bomb. It also had a plethora of footage, pictures, and rubble from the aftermath of the bomb. A particularly perturbing display had wax models with their skin melting off. The sheer destruction was not something I thought I understood from textbooks, but I definitely did not fully comprehend. The museum was a sobering experience, and showed the true nature of the bomb and the terrible collateral damage such a weapon has.

I also walked through the Memorial Hall, which contained a large stone circular room with carvings depicting the decimated landscape after the bomb had dropped. It was a beautiful and appropriate memorial. The hall also contained a library, and recordings of survivors discussing the tragic aftermath of the bomb.

Afterwards the sun had set, so I ventured across town on the trolleys unique to Hiroshima. The city itself is actually rather small in nature, so the trolley system works quite well. I went to the notable Shukkeien Japanese garden in the city. With the fall colors they illuminate the garden at night. The stark contrast was uniquely different from daytime visits I have done to other gardens. And the effect of using complementary lighting was equally as striking. Bold colors stood out against the black lake and starry night sky creating a dreamlike landscape to wander.

At the garden I met up with another profession, Jim, and his wife. That night, with his son, we went for round 2 of okonomiyaki at their local haunt.  At this okonomiyaki restaurant, the griddle extended out to the bar where we ate, so the chef just pushed our food in front of us and the griddle kept it warm as we cut bites using a small spatula.

After an such an eventful day, I crashed at my hostel and prepped for day two in Hiroshima.

The Castle in the Sky, Little Kyoto, the Natural Basalt Quarry, and Onsen Resort

On the weekend of 11/14 I hopped into the neighboring prefecture of Hyogo to check out Japan's "Machu Picchu", Takeda Castle, with a couple friends Kerstin and Will. After a chill night hanging out with some of Will's friends in a nearby city, we set off at 4am Saturday morning to Asako to hike a nearby mountain to view the ruins as the run rose. This is the ideal time to view the castle ruins, as they sit atop a mountain. The morning fog covers the valley below, creating the illusion the castle is floating in the sky. This effect inspired the film Castle in the Sky. It was quite a sight to behold, especially at this time of year with the fall leaves. The colors across the mountainside faded in as the sun rose, adding a vibrancy to the experience.

Afterwards we ventured across the valley to the castle ruins itself. I was shocked to see the scale of the ruins atop a mountain that took 20 minutes to drive up. The castle complex must have been massive when it was in use. Now all that remains is the stone foundations and the beautiful, moss covered, trees.  Constructing castle itself must have been quite the feat at the time, even more so knowing the castle was only used during times of conflict, which is understandable because of how difficult it must have been to summit.

Next on our trip was the town of Izushi, known as Little Kyoto. The town has a famous, ancient clock tower which looks surprising modern. That or clocks haven't changed much in a century. The town also has a short section of gates ascending a mountain to a shrine, and a preserved historic street which is now occupied by restaurants and gift shops. In that sense it is incredibly similar to Kyoto. The streets were full of tourists there to try Izushi's local variation of soba noodles. But we had more places to go, so we took a pass on trying the food.

Continuing to work our way back towards Will's town, we made a quick stop at the Genbudo caves. These five basalt rock caves served as quarries for castle foundation stones due to the rock's natural pentagonal shape. While entirely natural, the quarries look like they were carved by machinery. Yet this is a natural occurrence caused by a lava flow cooling. It is an awe striking and baffling sight to behold.

The caves also had a small souvenir shop which contained a pretty extensive rock museum, which had some really rare stones in their natural state as well as some exquisitely carved stone statues. Apparently I was supposed to pay to see it (whoops), but I had just walked upstairs and started browsing around.

By this time of the day we had done a fair amount of walking and hiking, so we stopped at the nearby resort town of Kinosaki. The town features seven different hot spring baths (onsen) with a quaint river running through the town center. Most of the people in the town were wearing yukata, basically outdoor robes, hopping from onsen to onsen for the day on a weekend relaxation getaway. Visiting the Gosho no yu onsen, I can understand why. The bath was massive, half indoor and half outdoor, with massage jets, a sauna, and even a waterfall. It was a great way to relax after a long day of hiking and driving.