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| Itsukushima Shrine and torii in Miyajima [8.28] |
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| Hiroshima Peace Park [8.28] |
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| Matsuyama Castle [8.30] |
It was a spur of the moment decision to go down to Shikoku to visit a friend of mine. She is an ALT on the JET program. I flew down to Matsuyama on Jetstar Airlines. Matsuyama is on Shikoku, which is another island that is part of Japan. It's southwest of Tokyo, and to the right of Kyushu (another island). It was fascinating to arrive to another part of Japan and see the similarities and differences within its own culture. At first I was surprised that there were no trains throughout the city. There was a streetcar/ tram that ran throughout the city. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of riding the tram once. The rest of the time I was on my mamachari (beach cruiser bicycle). The hotel I stayed at was Matsuyama New Grand Hotel. They had free wifi, free ofuro, & free mamachari. It was a nice set up, and I'm glad I stayed there. The wifi was a bit weak though. It was in a great location. It was not far from Matsuyama Castle and the Dogo Onsen.
I decided to do a day trip to Hiroshima from Matsuyama. I caught the super jet boat from Matsuyama Kankoko (Sightseeing Port) to Hiroshima Port. It took about an hour and an half. Then I rode the tram/ streetcar in Hiroshima to Miyajima-guchi Station, and that tooooook forever (2 hours). If you have the time then no worries, but I was on a day trip and I didn't think it would take that long. From Miyajima-guchi it's a jump and a skip to the ferry boat that takes you to Miyajima Island. It was only 180¥ for the ferry and it's about a 10 minute or so ride. From the ferry I walked to Itsukushima Shrine and floating torii. I had my selfie stick and everyone was enthralled by it!!! It was quite embarrassing and entertaining at the same time. I quickly walked through the shops to get to the shrine. Afterwards I decided to eat the famous Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. It was superb. Then I had 2 oysters. My belly was happy.
There is a boat from Miyajima Island to the Peace Memorial Park. YES, I rode that boat for 40 minutes into Hiroshima. It was 2000¥ one way, and so worth it. When we were in the city canal/ river area we got to stand outside and take in the sights from the water. We approached the A-bomb Dome and docked not far from there. It was a short walk to the Peace Memorial Museum (50¥ entrance fee). It sure tugged on the heart strings, and it was very informational and educational. I'm glad I decided to go out for the day to Hiroshima. It is on my list of places to experience in Japan. I have been to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and it is good to get multiple perspectives on anything. It was heart breaking to see the damage the bomb did to Hiroshima, and how mind blowing to see how it has rebuilt itself after 70 years.
