Hiroshima experience

Hiroshima is a mere 4 hours by train from Kagoshima with a transfer at Hakata on the Shinkansen Tsubame 4 Express and then the Hikari. Once again, flawless service, fast speed and comfort make the journey fly past ;) Be prepared to have a reclining seat, cup holders in the arm rests, stowage compartments, trolley service and polite bowing from all staff who pass. The perfect way to travel and a lesson in how to run trains for the UK? Yes, I think so…

I arrive in Hiroshima with a booking at K’s Hostel not far from the station and at 2700Y/~£18 night it is good value mixed dorm rooms with internet access. The hostel deserves special mention as on arrival I was quickly booked in and the super friendly staff there booked me into a hotel within Sapporo within 10 mins (Cost 2800Y) of my arrival after I had mentioned I needed to find somewhere to stay. They also gave great insight into what I should do while I was here and where to go to get the best Sushi :) All in all the hostel is clean, well presented, close to the station and I would highly recommend it to all and they are in the Lonely Planet Guide and Hostelworld.com.

I only had one full day in Hiroshima so I made the most of it by taking the JR train south to Miyajima island and the iconic symbol of the region, a scarlet red gateway to one of the Itsukushima-jinja shrine called the 'Floating torii'. This landmark is shown countless times on media images of Japan and when high tide arrives the gateway appears to be floating in the water with its reflection below. Wonderful. I met a fellow traveller 'Camy' while on route and we seemed to have the same itinerary so we set out together to conquer mnt Misen and gain a birds eye view of the gate and shrine before high tide - well the hike/climb was a mere 2.7km (All uphill) and was quickly completed, but imagine the surprise when at the top you are met with a 3 story building complete with Coke machine!! Still, it is the only place to get a view of the Floating Torii Gate as the trees obscure all other vantage points. However, it is worth the climb to look down on the small gate situated at the entrance to an equally red shrine. Glorious.
Returning to the settlement at the bottom of mnt Misen we find the deer are being very friendly and are completely tame - expecting a treat they come right up to you and practically beg for food… With none to give I was a bit of a disappointment to them. Sea food was the next stop with my first try of Tempura (bread crumbed shrimp and noodles) which turned out to be very good and very similar to large scampi…
The last stop today was the Hiroshima peace park and peace memorial museum (50Y/33p), which has a clear message on disarmament and peace for all who will listen… I for one was shocked by the imagery on offer in the museum and would warn anyone contemplating a visit that they will be in for somewhat of an emotional visit (One which will be completed in almost complete silence as most visitors sombrely move around the exhibits deep in contemplation of the scenes before them) - just like Nagasaki the personal stories relating to the exhibits are particularly moving and give first hand accounts of the event on the 6th August 1945 (SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU READ THEM). By the end of the museum you will have a clear understanding for the effects of nuclear weapons on people and landscapes while being made aware of the prevalence of weapons in the world today - particularly interesting are the comments made by visitors that you can also add to at the end of your visit - I found Mother Theresa’s comment particularly moving. Leaving the building you come to the fountain for peace and the peace park - my advise is to take your time, walk around all the sculptures and read the comments near to each one, as several countries have contributed to the establishment of this tranquil site. Standing tall above it all is the ‘Atomic Dome’, the remains of one of the concrete buildings to survive the blast and heat waves - its dome a symbol today for peace - looking away from the dome you will see the Cenotaph for those who were killed by the blast and subsiquent radioactive fallout, within site there is also the eternal flame which will burn here until the last nuclear weapon is decommissioned. From a personal viewpoint, looking at the horrors inflicted by such weapons, surely there can be almost no argument for there use?
Hiroshima is well served by an excellent public transport network and it is easily possible to ride the tram network anywhere for just 150Y/£1 per trip - well worth the investment as these old trolleys clatter along tracks imbedded within old stonework and give a nostalgic feel to the whole experience - However, if you want to all locations in central Hiroshima can be reached within 30mins on foot ;)