Shrine Island

Thursday 24th January

I know I go on about the weather but it went and snowed today. Arriving at the Peace Memorial Park with snowflakes falling around me was quite something.

Hiroshima (which means wide island) is obviously known for one thing and that is literally the only reason sadly why you would visit the city, as there are very few other attractions. For those of you who don`t know, on the 6th August 1945 an atom bomb exploded above the city killing around 140,000 directly, or from burns, wounds and radiation. The park houses a museum, a remembrance hall and a number of statues as tributes to those who died. Plus the A-bomb Dome, one of the only buildings to survive (albeit a shell) the attack. Very harrowing yet informative at the same time.

After an intense morning I headed over to Miyajima (otherwise known as shrine island) for a bit of light relief. As we disembarked the ferry we were greeted by deer who roam freely and are surprisingly tame.The main shrine on the island is the Itsukushima Jinga where its gates appear as if they are floating, dependant on the tide.

The island is also known for its oysters so not one to miss out decided to order a portion of baked ones for lunch. Although I have eaten oysters in the past they were a bit more than I could stomach today and leaving behind a taste of the sea in my mouth I wished I hadn`t bothered.

Travelling back on the tram I couldn`t help but observe that the city rebuilt itself remarkably quickly after the war ended and there really aren`t any obvious signs, even on the outskirts. I also noticed that outside of the capital the Japanese are definitely not as fashion conscious! I also discovered that the masks that I had thought were to prevent pollution are actually worn when you have a cold. If that is a case maybe we should adopt them in the UK, at least that way we may not spread bugs around the office as freely.

Off out to find somewhere for dinner tonight and maybe if I am really lucky someone who can understand me too. Until next time...