http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Japan , Hiroshima en-us Thu, 10 Dec 09 05:56:00 +0000 Thu, 10 Dec 09 05:56:00 +0000 From one Atomic bomb devastated city to another We caught the train to Hiroshima and as in Nagaski we arrived around midday so left the bags at the Dormy Hotel and headed off to the Peace Park less than five minutes walk away. Although we visited Hiroshima two years ago and had spent time exploring the Peace Park area it's somewhere you almost feel drawn to. The Hiroshima Peace Park a larg http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-449866.html Day 10Arriving early on the 8am shinkansen 2 hours from Kyoto we went straight to yet another K's House where we had a flash double room this time with our own bathroom TV AC and huge bed After dropping our bags off we headed straight to the Green Arena for the Sumo Tournament. The performances included displays of comic sumo and traditional sumo songfests in addition to the normal sumo bo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/blog-449782.html Things I will look forward to post life as a tour leaderBeing able to stay home when it is raining. Being able to say that the weather is miserable and that there is no use in going outside. Or not having to verbally comment on the weather at all. Having phone numbers to call for delivery attached to the fridge or actually having a well stocked pantry so I can make soup while wearing fluffy http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-441435.html These didn't upload yesterday try try again... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Miyajima/blog-439738.html We were up early today after a rainy day at the Nuclear Bomb museum and Peace Park we were happy to see the sun. After an interesting breakfast at the hotel we hopped on an electric street car a la 1950's and headed off to the Port of Hiroshima for a boat ride to Miyajima Island and a visit to the Peace Shrine highligted by a red gate out in the water that the water will bring waves of p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Miyajima/blog-439614.html A very sobering experience. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-439605.html We went to Miyajima. It had friendly deer. It is an island. We had fun. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Miyajima/blog-435172.html Usual SuspectIl aura fallu attendre l'arrive au Japon pour que je sois l'objet du premier controle digne de ce nom a la frontiere. Tres courtois mais strict. A l'aroport de Fukuoka prise de photos et d'empreintes digitales au bureau d'immigration interrogatoire et fouille a la douane. J'ai visiblement plus l'air du traficant de drogue que de l'honnete juriste en vacances prolonges Are you http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/blog-434412.html Well I'm falling way behind on these. As predicted I lack motivation to sit at my computer and type when there are other things to be doing.After our day in Fukuoka the furthest we could go on that side of Japan... easily we were ready to start heading back to Tokyo and eventually to Hokkaido. For our return journey we decided to head to Hiroshima. I don't remember much of the day up to rea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/blog-434005.html Captivating Hiroshima and MiyajimaThere is a down side to missing your 716 train...cause hot footing it to the station to see if there is perhaps a 740 train and finding out that the next train available to you is only at 950 results in an epic wait in the station To top it off when you finally get on the train hoping to nap for a couple of hours to recuperate and discover you got booked to s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/blog-428897.html After the fireworks of Osaka I went to the station to look for my night bus. It took me an hour of circling the station to find the line of people waiting for the bus. Luckily Id arrived an hour early so I still made it. This is the bus to Hiroshima a Japanese man in shabby clothing tried to reassure me. Okay.I'm going to Hiroshima to write poetry.Okay.Here this is what I write. I spe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Miyajima/blog-426367.html Although I'm now back from Japan I'd still like to share some of the other experiences that I was not able to share while I was there. One of those experiences was our visit to the island of Miyajima. It's a small island off the coast of Hiroshima that is known in Japan as one of the three most scenic spots in the country. So of course we had to see it. After a 45minute ferry ride we arr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Miyajima/blog-421529.html My brother Jimmy came over for a visit and we did some traveling around Japan instead of just staying in Tokyo the whole time. We headed south for a two day visit to Hiroshima. It was an absolutely amazing and moving experience. The devastation that was caused by my home country dropping an atomic bomb on this city was disturbing but in all of the museums and memorials they don't blame the US http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-420281.html Before I left for Japan I told someone that I would be visiting Hiroshima. That person asked Does that city even exist anymore I knew that it did but when I arrived I didn't expect it to be as large and as modern as it is. This city has definitely survived since it and its citizens were destroyed by an atomic bomb on August 6th 1945. After my sister an I checked into our hotel room we b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-419384.html We have a reservation on the Shinkansen bullet train at 930 to Hiroshima from Tokyo first we have to negotiate the subway at rush hour which is fun with big backpacks. We let one train come and go because it is so busy the second one we just force our way onto the doors just about close behind us and we're off.We buy some supplies for the journey sushi crazy pastries with hotdogs in and gr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-417170.html HiroshimaUpon arriving by Shinkansen train we were immediately greeted by warmer weather and it has to be said a warmer people.Hiroshima will always stand out in history as the place where the first atomic bomb was dropped to devastating effect. So much of the area is understandably dominated by this history with monuments parks museums and sculptures and there is a huge sense of what happened http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-416060.html If Japanese cities were to be compared to drinks then Tokyo would be a six pack of Red Bull Kyoto would be a large doubledouble from Timmy's and Hiroshima would be a warm cup of tea. Hiroshima has few tall buildings few ostentatious signs and the people seem to walk slowly even when they aren't.The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was recommended to me by a teacher in Korea and that became m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/blog-413308.html Today I wake up at 6 it's plus 8h gmt here. Called my girl but he Internet in Osaka was rubbish. So we chatted I've msn instead. It was better. Then I woke up fredrik. We went and bought a couple of rice balls. They like to put things on sticks here aswell. Yesterday I had a sausage on a stick. Nice. After the riceballs we checked of. Walked tofhe station and took the Frau to Hiroshima. Slept 1 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Hiroshima/blog-412815.html If I had to pick the solemnest day of this trip this would be the day. For a majority of the day we explored the Atomic Bomb Museum and grounds where at World War II's breaking edge the United States dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan one in Nagasaki and the other in Hiroshima. The tour begins in the museum where numerous stories are told and pictures are hung out to paint a clear image of th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/Miyajima/blog-404954.html Today was our first full day here in Hiroshima. After going to such an exciting game the Hiroshima Carp I have to say that I love this city. Compared with Osaka it is not as big and does not have as many shopping centers. However the city itself is a very popular tourist spot in Japan. As part of the Study Tour our itinerary included visiting the Mazda Car Factory right here in Hiroshima. Thi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Hiroshima/blog-403530.html