Day 02: Iwakuni and Miyajima island (Jun 2019)

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Monday, 24th June 2019

I started my morning routine at Doutor for my usual 390-yen egg sandwich and coffee fix at JR Kokura Station before embarking on my journey to Iwakuni, some 172km away. The itinerary for this morning included a visit to the iconic Kintai Bridge, first built in 1673 across the Nishiki River. While the wooden bridge today is a replica, it was nevertheless a joy to visit as I made my way slowly across the bridge towards the Iwakuni Castle. From the top of the castle, the views over the city and Hiroshima Bay were unrivaled.

From Iwakuni, I took another 23 minutes train ride to Miyajimaguchi where the World Heritage Site, the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine was accessible after about 10 minutes ferry ride from the train station. Having visited the shrine for my first time in 2013, I was still fascinated by the same scenic ferry journey to my destination. Obviously, less photos were taken this time round as I occupied the upper deck to take in the breeze and views.

I had a late lunch in one of the many restaurants along the tourist strip of the island where Hiroshima oysters were served. For the first time, Fried Oysters with Japanese Curry worked really well for me as I proceeded to finish my meal slowly. After lunch, I walked around the island and proceeded to take some pictures of the Floating Torii Gate. Regrettably, the right side of the structure was currently undergoing restoration.

Arrival at JR Kokura station in the evening meant that I had some shopping time at ChaCha Town before a ramen dinner at Ichiran. Later on, I hopped onto a train to Hakata Station to check out some sushi restaurant and it was obvious that Hakata was more vibrant compared to the peaceful Kokura where I stayed.

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