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Miyajima and Hiroshima

Miyajima is beautiful, really beautiful but it was so hot and so crowded.

I was visiting in mid October and there were still massive crowds. And it must have been at least in the mid. 80s if not hotter.

Our guide mentioned the heat and said something about having to wear a jacket on August 15rh. But yesterday …. He brought up climate change. And I am certain that the changing of climate
Had something to do with the heat.

We walked over an hour in the heat and for me, it was oppressive. It seemed many persons in my group felt the same

Very large crowds of tourists. It was what you might expect in what we call the tourist season.

For m, it was a problem but it might not be for someone else.

I especially loved the deer. I did see one of them nipping at a women s behind but I think she may have worked on the island or knew how to deal with them The guide map you get cautions you that they might try to eat your personal belongings, even your phone when you are taking pictures of them

Then we went on to Hiroshima which is a very large and beautiful city. Of course, most Americans and others associate Hirosima with the bombing

We did a lot of walking with the heat continuing to be a problem as well as the crowding.

It was not just the tourists but the school children on field trips. There were at least several hundred school children on field trips arriving in school buses I do not know if this is a daily event or if we happened to be there on the day of many school trips

I was unable to see very much because of the crowding I walked in to the museum and had to walk out. I sat downstairs in the lobby walking around the lobby some and buying some souvenirs.

Hiroshima is not just the history of Japan it is the history of the United States as well.

I can understand why it would be a field trip for Japanese and other school children.

I have a question about lunch. We had lunch at a very beautiful hotel. I want to understand what was our lunch called. We had several small dishes which included rice, soup, raw fish, one piece of teriyaki, a very small dessert, a piece of orange. And other foods.

I had a similar meal at my hotel in a Yokohama I tink it was called a Traditional Meal in Yokohama. Is there a name for this meal that includes several items but small portions?.

Posted by
4262 posts

I had a similar meal at my hotel in a Yokohama I tink it was called a Traditional Meal in Yokohama. Is there a name for this meal that includes several items but small portions?

I believe you are referring to "Washoku", this is the traditional Japanese meal with many little plates

https://tsukiji-cooking.com/en/whatswashoku/

Posted by
6728 posts

I hope you managed to see the "floating" torii gate and the shrine complex, that Miyajima is best known for. It is one of the best known tourist sites in Japan, and I doubt that there is a bus tour or ship excursion that doesnt visit there, so the crowds are no surprise. Are the trees in full autumn colour now? When we were there, it was earlier so the leaves were only beginning to turn.

The Hiroshima Peace park and Museum are visited by large numbers of school groups, even elementary students. This part of their history is an important part of their education. The Museum , with everything it depicts, made a deep and lasting impression. I hope you had a chance to explore some of the park. The Children's Peace Monument and the millions of paper cranes, and the story behind them, was very moving for me.

Posted by
463 posts

Just wanted to say thank you for these interesting reports about some lesser visited places in Japan. I haven’t been on a cruise there but have traveled in Japan a bit and it is fascinating.
Anecdote, back in 1989 I lived in Seattle for a year, was planning to tour Asia for a few months between jobs, and went to a lecture in a classroom at the U of Washington given by a young local travel writer named Rick Steves, giving a slideshow about Asia and selling copies of his book “Asia Through the Back Door.” Not long after that he decided to focus just on Europe and obviously that was very successful.

Posted by
7657 posts

School kids are a very common sight in major sights in Japan, as Japanese schools tend to be big on field trips and to choose the same places (Nara, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc.)

Posted by
4392 posts

I ran into groups of school kids all over the place during my trip to Japan in May -- on trains, on sidewalks, at sites. I particularly liked it when the older students would hear English and try to talk to my 22-year-old travel companion and me.

Posted by
24251 posts

bostonphil7, nice trip report. I know its frustrating when the side arguments take over and detract from your purpose. Focus on your message of the trip report and drive past the static. Many appreciate hearing about one of the most significant landmarks of our life time. What happened there is still a major source of philosophical discussion and continues to shape thought processes in the wars of today. Never hurts to reach out and actually touch these things. G-d Bless.

Posted by
3069 posts

Thank you for all your posts, even those that are controversial to some. I am glad for every one

I am currently sailing into South Korea.

I think two weeks is too long for a cruise, at least for me. I would prefer 9 or 10 days.

If I do not answer you individually, it is because I am on an iPad that can be finicky, I am sailing on a ship and so excited and pleased by all the responses Glad to tell you that I am so busy having fun a lot of time or trying too that I do not have the time to respond to all the comments for right now. I will when I go home and I am on my computer.

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3069 posts

Clean

Had some plum wine and loved it Had some plum wine in Arita at lunch.

Also I did get to see the red floating Tori gates in Miyajima.

Posted by
3069 posts

ORDtraveler

You have been such a big help to me in planning this trip. I would hate it if you stopped posting

I would love to hear about your scam story. Could you private message me.

Posted by
3069 posts

Carlos

You are correct although the meals that I had did not have so many items. I wish that someone had explained Washoku to me at the meals that I had on my excursions

I just had another Washoku in Arita.

I was unable to eat the raw fish at all my meals.