Japan: Hiroshima and Miyajima, day trip

Unlike other bustling Japanese cities, this city carries an unforgettable history on its shoulders and probably is one of the few cities which does not see flocks of tourists visiting. Some, including myself, found ourselves entering a different world as we entered the city, perhaps in our attempt to piece together imaginary scenes of what happened in 1945.

The A-bomb dome is one of the few buildings that remain standing after the bomb dropped. A few train stops away from the JR train station and one can easily walk around the dome before adjourning towards the peace memorial park and museum. Pictures are allowed in the museum but I could not bring myself to click away at the gory pictures and post-bombing artifacts.

Now onto lunch, a favourite time of the day for me. We did not plan on where to go and decided to stroll along the city and after a few turns, we decided on an eatery and ordered a plate of Hiroshima okonomiyaki and oysters.

Miyajima is a peaceful little island located about 20 minutes away from Hiroshima and is known for its giant torii gate. Sadly, we arrived a late that day and could only inhale a little glimpse of the island as we strolled from one end of the street to the other. For once, the sea breeze actually did help wash away irrelevant thoughts clouding my head.