Early departure for a day visiting the islands surrounding Hiroshima. The Seto Inland Sea contains hundreds of islands, big and small, and are prized by the Japanese for their beauty. We take a taxi to the bus station, braving a cold but sunny morning.
The 90 minute bus ride leaves urban Hiroshima giving way to suburban housing tracts in the tree covered hills surrounding the city. The newer homes have many different colors of tiled roofs, the most dominant a brownish-orange, the color of the clay in this area. We pass the exit to the airport, a good hour from the city center. The roadway narrows and becomes more winding and steep. We make a few stops in small towns noting the small farms in the area use terraces for growing. Finally arrive at the ferry station after passing the largest oil fueled power station I have ever seen!
The ferry we are taking makes a stop at a very small island called Rabbit Island. It is "infested" with the hopping creatures who were left to fend for themselves after the war. The island had a lab where experiments were done testing for biological war weapons. Ironic that it is now a family destination where the children can feed the bunnies and explore the island, oblivious to a once dark period in Japanese history.
We just observe from the boat and travel on to the much larger Omishima Island where we disembark. Our van is waiting to take us to Ikuchijim Island for lunch but first we have an adventure. We get to walk across the Tatara Bridge!
It is a cable bridge, about a mile long, and beautiful to look at as well as an engineering marvel. It is part of the Shimanami Kaido Expressway, a project conceived in the 1980's and completed in 1999, connecting multiple islands with multiple bridges, that had once been accessible only by ferry. Amazing. As we walk across we have spectacular views and fun times but pass no other pedestrians, only many bicyclists. I have my photo taken at the middle where the wind starts to pick up and the dark clouds that were far away have suddenly gotten closer. We walk faster, completing the trek as the rain begins!
Ikuchijim Island is famous for its citrus and our short drive to the restaurant passes many orchards. What I think are lemons are actually "Spring" fruit, looking like a lemon but sweet. Lunch is the best meal in Japan and I don't want to eat this work of art. Every tidbit is beautifully arranged and decorated, like a lovely flower bouquet. Very delicious and my first taste of cherry blossom soup is wonderful. The owners/cooks are gracious and happy, a memorable meal.
Hirayama Ikuo is a very well known artist, born and raised on this island. The museum dedicated to his works is inspiring. His medium was the ancient Japanese paint technique, nihonga, using ground minerals and handmade paper. Having survived the atomic bomb he dedicated his life to promoting peace, traveling the world and painting World Heritage sites in danger of being destroyed. Some of his images are ethereal, others stark, all sending a message that we must preserve this world and its people.
In contrast to the wonderful museum our next site is a rich mans obsession with saving his mothers soul. Kozo Kosanji, an industrialist turned Buddhist monk, used his money to create an amazing complex of shrines, temples, homes and gardens. It is over the top with decoration and symbolism, taking it a step too far to be beautiful. There is a long underground passageway that takes you to the depths of hell (lots of scary statuary) until you exit at Nirvana. The top of the hill is jarring, covered with Italian imported white Carrara marble, carved by Itto Kuetani, with monuments that need an interpreter to understand their visual meaning. The final building is a normal museum with historical paintings and statues that were collected by Kosanji. As Saeko whispered, not a shrine but a theme park!
It really starts to rain again as we walk through town to the ferry station. As we board the hydrofoil the owner of the restaurant comes to see us off, waving American and Japanese flags. What a thoughtful gesture to a group whom he barely knows.
We land at Minara, a bit industrial but famous for a dancing festival that looks like it would be fun to see. Samurai with swords, kimono clad ladies with fans and a dragon, the left over posters from the past weekend make it seem like a great party. We board our bullet train on the fast track back to Hiroshima. It has been a long but entertaining day filled with lots of different activities.
After getting off the streetcar I take some extra time to do a bit of shopping before going back to the hotel. I find a Hiroshima Carp jersey, the local baseball team who finally won the National Championship last year. It is great!
Taxi, bus, ferry, van, hydrofoil, bullet train, streetcar and walking---quite a list to transport us today. Counting regular trains, the small poling boat and subways, this trip has really given me an insight into the many ways to get around Japan!
The 45 minute train ride gets us to a different ferry going to Miyajima Island. There is a crush of people and we are a bit overwhelmed by how many want to visit the Itsukushima Shrine. The complex is quite large and we spend a lot of time exploring the various buildings, climbing to the two pagodas, watching a purifying ceremony at the Shinto shrine and photographing a Japanese bride who is beautifully attired in a traditional kimono. We are on our own for lunch and I manage to order noodles in a tasty broth which hits the spot. Plenty of shopping opportunities but I am tired of the same souvenirs. Enjoy some leisure time people watching and wandering with my camera. It is not my favorite place and I am happy to board the ferry. That is when we finally see why the place is so famous---the torii gate that was under 15 feet of water is now revealed and is being swarmed by people who want to walk under. It is a bit amazing to see the tide go out so far that you can see the massive structure entirely.
