Hiroshima, What A Pleasant Surprise!

Hiroshima, What A Pleasant Surprise!

Hi, I’m Darlene. I’m Jean. We’re the roaming retirees and today we’re going to be visiting Hiroshima, Japan. And when you think of Hiroshima, you automatically think go to the atom bomb was dropped there. But actually, there’s so much more to that city than just that. Absolutely. So, let’s just dive in and go explore Hiroshima. [Music] So when we got into Hiroshima, we had only allotted for 3 days on our trip. And in hindsight, I think we would have needed more days. Yeah, definitely could have used more time. Yeah, cuz when we when we were booking our trip and planning our trip, this was something that we knew we wanted to see Hiroshima pretty much for the Abomb. We didn’t realize all the things that were there to see. Um, but in looking at it now, I would have definitely stayed a minimum of five or six days cuz there was a lot to see and do there. But, um, we happened to, you know, book our hotel. It was right hooked to the train station called the Grandia. And man, that was great. It was a beautiful hotel. Yeah, that was a really nice hotel. really nice breakfasts every morning. Um, and just really clean and the convenience. I mean, we just walked out of our hotel. You didn’t even have to walk out of the hotel. There was actually an indoor route to get you around the corner to the train station. Um, because it was all part of the train station. Yeah. So, that was convenient. The buses were right out front for and there is one bus that tourist bus where you so you can buy to get on the bus and it lets your actions. Yeah. So you just buy a one day pass or whatever or whatever you need and us it was just a day pass thing and we just you could get on and the bus stops at various points throughout the city and it’s always near major attractions. So we found that to be really convenient. We use that. Yes. And um it was really really nice to have that right outside the door of the hotel. So anyway, the first site we went to see on our very first day was the A- Bomb Dome. Um kind of it was it’s left exactly how it was the day the bomb dropped um in 1945. So that was oh boy, that was really to stand there and kind of absorb that and take that in. Um definitely a piece of history that we wanted to see and experience. Yeah. And no matter how you look at it, war is ugly. And it, you know, the they have a piece of memorial park there now that um that the a whole piece of memorial park is geared around to never have um an atomic bomb dropped again. So um it’s a hope of the people of all people. Yeah. Yeah. And they actually have a Korean memorial there and it’s in 49 languages. And they did things throughout the park that were for everybody. It wasn’t just for the Japanese people. It was it was for everybody. They um had a peace bell that anybody could ring and just remembrance of all the people who died and anybody that fought in the war. So, it was just a it’s it was a really beautiful park. Um I think and what was the one where we kind of down under the ground? Oh, that was that museum, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Um it kind of went down around under the ground and it um it actually had this wall of tiles that were like little individual almost like mosaics. Mosaics. Yeah. And there was 140,000 tiles representing the 140,000 people that were lost that day of the bombing. And the whole thing was just um every way you went throughout the Peace Memorial Park cuz the Peace Memorial Park had a lot of factors to it. It had a great big museum. Um it had which we didn’t go. Yeah. We didn’t go into the museum because our time was so limited. Um and we knew that the museum going in there would take a few hours. So we just we just bypassed that particular the bigger museum. Um they did have a children’s peace monument I think they called it and that was uh um in memory of her name was Saddako Sasaki and um she was a girl that was really badly affected by the bomb and for 10 years she um suffered the consequences of the nuclear the radiation the radiation. Yeah. And so she had committed to make in her life um she had committed to making a thousand origami cranes and um she reached her goal and that was her way of expressing no more atomic bombs. And so they did a whole memorial to her and it had like a big tall statue with her at the top with a bunch of cranes above her and then a little boy and a little girl girl representing all the people and then in glass cases around it there’s um origami that’s been sent from people from all over the world. Yeah. Yeah. So it’s like a big half wall of glass cases filled with origami cranes. And so that was just really beautiful. And then they had a prayer fountain. And they, you know, just just even the the peace memorial itself, this big saddle arch. And when you stand on the end, you know, there’s flowers where people bring flowers for memorials. But then there’s all names of every person lost is written in that arch. And then you look through it and there’s a flame on the other side of the arch. The arch is kind of long shadow and then you look through it and there’s a flame there and then past the flame is this long body of water and then when you get to the other side of the water you can see from where you’re standing you can see the a bomb dome. So that was quite um I I just felt like it was such a tribute you know to their people who were lost that day. So, you know, it that whole park experience to me it was it was sobering but beautiful in the way that they just um their whole thing was to strive for peace in the world. And so that was Yeah, that’s really what I got out of it. Yeah. So, the whole the whole experience was just a it was a sobering experience but also a very beautiful experience. Yeah. And then it also if you want to go to the peace memorial museum, what did we pay? It was like 200 yen. So really in American US dollars, I think it’s like a $135 or a dollar and a half. It’s not very much to go in and see it. And uh the children’s peace monument was free. Um there was no charge for anything except for the big museum and then the and then the uh peace memorial museum. Yeah. And everything else was free. So you can just walk around cuz it’s all outside. Um and then there was also uh there’s called a senotap for the Korean memorial and that was for cuz they had a huge Korean population and that was for the Korean victims. And so that was like 10 gates um that was built and I think they had that that was the the 49 languages they had that the whole they they long for world peace and that was written in 49 languages. So I mean it was it was just the whole experience um being at that park. Yeah. And I mean they had a lot of pictures of what the city looked like before. Right. And then it has a lot of pictures of what it looked like after it was just completely destroyed. And I mean it’s kind of heartbreaking and it’s kind of amazing to see all at the same time. So it was and then the whole thing it runs around along the Modasu River and I’m probably not saying that right. I hope I’m not killing the name but big beautiful river that runs right through kind of the heart of that memorial park. And so Jean and I, we walked along the river and you know they have like they had like little benches you could sit around the fountains and the and the water pool and things like that. So it was quite quite nice actually. Yeah. And very peaceful. Very peaceful. It’s all set up to be just that. That’s why they call it the peace park. Right. Yeah. And then the city is uh you know you’ll be going along just like many cities that we saw in Japan. You’d be walking along and there in the heart of modern city there’s like some old you know shrine shrine that’s there or temple that’s from the 1500s you know. So so you you see that all over Japan. And there again that was something that I just I’m I’m kind of aed by it. Yeah. that that like you said that was kind of everywhere in Japan. Yeah. Um it did have the castle there. Yeah, there was there’s a big castle. It’s called the Hiroshima Castle. Um and that was built in 1590. Um then it was destroyed by the A bomb and I think they rebuilt it again in 1958. And so, um, that castle you can go walk the grounds and see everything for free on the outside. And if you want to go into the building, I think it was 400 yen to go in. And I think that’s like like right dollars. So, American dollars. So, um, you know, there there’s just so much to see and do in the city itself. Very beautiful city. Uh, very modern. Um, lots of places to eat, lots of places to tour. Yeah. Um, we got there kind of late in the day when we headed out to go start seeing stuff. So, yeah, because we had taken the train. Yeah. We had come in on the train. So, we didn’t really get out until later in the day. So, we were kind of pressed for time and didn’t get a chance to see everything that we really would have liked to have seen, right? And do that. But, uh, I mean, you do get to see it when you’re riding on the buses. You could see the castle. It was kind of off, but being we had already done a castle before. Um, we’d actually done like three castles. So, you know, I would have liked to have seen it, but just just our time because of time and what the time we had. We truthfully did not realize how much there was to see in Hiroshima when we booked the whole trip. Um, and so therefore we kind of shorted ourselves by not doing more research because when we got there we realized there was a lot more to see. And we had planned one day to um really just kind of meander around town and then the next day we’re going to the Miaima Island. And so that was a full day planned and then the next day we had to catch a train to leave. So, um, realistically, like we said in the earlier part of the video, 4 days, 5 days minimum. I mean, I would have done five or six days truthfully had I known all the things there was to see and do and had I done a little bit more of my homework before we left. Um, this was our first time really putting a a trip together like this. We had never done like a month um traveling by train and trying to pick out certain things you wanted to see and how much time we would take in each place. So, you know, we’re learning as we go a trip together and we’ll learn. We’ll continue to learn as we travel. But that was for sure definitely I mean in my opinion definitely worth the visit to Hiroshima. I would like to actually go back and see and see the rest of the things that we didn’t get to see, you know. So, that’s on the to-do list. There’s there’s a big market there. There’s I mean, there’s just so much there. But anyway, and then our day two, we went to Miaima Island. That was really probably the highlight for me. Yeah, I love the nature. Um I love being out in nature. So for me that was probably my favorite one of my favorite places to go. Um yeah started out you just catch the train. Yeah. Which was right there. You walk the train station go from there. Uh take the train out. It was a JR line. Yeah. And anyway it was a JR line. It was 30 minute train ride and it basically it was not far at all. And then you go catch the ferry. Yeah. You get off the train, then you got to walk about two, three blocks maybe is all. Yeah. And then you go to the ferry terminal. You catch the ferry there. It’s about what 10 maybe 15 minute fairy ride. Yeah. 10-minute ferry ride. And then on the on the fairies and the trains, the 400 yen um round trip for the ferry. Um and that’s the time that we went. So, you know, we don’t know when you’re going to go or whatever, but um we were there in March or early April. Early No, early April. Early April. Yeah. When we were there. And so, um that was the cost. And then and then the train was the JR line and that was that was the $269 US. So, we actually um that island. Oh, man. That was so pretty. Our first impression was just because there’s that giant orange Tory gate sitting out in the water. Yeah. And you see it when you’re coming in on the ferry. Yeah. It’s so pretty. That’s the first thing that sticks out to you. And then you head into the ferry terminal and then once you get out of the fairy terminal, it’s what maybe two blocks, three blocks. You kind of run into a little shopping food everything like that. Oh, and the little deer. Yeah, don’t forget the little aggressive deer. There is some Okay, so unlike N, which was our next stop after Hiroshima, N had the little deer that you can actually feed, these deer, they do not want you feeding the deer. And the deer are pretty aggressive with the food. So, if you have food, they’re going to come and take it. We saw people sitting there trying to eat their lunch on I guess it’s kind of a little park right by the seaw wall or whatever it is. And those little deer just jump right up there and take what they want. Yeah, they were pretty aggressive. I mean, we we watched the one deer jump right between a couple and they had their food sitting there and it jumped right up and took the food and took off with it. So, it was like, “Oh, don’t lay your food down around here because these deer will take the food.” But, um, yeah, that was they were really it was kind of neat because they let you come right and pet them and talk to them, but they but they definitely were looking for like scraps, you know, whatever you have, they’re taking. Yeah. So, but yeah, besides the deer, then we went down we went to the we actually went down walked down onto the beach and we um saw the big Tory gate there. Right. And that was out to out to in the water at the time. They call it a floating to gate cuz it appears to be floating. And it was out in the water cuz the tide was in. And we didn’t really know we were going to be there as long as we were that day. So by the end of the day when we come back, the tide had gone out. And here you could walk out to the toy gate was completely out and it was just sand all the way out. So then at the end of the day, we walked out and got to um hang out underneath the Tory gave, you know. Yeah. And got our pictures and stuff under there. But um and then they had the What is that? Is it a floating shrine? Uh Yeah. So we It was the Itukushima shrine that we visited and that’s all built out over the water. Yeah. So So when the tide’s in, it looks like it’s floating on the water. Yeah, that was a beautiful shrine. To me, it was probably one of the prettiest. Like I said, this whole experience to me, this day was probably one of my favorite days. You know, it was just the whole thing was like um for the senses, it was really like for your eyes, it was really a visual beautiful experience. um the village that’s there. There’s like shopping, you know, it’s kind of off to the one side of the of the the walkway where you there’s a main walkway and it has some Tory gates as you’re going. So, there was other Tory gates built up on the land um before you got to that shrine. And um boy, when we went through that, that was historical. It’s known as a UNESCO World Heritage site. So beautiful. A lot of history there. Um, and take your time to absorb all that’s there because there’s like several buildings, you know, to tour while you’re there. And then from there, we headed over to the ropeway. We actually um walked down. There’s like a like shopping and little places to eat and all kinds of stuff on both sides. And then um we saw the sign that said ropeway tickets and so we bought ropeway tickets and then we went and we got into the line. And that’s what really suggest is you buy your tickets ahead if you can. Well, you have to really buy them ahead. Yeah. Before you actually get up to the ropeway. You can buy them there, but I mean there was a long line and everything. It was over an hour line. And I was really glad that we had our tickets in hand before we ever got up there. And it was a pretty good walk to get up there. Um I mean when I say pretty good walk, it might be what half a mile something like that. Yeah. Um but it it’s going uphill cuz you are going up the mountain and stuff. But it’s a hike. I think it was they said it was two miles. The hike itself in Mount Me to go up Mount Mason. Oh well. But anyway, it’s a it’s quite the hike, so allow time. And it’s quite steep. So, we chose not to hike. We chose We chose the ropeway. And then we we were surprised. Oh, you’re talking about going up that I’m talking about just to get to where the ropeway is. Oh, yeah. Going up. That was about a half a mile. And it’s going about It’s kind of going uphill, you know, most of the way. Yeah. But but not steep. Yeah. It It wasn’t terrible. And we got ice cream. Yeah. We made sure we got an ice cream anyway. Um, everywhere we went through Japan, we got an ice cream. So, that was kind of our thing. But anyway, so we Yeah, we did. We uh we got on that ropeway though. That was a long long wait for the ropeway. It was over an hour standing in this line and then you’re creeping and it was kind of going up a pretty good size hill. Um, and by the time we got to the ropeway, I was, like he said, I was really happy we had our tickets because all these people were suddenly having to get in another line to buy their tickets and then they’d lose their place in the line that they had, you know. So, it’s better to buy your tickets at the bottom and and then we um got on that ropeway and that takes you up to the top of Mount Mason. Mount Mason. Uh, the ropeway tickets were what, $13.50 50 uh US dollars. So about 2,000 yen. And so the ropeway itself, it starts you off on one gondola that’s larger. And um we rode that gondola up to the first stop and then when you get off that gondola, you get on a small little gondola and then that one takes you up to the very top. And then when we got off, that’s the second. and last stop. And we got off that gondola. We kind of get off and then you kind of walk around this corner and then you all of a sudden are just opened up to this spectacular view. I mean, it is gorgeous. There’s just hundred islands out there, water, ocean. It was just, like you said, you really weren’t expecting to see that when you got up there, but it was beautiful. It was beautiful. And there was giant boulders and you know just those big giant rocks and I don’t know they had a viewing area where they had the little scope you could look through and and you could see all of like if you looked way off you could see Hiroshima in the distance and it was really pretty up there. So that we took our time. We we walked around up there for a while and just enjoyed the views and kind of took all that in. Yeah, we had to. We actually we spent all the the whole day there. Um and on the island. Yeah, I would say to go there. Just plan on that being a a day a full day a day trip. And we didn’t even get to see everything. My suggestion would be maybe even spending one night there because it was there was a lot to see there. And um there was a whole another temple um uh an aquarium, another museum, and we didn’t get to see any of that because we were it literally like was starting to get late. They were going to close the ropeway. We were at the top and they said like that they gave us the 30 minute bell, you know, that and we had been up there a while, but I mean there was still a pretty good long line to to get up get on the ropeway and then even to go down, you know. Yes. So, we just we just would recommend probably spending a night there on the island because there’s places you can and I don’t remember if we were there on a what would be a weekend or No, we were there on a weekday. If it’s always that busy, we’re kind of Well, for us, we were just at the beginning of cherry blossom and so I’d say it was probably busier because we were there at cherry blossom season. Yeah. And everybody in the world goes to Japan during cherry blossom. So, it was great. I mean, you just have to show a little patience and Yeah. and do that. But I didn’t find it to be like to be a place to be impatient, though. It was just everything was just really smooth. The only long long line that we really had was going up that ropeway that day. Yeah. You know, I mean, every line was moving and everything you did, it moved just fine. Just the ropeway line was very, very long. And everybody wanted to go see the top of the mountain going up and going down. Yeah, it was long. There was a line there. There was waiting. So, yeah. So, but anything anything that you wanted to do in that area, um there was restaurants. We ate we ate there and and found a nice little cute restaurant and and had dinner there. Um anything you wanted to do there. There was all kinds of, like I said, shopping, souvenirs. Um, oh, and there was also there was like another pagota at the top. Um, there like a big hill and there there was another shrine and a pagota. That was the Hokku shrine that I mentioned earlier. Um, that one had a pigota, five tier pigota and stuff like that. So, that’s what I was saying. I think I think spending a night there just to see it all because we started early in the morning that day and we spent the whole day there and didn’t get to see it all. So anyway, that’s my recommendation for Hiroshima. But overall overall overall I would say we spent basically two full days of being able to tour and you could use and a half more more time than that. Definitely cuz uh cuz we only had three days and half of it was yeah travel days and then you’re you’re packing up and you’re traveling over to the train again. So yeah. So you’re you’re really two days I guess is what you really had to go explore and do that and two or two and a half whichever. But uh definitely just just more time. I would allow a little more time. And there’s a couple places that we visited that I would give more time to, but this is definitely one of them. So if you’re going to Hiroshima, recommendation, minimum 4 days. That’s my recommendation. Yeah. 4 days minimum at least. Yeah. And I would say if you have more time, take more time because Hiroshima was a really beautiful, fascinating, historical city. Yeah. So, and you can really say that about everywhere in Japan. Yeah. This was one of my favorite areas though. Yeah. But but this one was really nice. I really enjoyed it. So, anyway, so that’s all we’ve got on Hiroshima. All right. Hope you enjoy our video and if you like it, give us a like and share and subscribe. All right, talk to you later. Bye bye. [Music]

We spent a couple of days in Hiroshima and loved every minute of our time there. We really wished we would have taken more time to tour this beautiful city. We visited Peace Memorial Park a Unesco World Heritage site, and as many sites to see within the park including the A-Bomb Dome, Childrens Peace Monument, National Peace Memorial Hall, Peace Memorial Museum, walked along the beautiful Motoyasu River and observed the Peace Bell being rung. We also spent a full day on Miyajima Island. This place was beyond beautiful and our recommendation would be to spend one night on the Island. We rode the Ropeway up Mount Misen, toured the Itsukushima Shrine, including the Floating Torii Gate, and the Hokoku Shrine and took in the sites on the mountain overlooking the beautiful Hiroshima Bay with its many beautiful Islands.
We appreciate you visiting our channel and invite you to subscribe as we embark on this life of full time travel in retirement.
For more information on Hiroshima you can visit our website at www.theroamingretirees.net
Or Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the.roamingretirees/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Roaming-Retirees/61559657017174/?checkpoint_src=any
TiKTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@UCMu61GveR1qATmISMFeWp4g
or you can buy us a coffee:
https://buymeacoffee.com/theroamingretirees