JAPAN VACATION - HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA

JAPAN VACATION - HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA

I arrived in Hiroshima in the early afternoon. I did a quick ride of the city to get to the information center to make my arrangements to travel to Miyajima for a day trip. My plan was to do Miyajima that day, and do Hiroshima, and the Atomic Bomb museum and Memorial Park the following half-day before having to get back to Fukuoka.

From the train station I rode along and over Hiroshima’s two rivers. They have an excellent bike trail system, many beautiful parks, and as a city, it is relatively small. Maybe 2 miles from one end of town to the other.

To get to Miyajima, I bought a pass that would allow me unlimited rides on the streetcar, ferry and sky-cable car for about $25. I took the hour-long streetcar to the outskirts of town.

At the end of the line, I caught the ferry that would take me to Miyajima.

Miyajima

Miyajima is an island home to a vast history of historical relics and buildings, both Shinto and Buddhist.

The most famous of which is the O-torii Gate, also known as the Floating Gate.

It is also home to freely roaming deer who have no qualms coming up to you and eating your belongings.

Itsukushima Shrine

The original Itsukushima Shrine was built in 593, then later rebuilt in 1168 on the same scale that it exists today. It has a 280 long corridor and more than 20 buildings.

Taken from the brochure: “Miyajima has been worshipped as a divine island since ancient times… The contrast of the blue sea, green hills and the vivid vermillion-lacquered shrine is breathtakingly beautiful.”

I walked around Miyajima taking in several sites as I made my way to the sky-cable car.

Daishoin Temple

On my way to the sky-cable car I visitedDaishoin Temple. Very soon afterward my camera died. I found an outlet to charge my camera and took the 30 or so minutes to allow myself to be completely engaged, mindful and present in the moment. Completely present in what I was thinking. In what I was feeling. In the dark cavernous temple, illuminated by 1000 overhanging electric candles, I ran my hand over the bumpy nuances of the steel railing as I silently strolled through the dark temple hall, filled by the flickering low light. In yoga, we are often told to be “present.” Not having a camera was a gift. It allowed me to be present, aware and fully allowed me to be in the moment; entirely mindful of my peaceful emotion and my calm, beautiful, and mystical surroundings.

Sky Cable Car

The Sky Cable Car gave me an amazing view of the inland Sea.

As I made my way back to the ferry terminal. I visited the O-torii Gate to take a few photos at sunset.

On the ferry back I was filled with the natural high that accompanies a genuine thrill. The reality of my solo adventure had sunk in. Seaward bound with the cool night wind on my face, I thought back to the heartbreak that had brought me to Asia initially, and couldn't help but feel a certain a ambivalence to it. Here I was in Japan riding a boat, bound back to Hiroshima, with a night full of discovery and boundless opportunity awaiting me. I could only smile as I thought: I am truly living my life.

JAPAN VACATION - BULLET TRAINS

JAPAN VACATION - BULLET TRAINS

I woke up early to catch the train from Fukuoka to Hiroshima. Train travel, albeit being very popular, is quite expensive. The one hour speed train ride from Fukuoka to Hiroshima, round trip, cost close to $200. I did budget for this, but needless to say I wasn't thriled about shelling out that kind of cash.

I had originally booked a consecutive 4 night stay in my hostel in Fukuoka. When I changed my plans, I set out to stay 2 nights in Fukuoka, a night in Hiroshima, and then my last night at the same hostel in Fukuoka. They were nice enough at the hostel to let me leave my large travel bag there.

So I left for the train station with my smaller travel bag and my fold-up bike. Excited to explore a new city.

I arrived at the train station with my bike and I am told I cannot take it on the train, even folded, UNLESS it is in a bag. The only way that you can take a bike on the train is if it is in a bag. Even a garbage bag won't do. I know because I tried. Very huffy, and frustrated at the point, I'm pretty livid about this situation because my travel plans were in jeopardy. I got some help from a station employee named Taka (and he admitted that the rule was stupid! Yes!). There was a store to buy bike bags in the shopping center of the train station. I bought a bag, spent like $60 bucks on it and I was off.

Me. Less than happy. With my bike (in the bag)

The reason for the bike bag is it is similar to taking your shoes off in a house. It's meant to keep the trains clean. For more info visit here. (a question I posted with responses)

Japanese speed trains are amazing. When they propel, you actually are pushed back in a seat a bit. They are spotless (of course) roomy, and are silent. They travel between 149 and 186 mph.




They have an indoor smoking closet.



Their bathroom was quite astounding. The picture below shows 2 buttons next to the toilet. One is to flush the toilet. The other is to free you of the inconvenience of having to touch a toilet seat to lift it. It moves the seat up and down automatically.



I enjoyed my time immensely on the bullet trains and goes without saying. The US, and Americans as a people, could learn something from this system.

JAPAN VACATION - DAZAIFU

JAPAN VACATION - DAZAIFU

I took the commuter train from Fukuoka out to Dazaifu on a field trip.

Dazaifu is home to ancient the government offices of the region dating back to the year 1300. It is also a popular tourist destination.

Starbucks

Bamboo forest 

Bamboo forest

Komyo zenji temple

The temple was founded 700 years ago. 

The Ittekikai Garden was amazing and peaceful.  Taken from the brochure: “The temple is renowned as the Rock Garden Moss Temple of Kyushu. In the garden, green moss beds represent the continent and islands, and the gleaming white sand is spread as water… Some twenty old maple trees of 300-400 years of age stand and 49 species of moss are found in the garden.”  

My personal take-aways from this place.  This was the most serene and peaceful place I have ever been to. I have been wowed by natural beauty, but something about the symbiosis of man’s and nature’s beauty made this place entirely serene. I just sat and quietly stared for maybe three minutes.

 Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine

It was dedicated to the Michizane Sugawara, “the God of Literature.”  In 901 Sugawara was exiled from Kyoto. He died a few years later, but the Shrine was built over his grave. The main shrine as it exists today was constructed in 1591

Turtles in a pond

TERRIFYING AND HUGE SPIDER.
They have them all over Japan
(and Korea)

Also here's a picture of a man and his performer monkey. I wasn't fast enough to get the picture, but the monkey was walking on stilts a minute or two before this.

I left the Tenmangu Shrine area and walked toward Kaidanin.

Kaidanin (Orientation Hall)

It was an ordination hall for those who wished to enter the Buddhist priesthood. It was built in the last 12^th Century.

JAPAN VACATION - A TASTE OF FUKUOKA

JAPAN VACATION - A TASTE OF FUKUOKA

Fukoka is a modern city with a variety of outside influences as well as having plenty of local flavor

An "X" crosswalk 

I woke up early and had breakfast at a bakery down the street from the hostel. It's a hotdog in a baguette and a bean-paste roll. Also, they had cream for your coffee. This was heaven. In Korea cream can be hard to come by so this was an absolute treat. I must have put three creams in my coffee that day.

As I made my way to the Kawabata Shopping Arcade I spotted some Japanese kids playing rugby on their school playground.

Japanese kids playing rugby

I got to Kawabata Shopping Arcade and did some walking around and some expensive window shopping.

I found a store called Americaya that sold American cowboy and Native American clothes at an insanely high price.

I was feeling hungry so I went to a Tonkotsu Ramen place. Fukuoka is famous in Japan for their Tonkotsu Ramen. Tonkotsu Ramen is pork ramen that has a whitish broth because its made by using the pork fat. This was the best food I had in Japan. Very delicious. I actually went to this place twice.

Tonkotsu Ramen

Later that night I set out to find a specific a Tonkotsu Ramen place for dinner. I walked around for about 45 minutes and never ended up finding it. Frusterated and hungry I got some ramen from a ramen stand. 

As much as I can say traveling alone is a constant thrill, sometimes it becomes all to clear of how alone you actually are. Loneliness and boredom can settle in. I love traveling alone and the absolute freedom that comes with it, but sometimes (not often) there is a cost to that freedom. So seeing as I was traveling alone in Fukuoka didn't know anybody and I didn't know the city very well. I ended up going to a place called International Bar with hopes of meeting some people. It was a Sunday night so it was very slow, but I talked with the bartender a bit as I slowly drank one beer.

It was not all gloom and doom though. Also at this bar were two second-generation Korean-immigrants who were born and raised in Japan. A man and a woman. Interestingly enough, they barely spoke Korean. The woman explained to me that their was a bit of a stigma coming from Korea to Japan, so parents will often insist the children do not speak the language of their past country so they are better acclimated. I had heard of this in U.S. from a Mexican friend of mine I met in college who didn't speak any Spanish for the very same reason.

This woman was maybe in her 30's. A little drunk and was childishly giddy. I told her I was planning on going to Hiroshima in the next couple days. She took out a pen and started writing down all the things I needed to see and eat. She was also talking a mile a minute as she did this. "Okonomiyaki! Okonomiyaki! Okonomiyaki!" She clapped happily each time she said it. "I love Okonomiyaki! I get it with oysters but it gives me bad diarrhea" she said still excitedly smiling.

A mix of bad English and comically embarrassing honesty is always hilarious.