Japan - 28 March 2023

Late morning, kids only rose after 8am. Breakfasted in the hotel, did a little bit of schooling and then headed out to visit Miyajima Island. We took a tram to the end of the line (about 50min), followed by a short 15 minute ferry ride across to the Island. 

Miyajima (宮島) is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima, and it is well worth a visit. It is most famous for its giant Torri gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. In the morning we saw it at high tide, and as we were leaving it was low tide.

The island is a hive of tourist activity, with food stalls, street vendors and every type of souvenir you can imagine! But it was a nice walk along the coast to the shrine (Torri Gate) with some cherry blossoms along the way. There are random tame deer (nihonjika, or Japanese deer) meandering about the island, snatching food off unsuspecting children and tourists, the girls got quite proficient in defending their food!

After taking some pictures of the famous Tori Gate, we of course had a play on the beach and a mid calf wade into the water. Then found some food for lunch - a type of grilled Japanese meat (yakitori) with corn and fries. 

With full bellies and a little more energy we headed up the mountain. At around 500 meters above sea level, Mount Misen (弥山) is the highest peak on Miyajima. On clear days, it affords spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea and Hiroshima. A ropeway (cable car) leads up the mountain from town, but it is also possible to climb up on foot.

You walk about a quarter of the way and then catch 2 cable cars to get to the observatory platform, and it’s a walk from there to the summit (we did not have time to do this). The first car is small (max 8 ppl) and takes you to  Kayadani Station. There is nothing here except a staircase to the next cable car station and a toilet. The Second gondola is much larger and can take around 30 people, it arrives at Shishi-iwa, where there is the viewing platform. Views are spectacular and we had a clear and sunny day! Some beautiful panoramic pictures to be had. We headed back down the mountain for ice cream and the homeward journey. 

Back in downtown Hiroshima we sampled the Hiroshima version of Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese Teppanyaki, savoury pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients cooked on a teppan. Common additions include cabbage, meat, and seafood, and toppings include okonomiyaki sauce, aonori, katsuobushi, Japanese mayonnaise, and pickled ginger. We shared one with shrimp and one with pork and egg. It was really delicious, and I have never seen the girls eat so much cabbage in one meal before! 

Tomorrow we are moving on to Kurashiki, taking an bullet train (Shinkansen) - we are excited for that experience.