English teacher and Japanese resident, Jessie Szalay, spends her holiday breaks touring Japan, then—lucky for us—sends IT her dispatches. Her latest destination? Hiroshima and its outlying towns:
Hiroshima has become one of Japan's leading tourist destinations, as people from around the world flock to the Peace Memorial Park to remember the more than 140,000 people who were killed by the atomic bomb in 1945. A visit to the park and museum is a life-altering experience—something everyone should see, something everyone does see. Escape the crowds and head for the nearby sites that were luring travelers long before the bomb was dropped.
Miyajima Island is a mere twenty-minute train ride and ten-minute ferry journey from Hiroshima. One of the most beautiful and important islands in Japanese mythology, Miyajima is covered in virgin forest—a place where tame deer roam the streets and wild monkeys roam the mountains. The view from Itsukushima Shrine (the island's famous attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site) is considered one of the Nihon Sankei, the three most scenic views in Japan. It overlooks a massive orange torii gate in the middle of Miyajima Bay, which, when the tide is in, appears to be floating in the water. The shrine itself is impressive. It is made of wooden platforms over the water; if you're lucky, you might catch a Noh dance performance on a central platform.
Itsukushima is by far Miyajima's most famous shrine, but Daisho-in Temple is well worth a visit too (both are free). A hodgepodge of different architectural styles, colors, and Buddhist icons make it one of the most interesting temples in Japan. Revel in positive energy at the sutra staircase (climbing it will bring you good luck) and a cave filled with glowing golden Buddhas. Time and weather permitting, the two-hour trek up Mt. Misen, Miyajima's highest mountain, is gorgeous and the view of the island-dotted sea is spectacular. Alternately, take the ropeway gondola for 1,800 yen round-trip and save your legs from the climb. After nightfall, most tourists leave the island and only the locals remain on its dark, shrouded shore. You can stay overnight in a ryokan (Japanese-style inn) and experience the romantic silence and traditional kaiseki cooking. Hiroshima oysters are sure to be on the menu.
The old samurai town of Iwakuni lies another 20 minutes beyond Miyajima, and, though it offers slightly less by way of sightseeing, it is a peaceful, clean, and friendly town. Its most famous sight is the Kintai-Kyo, or Brocade Sash Bridge, which is composed of five massive wooden arches, and was built in 1673 without using a single nail. The original was destroyed in 1950 by a typhoon, but the reconstruction is faithful. It costs 300 yen to cross the bridge, or wait until nightfall and cross for free. Across the bridge you'll find Kikko-Koen, an attractive park featuring modern fountains spraying water high into the air, a traditional Japanese iris garden, and several samurai houses. The Iwakuni Castle is rather anticlimactic, but do pay a visit to the Whitesnake House where you'll see lots of Iwakuni albino snakes—which, according to myth, are said to bring good luck.
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