All posts by Aki

in Japan

Kyoto part 3 (Gion on the north side)

Different from the south part, the north part of the Gion area is rather quiet. Many “Ocha-ya” (tea-house) stand quietly. Maybe it’s because most tourists who visit Kyoto for the first time are too pressed for time to come down to this area. There are not many sites to see compared to the other side of Gion, like Kiyomizu-dera temple or Kenninji-temple. But if you have time or if it’s your second visit, I recommend you taking a walk in the street called Shinbashi-dori Street (新橋通).

*The north part I’m mentioning here is between Shijo-ohashi (四条大橋/Shijo Bridge) and Sanjo-ohashi (三条大橋/Sanjo Bridge).

 

Shinbashi-dori Street:

This old townscape is preserved by the local government.

The street crosses the river called the Shirakawa River (白川). Shira means white, and kawa means river. That is, White River.
This river is made out of white sand composed mainly of granite. And there is a small bridge, called Tatsumi-bashi (巽橋）, hanging over the river.

In the middle of the street you will find a small shrine. This is for someone who loves a small story, like me.

Tatsumi-daimyoujin God (辰巳大明神)
Tatsumi means the southeast. It came to be called Tatsumi-daimyojin because it was located in  the southeast of Kyoto Imperial Palace (京都御所). It was constructed to protect the southeast part of the palace. But what’s interesting is  the god enshrined here is a racoon dog. Once upon a time, a racoon dog living by Tatsumi-bashi Bridge was tricking passersby into walking in the Shirakawa River. When some Gion people made a small “hokora” (a small shrine) to enshrine this racoon dog,  it stopped making a fool of people.

What a mischievous, but very lucky, racoon dog!  Visit the shrine, the god will protect you during the trip.

 

Sanjo-dori Street:

If you are a good walker, continue to Sanjo-dori Street. Here is another interesting temple waiting.

Dan-no horin-ji temple (檀王法林寺）
In the main hall, the god called “Shuyajin”(主夜神) is enshrined. Shuyajin God is said to rid us of all our fears and difficulties, and lead us to the path to spiritual enlightenment. Also, Shuya(主夜) can be written Shuya(守夜). The first Kanji character, 守, is to guard, and the second is night. This god is also worshiped as a god protecting us from fires and burglaries at night.

The god protecting us at night was probably associated with a black cat, which has the eyes glaring in the darkness. A black cat has, thus, been  believed to be a messenger of Shuyajin God.

The black maneki-neko or beckoning cat brings good luck. The candy with a fortunetelling slip is also recommended.

*Respect the temple and the residents living in the area when you visit there.

More information: Dan-no horin-ji (Japanese only)

Matsuhiro

On Sanjo-dori Street, you shouldn’t miss this shop! There are a countless number of fancy purses called “gamaguchi” in Japanese.
They are all made out of colourful kimono cloth, and various designs will please your eyes. Find one special for you!

More Information: Matsuhiro


I bought several purses here for my family! The one in the photo is for myself!!! I’m sure you can find good souvenirs.
The shop clerks are very friendly and kind too.

Enjoy traveling and shopping.

in Japan

Kyoto part 2 (Gion on the south side)

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺)  * Word Heritage

The name of the temple, “Kiyomizu”, stands for “pure water”.  “Kiyo” is pure, and “mizu” is water.You’ll find behind the temple, at the foot of Mt. Otowa, fresh water gushing out of the hillside.It is called”Otowa-no-taki” This water has been worshiped for a long long time as the water to purify.

Drinking it purifies you, but choose only one stream (see the photo above). If you are greedy, your prayers won’t be heard. Be always modest…

The history of Kiyomizu-dera dates back to 778. It was founded by a monk named Kenshin from Kojima-dera in Nara. According to Kiyomizu-dera Engi (writing about its history), a divine revelation in his dream told Kenshin that he should travel toward the north along the Kizu River, seeking for a sacred spring. Following the revelation, he walked to the north and finally reached the waterfall at the foot of Mt. Otowa. And he met Gyoeikoji, who had been living there in a thatched hut and training for years and years. Gyoeikoji granted Kenshin a sacred tree telling that he should carve a statue of  Senju Kan-non (Deity of Mercy) out of the wood to enshrine. Leaving the message, Gyoeikoji soon disappeared. Then Kenshin realized that Gyoeikoji was an incarnation of Kan-non, and he did what he was told to do.

Two years later  (780), Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro (Shogun of the early Heian period) visited Mt. Otowa on a hot summer day and found a stream of water. He was fascinated by the pureness of the water and walked on until he came to the source of water, where he met Kenshin. Telling that he came to the mountain to hunt deer, he was admonished not to kill animals in the sacred place where Kan-non lived. Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro was deeply impressed by Kenshin’s words and became a devout believer of the Buddhist teachings. It was he who first contributed to the construction of some temple buildings, but the present buildings were rebuilt by Iemitsu Tokugawa (the third Tokugawa Shogun) in 1633.

More info click Kiyomizu-dera (English)

・Jishu-jinja (地主神社)

This shrine is situated behind Kiyomizu-dera. Many people may think it is part of Kiyomizu-dera (temple), but it is another shrine. The god of marriage, Ookuninushi-no-kami, is worshiped here. The spiritual stones called “Koiuranai-no-ishi,” or the love fortune-telling stones, are found sitting 10m away from each other. If you reach from one to the other with your eyes closed, you’ll find true love!

More info click Jishu-jinja

 

Ken-nin-Ji (建仁寺）

Ken-nin-Ji is the head temple of Rinzai-shu Ken-ni-Ji School. It was founded by Kaiki (patron of a temple in its founding), Minamoto no Yoriie, in 1202, and Kaizan (founding priest) Yousai. The temple was named after the era name of that time, Ken-nin (建仁). At the time of the foundation it complied three sects, Tendai-shu, Mikkyo, and Zen, but later it became the central school for Rinzai Zen.

Kaizan Yousai was born in 1141 in present-day Okayama prefecture, and at the age of 14 he took his tonsure. He mastered Tendai Mikkyo at Mt. Hieizan, and then traveled to China to learn Zen. He was the monk who first introduced Zen to Japan, and tea-drinking culture was also started by him. He brought to Japan not only the teaching of Zen but also tea seeds. He encouraged people to cultivate tea and popularized the practice of drinking green tea. And drinking tea must be accompanied with some sweets! Along with green tea, “manju” was also introduced at the same time. The origin of “Japanese manju” is like this; because Yousai was a really virtuous monk and adored by many people in China, when it was time for him to leave for Japan, some monks followed Yousai. One of the monks then introduced manju to Japan, but the manju he introduced to Japan was different from the manju in China. In China manju means so-cold “niku-man’, steamed buns with meat filling. However, in the Buddhist world eating meat is prohibited, so he used anko (red bean paste) instead of meat in Japan. This is why when we hear the word ‘manju’ in Japan we associate it with sweets but in China they think about meat.

You can tell how important Yousai Zen monk’s contributions to Japanese culture were.

・The Wind and Thunder Gods (風神雷神図屏風）* National Treasure

At the entrance of Ken-nin-ji Temple you will first find this famous folding screen, which is considered to be Tawaraya Sotatsu’s great masterpiece of his later years. He was a great painter in the Edo period.

・○△□ Garden (○△□乃庭)

These simple shapes represent the origin of the cosmos. Circle is water, triangle is fire, and square is earth. And I also hear that these three shapes can form a Chinese character ‘命’ ( life).

・Twin Dragons in Hatto or Dharma Hall (法堂双龍図）

I was so amazed when I found this painting on the ceiling of the hall. It was really breathtaking. This painting was created to commemorate the 800-year anniversary of Ken-nin-ji temple in 2002 by Koizumi Jun. The size is 11.4m by 15.7m. It took the artist two years to complete this work, in the gymnasium of an elementary school in Hokkaido.

More Info: Click Ken-nin-Ji (English)

 

Around Ken-nin-ji temple there are many many more temples and shrines. Enjoy exploring in the small streets.

 

Yasui-Konpira-gu (安井金毘羅宮)

Its main enshrined deity is Emperor Sutoku (the 75th emperor/1119–1164). He was defeated in the battle for succession to the Imperial Throne and banished to present-day Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture. It is said that he was spending all his time at Konpira-gu Shrine, removing all his desires.

This is why Yasui-Konpira-gu has been widely worshiped as a place where people pray in the hope of cutting their connections with something they don’t want. Sickness, alcohol, smoking, gambling … all vices.

Emperor Sutoku also had to separate from his favorite mistress, Awa-no-naishi, and because of this sad experience he came to help us to cut all bad human relationships to find true love.

Of course, the couples who have found their best partners can visit this shrine. The good relationship won’t be disturbed. Your love will be more fortified.

More info click Yasui-kompira-gu (English)

 

Kyoto Ebisu-jinja (京都恵美須神社)

This shrine was founded in 1202, as a tutelary shrine of Ken-nin-ji temple. Ebisu is one of the seven gods of good fortune in Buddhism. He brings great prosperity to merchants. He is a god for business. ‘Ebisu-gao’ or Ebisu-face also means a smiley face! In the photo it is too small, but his face is on the shrine gate, and under it there is a small net hanging. You throw a coin, 10 yen or 100 yen, up in the net, and if the coin successfully gets in the net, your wish will be heard!

 

Rokuharamitsu-Ji (六波羅蜜寺)

Rokuharamitsu-Ji was built by Kuya,  Prince of Emperor Godaigo. He spread Buddhist teachings among farmers for the first time, using a unique method. He was chanting a prayer to Buddha while dancing, and walking around in the city carrying the statue of the Eleven-faced Kannon that he made.

Ichigan-ishi: next to the Kannon statue (photo), you’ll find a small stone pillar with a tire-like stone in it. Roll the stone toward you three times, and your wish  will come true!

More info click Rokuharamitsu-Ji

 

Rokudo-chin-no-ji (六道珍皇寺)

This is the place where this world and the world to come are linked.You see something red in the middle of  the bell tower (photo). You pull it and the bell rings. It is believed that the sound of the bell reaches the world of the dead.

Ono-no-Takamura, a man of culture in the early Heian period, had a big power in administering the affairs of state, meaning he was very close to the Imperial Court. There is an interesting episode about him. He was descending to the hell through the well every night and assisting the King of Hell. When we die, we all go to Enma-Diao (the King of Hell), who judges whether we should go to the heaven or the hell. It is said that many people were sent to the hell in spite of good deeds while they were alive, and therefore Ono-no-Takamura was defending those people there.

Beside the bell tower, there is a hall called Enma-do, which contains a wooden statue of the King of Hell that is believed to have been made by Ono-no-Takamura and that of Takamura himself. It is not open to public but you can look in at the window.

This temple is very mysterious…

More info click Rokudou

 

Marishiten-do (摩利支天堂）

Marishisonten is a god of war in India, and in Japan it is considered as a guardian deity for samurai warriors. He has three faces and six arms and appears on a wild boar. You’ll find wild boar statues everywhere in the precincts. It is also believed that your wish will be heard if you walk around the hall praying hard.

More info click Marishiten

 

Yasaka-jinja  (八坂神社）

It is said that this shrine was founded by Emperor Saimei in 656. It means it had already been here before the capital was moved to Heiankyo (Kyoto) from Heijyokyo (Nara).

Gion-matsuri or Gion Festival, one of the three most famous festivals in Japan, is held by Yasaka-jinja. When an epidemic raged throughout Japan, people put up 66 shields in Shinsen-en Temple representing 66 countries of Japan at that time, enshrined the god of Gion, carried Mikoshi (portable shrines), and prayed hard to remove disasters. This is the origin of this festival.

More info click Yasaka-jinja (English)

 

Yasaka Pagoda (Hokan-ji Temple) (八坂の塔）

This pagoda is said to have been created by Shotoku-taishi (Prince Shotoku) in 592. He had a revelation of Nyoirin-Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Compassion) in a dream. The Kannon told the prince to build a five-story pagoda and place Buddha’s ashes. However, there are several stories for the origin of this temple…The present tower was reconstructed in 1440.

 

Chugen-ji Temple (仲源寺)

Jizo-bosatsu (Jizo Bodhisattva) was enshrined here to prevent the inundation of the Kamogawa River. People came to worship the Jizo as  Ame-Yami Jizo (雨やみ地蔵). Ame (雨) is rain, and Yami (やみ) is stop. And a little later ‘Ameyami’ came to be pronounced, ‘meyami (目やみ)”.  Me (目) is eye, and yami (yami) also means disease. This jizo is, thus, believed to have miraculous power against eye diseases.

 

Ishibe-koji (石塀小路）

 click

Enjoy the stone path. You may encounter Maiko-san… Usually tourists are in a hurry visiting major sightseeing places but miss many nice small spots. If possible, it is better to have enough time to walk in Kyoto…

 

If you go a little farther, you can reach Rengo-in temple.

Sanjusangen-do (Rengeo-in)  (三十三間堂) * National Treasure

The origin of Sanjusangen-do was the Buddhist hall that the retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa constructed. He ordered Taira-no-Kiyomori to cooperate in providing building materials and completed the construction in 1165. Taira-no-Kiyomori was a military leader of those days, and this shows how powerful he was at that time. He established the first dominated administrative government in the Japanese history.

Sanjusangen-do contains one Senju-kannon statue (notional treasure) and 1,000 Kannon statues (important cultural property).

The name of this temple shows the number 33 (sanjusan in Japanese), which comes from the building architecture. The façade has 33 spaces between columns.

More info click Rengeo-in

 

Restaurants:

Gion Tsujiri : For Maccha lovers! You can enjoy a variety of green tea sweets. There are always many people waiting in front of the shop.

Hararyoukaku: It is a spice shop founded in 1703. Kuro Shichimi is recommended. It is a seasoning called seven flavored spices. Shichimi is usually red, but their shichimi is kuro (black). Good fragrance and good taste. Completely different from ordinary shichimi. We use it for French cooking too, fish and meat. It gives a dish an extra flavor. At the back of the shop they also serve special curry seasoned with Kuro Shichimi. It is spicy but delicious. If you like Japanese curry, why don’t you try?

Too many things to see and to eat!!!

in Japan

Kyoto part 1 (the area around Kyoto Station)

Kyoto is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Every year many people from all over the world come to this traditional city in the hope of seeing the beauty of Japan. There are numerous temples and shrines scattered everywhere in the city, and those sights are always attracting many visitors and capturing their minds. Some are impressively grandiose, and people are so amazed that they get lost for words. And it is also a pleasure to discover a temple standing quietly in the mountain or a small shrine hiding in the bamboo forest.

We say “eight hundred eight temples in Kyoto”,  “京都の八百八寺 (Kyoto-no-happyaku-ya-dera)” in Japanese. It is not the exact number of the temples found in Kyoto. The number 8 is a symbolic number to show abundance.  The real number of the temples and shrines in Kyoto City is said to be around 2000, and if it is extended to Kyoto Prefecture the number also expands up to 5000.

Kyoto started to gather temples and shrines when the capital was moved to Heian-kyo (Kyoto) from Heijyo-kyo (Nara). It was 794. To protect the capital from epidemics or evils, many temples were constructed for prayers and ceremonies. Also in the Edo period, temples were in charge of family registration as subcontractors of the shogun government. All people were supposed to belong to a temple or a shrine for that purpose, and the capital, Kyoto, needed many temples and shrines. Another reason may come from the fact that Kyoto was not bombarded in the Second World War.

Anyway, Kyoto has many temples and shrines, and each has an interesting history. I suggest you discovering not only their beautiful exteriors but also their secret histories.

In this page, I’ll show you some sightseeing spots in the area around Kyoto Station

Kyoto Tower

Situated in front of Kyoto Station, it is a landmark tower of Kyoto. There are many souvenir shops and restaurants, and on the top of the tower you will find an observation deck and a large bath-house is located in the third basement.

More info click Kyoto Tower (English)

 

To-ji (Kyo-o-gokoku ji)   *World Heritage

It was built in 796 to guard an ancient city, Heian-kyo. Later, Emperor Saga gave this temple to Kukai(774–835), founder of Shingon Sect. The wooden five-story pagoda is 55m (National Treasure), the highest in Japan.

More info click Toji Official Site (Japanese)

 

Nishi-Hongan-ji   *World Heritage

In the mid-Kamakura period (the 13th century), Shinran Shonin established Jodo-Shinshu Hongan-ji School and this temple was built as the head temple. In 1591 Toyotomi Hideyoshi donated land and the temple was settled in the place where it is today.

Kara-mon gate (Chinese-style gate) is said to have been brought from Fushimi Castle (also known as Fushimi Momoyama Castle), which was constructed as a residence castle after Hideyoshi’s retirement. It shows us well magnificent Momoyama culture. This gate is also called “Higurashi-mon” (日暮門).  Higurashi means night falls. While you are looking at the gorgeous presence of the temple, you may forget the time and night falls.

More info click Nishi-Hongan-ji (English)

 

Higashi-Hongan-ji

Higashi-Hongan-ji is the head temple of Shinshu Ôtani School. The 12th head priest, Kyonyo, received land donation from Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1602. The temple was repeatedly rebuilt following fires, and the present temple was rebuilt in the Meiji period.

Nishi-Hongan-ji and Higashi-Hongan-ji used to be the same temple, but the eldest son, Kyonyo, and the third son, Kennyo, had differences in their opinions, which led to division of the temple. Kyonyo established Higashi-Hongan-ji, and Kennyo Nishi-Hongan-ji.

More info click Higash-Hongan-ji (English)

in Japan

San-in/Chugoku Day 7 Okayama (Kurashiki)

Our last destination was Okayama, where one of my best friends from university lives. Before the trip I contacted her and made a plan to meet up with her somewhere near Okayama Station. So I was very excited on the way in the train. A lot of memories from my school days came back to my mind….

Okayama City is a pretty big city, the second biggest in the Chugoku Region,  following Hiroshima City. Not so big, but not small, either.

The city is also famous for Okayama Castle and the adjoining Japanese traditional garden called Koraku-en.

Okayama Castle:

The castle in Okayama looks strong and manly compared to Himeji Castle, which is often said to be like a white egret, rather delicate. My husband was impressed by this contrast. They are beautiful in a different way.

This region was once left behind in development, because battles between the East and the West of Japan often took place here in the Sengoku Period (the Warring States period), around the 16th century. Many warriors fought a battle to get more power and territory in Japan, and they often met in this region. This is why no major force was produced here. It was for the most part a rural area.

The base of the castle was made during the Sengoku Period by the Ukita clan, who was gaining the most power in this region.

However, all their domain was taken away after the Sekigahara no tatakai (the Sekigahara Battle) in 1600, because they were on the Toyotomi side, which lost the battle.

After that, the Kobayakawa clan and the Ikeda clan took over the expansion work.

Koraku-en Garden:

Taking a bridge across the river in front of the castle, we came to  Koraku-en garden.

It was much bigger than we had expected. My husband was excited taking a lot of photos!

Koraku-en is one of the three most famous landscape gardens in Japan. Created by the Ikeda clan in the Edo period, this garden includes a tea ceremony house, ponds, small bridges, and many kinds of trees and plants. It’s really beautiful. Enjoy taking nice photos!

Okayama Koraku-en (English/French Pamphlet available)

 

Now let’s visit Kurashiki City.

This city is located in the south of Okayama Prefecture, 15 minutes or so from Okayama City by train. It is famous for  Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter.

In 1642 Kurashiki became tenryo (a territory directly controlled by the Tokugawa shogunate), and a daikan office (a magistrate’s office) was placed at the same time. The city developed as a distribution and trading center of the local  products in the Okayama area.

Today, small shops selling some traditional souvenir items are attracting many tourists.

The rows of old houses remind us of the townscape of the tenryo time.

Some buildings have a unique motif on the walls. It is called Namako-kabe. Namako-kabe walls are covered with square tiles jointed with raised plaster. These joints look like a sea cucumber (namako in Japanese), and the name was given to the technique.

Look, everywhere NAMAKO!

Continuing on the small path, we reached a tourist facility compound, called Kurashiki Ivy Square. The daikan office originally stood here in the Edo period, then Kurashiki Boseki (a spinning company) was built in 1888, and finally this modern space was created in 1973. It’s quite chic and stylish.

In the small pond at this square, we found some water lilies from Giverny, France! What a surprise! (See page for Giverny.)

Kurashiki Ivy Square (English)

in Japan

San-in/Chugoku Day 6 Hiroshima (Miyajima )

Finally the day came for my husband to visit Hiroshima. He had long wanted to see the famous Shinto gate at Miyajima.

And he was also excited to take the Shinkansen !!!

France has TGV, but we prefer the Shinkansen because it’s really comfortable, clean and punctual!!!

And we love Japanese eki-ben! (box lunch sold in a train or at a station).

We never get tired of what we eat while in Japan. France does have great cuisine, but when it comes to something simple to eat, it’s always a sandwich…!

Japan has a variety of local dishes, like fugu cuisine in Shimonoseki, and my hometown is known for Tajma beef (origin de Kobe beef). Each region has each specialty.

The first thing most Japanese people associate with Hiroshima cuisine will be Hiroshima-yaki. It is like okonomi-yaki, but it’s different.

Okonomi-yaki is kind of a Japanese-style pancake usually grilled on an iron plate. It is made from batter with sliced beef or pork, egg and chopped cabbage. Osaka has a lot of restaurants of this kind, but in Hiroshima, the way they prepare is quite different. They don’t mix the ingredients but they rather pile them up. You see the photo above. They also use soba noodles. For both okonomi-yaki and Hiroshima-yaki, the sauce is delicious! It’s a must-try in Japan!

We didn’t have much time for lunch, so we had our lunch near Hiroshima Station. Of course we ate Hiroshima-yaki. But if you have time, visit Okonomi-mura (English).

After enjoying delicious Hiroshima food, we started to accomplish my husband’s big mission!

——–Visit Miyajima——

Miyajima is regarded as one of the three most famous scenic locations in Japan.  We say the autumn is the best season for the trip to the Miyajima island because we can enjoy a beautiful scenery with different colors of leaves.

Miya means a shrine, and jima is an island. So Miyajima literally means “Shrine Island.” Since ancient times this island has always been believed to be sacred.

Itsukushima Shrine was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Several buildings and possessions at this shrine are also designated as National Treasures by the Japanese government.

History of Itsukushima:

Originally, local people believed that this island itself was a god, but  their belief was growing bigger and bigger, and the shrine was also extended as they invited some other marin gods. Miyajima is situated at a very important place for sailing in the Setonai-kai ( the sea of Setonaikai), and therefore  it was natural for the seafarers to introduce new gods for a safe voyage.

One of the marin goddesses, enshrined here in 593, is called Ichikisima-himé-no-mikoto. Some people say that the name of Itsukushima comes from her name, but some other people suppose that “itsuku” means “serve” gods on the island.

The Heian period (794–1185) was the time when the Taira clan was gaining power (see the page for Shimonoski). Taira no Kiyomori (1118–1181) is known as the first warrior who established samurai-dominated administrative government.

He acquired the marine control of Setonai-kai (or the Seto Inland Sea), extending his power toward the west of Japan, and naturally he came to worship Miyajima. He built some shrine buildings, but unfortunately they were all burnt down because of fire. The remaining buildings that we see today were built after his death.

Itsukushima Jinja was a guardian deity for the Taira clan.

During the Sengoku period (or Warring States period/the mid 15th—the early 17th), Mori Motonari (1497–1571/See the page of Hagi), a daimyo in the west Chugoku Region, won a victory at Itsukushima-no-tatakai (the Battle of Itsukushima), which later allowed him to go on further west. He renovated the shrine buildings and worshiped Itsukushima Jinja.

Miyajima has seen a long history of Japan.

When we visited the island it was at low tide. Many people were walking around the shrine gate. My husband was expecting to see it standing in the water, but he was anyway happy to have access to the gate itself. It’s another experience!

There are deer everywhere on the island. They are so cute, but be careful, if you carry a plastic bag they will come very close to you! I was scared !

Momiji manju:

From the Ferry Terminal to the shrine grounds you can also enjoy shopping and have a break at a café or a restaurant. Oh, and don’t forget to taste “momiji manju”. It’s actually sold everywhere in Hiroshima, but Miyajima has its origin.

Manju are buns stuffed with sweetened bean paste. What’s special about momiji manju is that  it has a shape of a Japanese maple (Momiji means a maple in Japanese). Miyajima is famous for its beautiful landscape with scarlet maple leaves in autumn.

In the Meiji period, a waitress in a ryokan (a Japanese traditional hotel) asked a Japanese pastry chef to create sweets worthy of the fame of the ryokan, and momiji manju was born.

Enjoy momiji manju! There are a lot of variations. Anko (bean paste), chocolate, cheese cream, custard cream, and  green tea-flavored cream etc.

Sister city:

Miyajima is also a sister city of Mont Saint-Michel in France! This relation is very symbolic, because both the shrine and the monastery stand in the sea! Next time I have to visit Mont Saint-Michel!

Here more information on Miyajima: Miyajima official site (English/French and several other languages available)

Atomic Bomb Dome:

Back in Hiroshima City, we went to see another sightseeing spot, Atomic Bomb Dome.

This monument is listed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On August 6, 1945, over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and many other people also suffered injuries from the radiation.

The bomb blasted 600m above the dome. The temperature of the ground surface reached 3,000℃, the strong wind [more than 440m/s] was generated, and the blast pressure was 3,500,000 Pa.

Within a second, the whole building was destroyed, but the dome survived because the blast wind came vertically and because it had a lot of windows that may have made a way in which  the wind could escape.

I hope many foreigners will visit this dome and think about the way people of today are. Did we learn from our history? Who is still  making a profit from causing a war? Who is making weapons?

We had a lot of feelings in Hiroshima. My husband’s impression on Hiroshima was beyond thought.

He was also shocked how modern the present-day Hiroshima is. Japanese people are really patient and perseverant.

Hiroshima Tourist Navigator
 [English and French]

Day 7 Okayama [Kurashiki]