Japan 2023

Awoke to a stunning day and wonderful views from our hotel looking across the Seto inland sea. Wall to wall glass in our breakfast room on level 22 gave stunning views in every direction.  We took a short ferry ride to Miyajima Island (regarded as an ‘Island of Gods’). Beautiful island views and many passing boats. Here we wandered along the beach to the giant Torii Gate, (recognised worldwide for being built over the sea and seeming to float on the water).  The cherry blossoms were out and a few just starting to have green leaves appear which happens straight after the flowers. So shows they were just past peak bloom.  The island also has many Japanese deer wandering around they are viewed as being messengers from God.  It was extremely busy with people everywhere, as spring break for schools and we also spotted several bridal parties. We visited the Itsukushima Shrine a Shinto shrine. An interesting building with long corridors with bare wooden plank floors, vermil...

A beautiful sunny day and an early departure first to catch a local train and then the Shinkansen bullet train from Nagoya to Hiroshima, a trip of about 500km which took 2 hours. On arrival we were meet by our new bus and driver for the day - a bright red smile bus.  We began with an early buffet lunch at a local mall restaurant. Then drove to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome. First we went upstairs for an overview of the city then outside to walk past the Dome, eternal flame, the Bell in memory of Sedaka who inspired the folding of 1000 cranes to be healed. Also the memorial shrine and finally the museum. The photographic images captured the horror of the bomb on the people of Hiroshima on 6th August 1945. The displays included a simulation of the dropping of the bomb on the city. Plus stories and artefacts representing some of the people who died. The hope of the survivors is to inspire the world never to drop another bomb. This was followed by a talk g...

Another long full day probably my favourite to date. We began by driving from Matsumoto through the Japanese Alps to Takayama. The alpine road twisted and turned upwards through many tunnels some of them an extremely tight fit. The day was clear and sunny and the Alps  stunning.  We walked around the old Edo period part of Takayama taking in the quaint buildings and had time to do some shopping.  Lunch was set within a Sake shop. The large balls hanging over the door are made from Cyprus and indicate a sake brewery, when the balls turn brown the sake is ready for drinking. The large wrapped bales outside are large containers of sake which locals buy when celebrating or to offer at the temples.  Lunch involved cooking your own food over a little burner but this time it was the local Hida wagu beef. Plus vegetables and salad etc. Absolutely delicious.  Next up Yarai Kaisa to inspect the elaborately decorated floats used each year in the Takayama festival held twic...