Nuclear destruction and a floating tori - Hiroshima and Miyajima

So after ringing in the new year it was time to move on and pick up the pace. Next was 2 nights in Hiroshima which with travel days really meant only 1 whole day but compared to a whole chapter in the Lonely Planet for Kyoto, Hiroshima is dealt with in a few pages. That's not to say its less important but it can't help be overwhelmed by its relatively recent history. I threw my bag in a locker at the station for a couple of hours of sightseeing before checking into the hostel. I had intended to see the A Bomb dome first but I got on the wrong tram and ended up closer to the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art Museum which was on my list anyway. I've been loving the art and museums I've seen in Japan. Hiroshima MOCA is relatively small but with fantastic architecture. I wandered through the permanent collection and saw one work, Each and Every by Koki Tanaka which fascinated me. Check it out on Vimeo if you're so inclined. Checking into another great hostel (K's House) I was in a proper shared dorm for the first time. It's been so long I wasn't sure of the protocols. I'm thinking it doesn't include rolling in at 3am after karoke and beer. Yes gentle reader, I ended up at karoke, crowded into a small room belting out The Passenger with an assortment of fellow backpackers from the hostel. When in Rome right? I did get to the A Bomb dome after walking for a little bit in light snow. It is quite a sight. Its hard to imagine a whole city wiped out in seconds with just a few buildings left standing at the hypocentre. On my last morning I went to the Peace Museum which gave a non sensationalist account of the lead up to and aftermath of the bombing. Although I must say for a peace museum the architecture of the building itself is squarely in the Brutalist school.

Hiroshima is also famous for its proximity to Miyajima and its floating tori. At high tide (1:38pm for all you nautical types) the tori which is a few hundred meters offshore, appears to float. It's rather fab. And so thought the other hundreds of holiday makers on the island that day. Between me, them and the wild deer that roam the island, it was quite a crowd.

And with holiday crowds come the yummy snacks like this custard filled fish shaped cake consumed near the shrine at the (reconstructed in the 60's) castle:

Another tasty fish! So with that I will leave you until we meet again on Naoshima, my next destination. H.