Japan - Hiroshima (Day 2)

So we're on to Day 2 of Hiroshima, and we got up to a lot! In the morning we met outside an awesome bakery by the train station (I had an incredible cake/custard eclair type thing there, it was epic. You may see a piccy wic in a later blog post). Heres a few photos of the bakery, I even found a Cod Roe french bun (I'm afraid I didn't have the stomach to try it though)!


We then caught the tram to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which was a moving experience. We were given a tour of the park by a survivor of the World War 2 nuclear bombing (his mother was pregnant with him at the time).

(The A-Dome and a statue which survived the bombing).


We were shown the vast array of paper cranes put together as a memorial for the young girl Sadako Sasaki who died of leukemia when she was 12 years old - due to radiation poisioning from the bomb which dropped 2km from her home. There is a legend in Japan that anyone who folds one thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. When Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia (about 10 years after the bomb), she began to make one thousand paper cranes to get her wish granted. Sadako unfortunately passed away in hospital in 1955. I've heard conflicting information that Sadako didn't complete all of the paper cranes before her death and it was her school friends who made the remaining few, but then I've heard Sadako completed the one thousand cranes, and continued to make more.
I think the memorial features Sadako's paper cranes, but also those of others from all over the world - sent by people who were touched by her story.



The path of the park led us to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which I found really interesting, although there were parts that were upsetting/distressing.

We trammed it back to the train station.

And we caught a local train to a ferry that took us to the tranquil Miyajima Island. Miyajima is most famous for its giant torii gate, and its home to many a shrine. Our tour leader told us that nobody is born or dies on this island, to keep its ritual purity - which is pretty astounding, but there we go! Me and Emma really enjoyed this place, it was a lovely sunny day to visit and the island had deer wandering/sleeping all over the place (although we did have an incident involving a deer and some green tea ice cream which was unnerving)!



Whilst we were here, our tour guide recommended we try age momiji, which is a fried cake in the shape of a maple leaf which you could pick a selection of fillings for, we chose custard, and oh boy, it was tasty!



And we caught the ferry back to Hiroshima.



Obviously I have to end this blog post with dinner, but first some photos of deliciously cute cakes I saw at the train station.



Ok, now dinner! We went to this swanky little place were we got our own little compartment with curtains - which is how I believe every restaurant should be laid out. Too many times have I sat down in a place and the group/couple on the table next to you can practically sit on your knee!
Anyhoos (small rant over), here I had some good old-fashioned gyoza (tasty) and some chicken yakitori (also tasty), I did try to order some chicken gizzard on my yakitori, but the restaurant were all out! (I did eventually get to try some and it was nice, if a bit chewy!)


So there we go! That was our busy and last day in Hiroshima! Next we travel on to Kyoto were we see shrines, rock gardens, golden holiday homes and go on a geisha hunt! Wa-hey!