After our stop in Busan, Korea, we had to go through re-entry process again with the Japanese Immigration officials who came on board at Hiroshima. It took all morning before we could get off the ship, one of the most disappointing moments on this trip. There wasn't enough time to see everything we planned to see so we had to make a choice - Hiroshima Peace Park or Miyajima and its floating Tori gate. Since Miyajima was one of the main reasons I joined this tour, the choice was obvious. We had already seen the Nagasaki Peace Park, while the two are not the same, it would have similar vibes.
We missed the noon ferry from the pier close to where the ship was docked so we took a taxi to the regular ferry to Miyajima. This particular taxi experience was heart-warming. The driver was so enthusiastic it was an impressive display of the Japanese commitment to doing a good job. He didn't speak any English but he made an extra effort to communicate with us via Google translate on his phone. He had suggested we should try going to the closer ferry so we can save on the taxi fare. After I explained why we can't, he took us to the regular ferry 10km away all the while pointing out interesting sights along the way to us. We knew he didn't do this for a tip as there is no tipping in Japan. When we got off, he gave us each a candy! What a lovely encounter!
We arrived at Miyajima just before the tide recedes so we were able to catch the Tori gate while it is still more or less surrounded by water "floating" and not swarmed by people. You can see the difference in the atmosphere between high and low tides. The shrine itself is beautiful.
Miyajima is also famous for its oysters. We were able to get easily into the famous oyster restaurant Kakiya for lunch because by the time we finish at the shrine, it was almost three o'clock and the regularly long lineups to get in have disappeared. The set menu lunch had oysters made in several different ways - all fresh and delicious! What a treat!
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| Just before low tide |
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| Low tide |
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| Viewed from the ferry before the tide completely receded |
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The Itsukushima Shrine |
The long corridors
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The essential wine barrels - symbolic offerings to deities and representing the connection between the spiritual and human realms |
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This is a side pavillion at the shrine - love the mural! |
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| A buddhist temple on the island |
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Getting aggresive
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The town |
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Kakiya Restsaurant - not to be missed! |
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| Oysters grilled in the shell |
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| Steamed, deep fried, smoked... |
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| Jumbo chestnuts! |
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| This is the high speed boat that took us back to the port - not far from where the ship was docked. |
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| The taxi driver made sure we saw the woman sleeping on top of Miyajima |
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| Oyster farms |
We didn't see much of Hiroshima other than from the cab. It could mean another visit. And perhaps the Tori gate at sunset...
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