Okayama

We were staying in Osaka again. Having explored Osaka and the surrounding areas on our last visit, we are heading a bit further west this time into the Chugoku area. The main places visited were Kurashiki, Okayama, Miyajima and Hiroshima.

Kurashiki is probably best known for the Bikan Historical Quarters. Most of the historical storehouses along the picturesque canal have been converted into restaurants, cafes and shops to cater for the tourists flocking there this days. On the way there we first stopped by the Kanryuji temple for a brief visit.

Kanryuji temple

The Bikan area, dating back over 300 years, is where the old merchant storehouses were lining the canal. Whilst the old trade centre is well preserved, many houses are concerted into cafes, shops and art galleries. Pulled rickshaws offer tourists rides along the canal and boat rides in the canal.

From there it is only a short train ride to Okayama. Okayama is home to the famous Korakuen Garden, ranked as one of the three best landscaped gardens in Japan.

The Okayama Castle, also known as the ‘Crow’ Castle due to its black exterior, is a 1966 reconstruction of the original castle dating back to 1597.

On the final day we made good use of our JR Pass again and went to the island of Miyajima (the ferry is included in the pass). Miyajima is famous for its ‘floating’ Torii during high tide. During low tide, you can walk to it, but that is of course less picturesque, so check out the tide times and plan your visit accordingly. There are also a number of other interesting temples and pagodas too see. Around town are some ‘wild’ deer, used to the masses of tourists. Oysters are a speciality here and can be bought everywhere.

The final stop is rather sobering; Hiroshima. Today again a vibrant city, full of life, when death and destruction with the first atomic bomb in 1945 is still in living memory. There are the remains of the Atomic Bomb Dome which was the place over which the bomb detonated. Across is the Peace Memorial Park with a number of memorials, monuments and museums reminding us of the destruction the bomb caused. The museum (undergoing renovation work) shows the explosion and aftermath not only with a lot of interesting exhibits, but also in a very personal way by survivors telling their stories on videos.

The purpose of the Peace Memorial Park is not only to remember the victims, but also a reminder of the horrors of nuclear war and to advocate world peace.

Whist the Peace Memorial Park and a visit to the excellent museum are a ‘must see’ destination for most who visit Hiroshima, there are a number of other museums and parks as well as the re-build Hiroshima ‘Carp’ Castle to see.