Last Day in Japan! (6/20)

Today was far less heavy than the day before had been. Since it was to be our last day in Japan, we were given most of the day off, with an optional excursion scheduled for the afternoon. We split into informal groups based on our plans for the day, and after a quick breakfast, went our separate ways.

Hayes had an awesome conversation with another guest, all in Japanese

My first stop was Hiroshima Castle, which dates back to the 1600s. The original was destroyed in the A-bombing, so the facility I saw was a reconstruction. I arrived before it officially opened, and killed some time on the castle grounds. The castle is right by the river, and I observed someone doing what appeared to be tai chi towards the rising sun. It was impressive to behold. I also scaled the large rock wall behind the castle, saw a stray cat that I attempted but unfortunately failed to befriend, and generally enjoyed the greenery that surrounded the site.


The castle itself was quite small on the inside, but my friend Maria and I had a good time in the history museum section, where we got to try on some armor.

The castle, through the trees

Some of the awesome stonework

The castle itself

Maria had fun with the armor

Next, I headed to the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art. Although I consider myself a pretty big art fan, I hadn't yet been to a MOCA. Hiroshima's, I discovered, is phenomenal. The museum was hosting a huge art brut exhibit, which again I was completely unfamiliar with, but completely captivated by.

A glimpse of the collection

Then, after some lunch, we reconvened to catch a ferry to Miyajima, an island not far from Hiroshima!

Our ferry

Under way

Miyajima is best known for its extremely iconic and picturesque Itsukushima shrine, which was the main reason we made the trip out to the island. We made our way off the ferry and through the town, towards the famous shrine.

Miyajima, like Nara, is swarmed with friendly deer. Here, the deer wait for the clippings from the gentleman up above

Perhaps the goofiest tanuki yet

Itsukushima Shrine is best known for its gorgeous aquatic torii gate, which allegedly simply rests upon the sand, resisting the tides and currents and other natural forces. Again, Japan seems to have some magical fusion between human artifice and natural law that is as stunning to the mind as it is to the eye. Luckily, we made it to the island at low tide, so we were able to walk out and visit with the gate that, under normal conditions, sits safely out in the bay.

Me in front of the famous gate

A view of the shrine itself from out beside the gate

The gnarly legs of the gate

Visitors add coins to the gate; if they survive the tide, the visitors' wishes come true!

One of several gorgeous pieces of driftwood around the shrine's grounds

Another angle

The shrine's main walkway

The gate from the shrine proper

After ambling about the shrine's grounds for a time, I set off on my own. I ended up finding a river, which I followed for a delightful hike through the less developed parts of the island. I was able to stop at a boulder in the middle of the river for a meditation, was guided by a deer to an awesome mountain overlook, and generally had a great time wandering my mind and my environment at the same time.

Upon my return, I was drawn into a curiosity shop, with doors opened wide, not a sign of a single customer or staffer, curiosities spilling out into the streets, and a gorgeous pond tucked away in the back.

The pond at the back of the store

Fish swarming everywhere

A look at the store's interesting inventory

The deer that led my way, looking back to see who the hell was following it

A look out at the community of Miyajima

After our time on Miyajima, we headed back to Hiroshima for one last night on the town. I treated myself to one last Japanese meal before we were to head back to Korea.

Legit ramen + gyoza = heaven