Last Night in Hiroshima and Back to Tokyo

On our last night in Hiroshima, my mom and I had dinner at Nagataya, one of the city's most famous restaurants. 

We lined up early but still had to wait to be seated for more than an hour... but the meal was absolutely worth the wait.

Nagataya is an okonomiyaki restaurant, and we were seated at a booth by the kitchen where we could watch the chefs preparing dinner for the restaurant's customers. It's like having a show along with your meal!

While we waited for our meal to be prepared, we ordered a set of hitokuchi gyoza, which were crispy pan-fried pork dumplings filled with minced pork and flavored with a hint of lemon, a special signature of the Hiroshima area.

In Hiroshima, okonomiyaki (buckwheat and cabbage pancakes) is served in layers, rather than having all of the ingredients mixed into the batter, and typically incorporate noodles, which is rare in other parts of the country.

We ordered the original okonomiyaki with garlic, which started out as a wheat flour pancake made with pork, shrimp, and squid rested upon a bed of thick and chewy udon noodles, which became crispy on the bottom as they cooked on the griddle. The pancake was topped with a mountain of thinly sliced green onion and the raw yolk of an egg (both Hiroshima signatures). Since we had ordered the house special garlic okonomiyaki, the entire dish was sprinkled with crispy deep-fried garlic chips to add extra crunch and aromatic flavors.

The next morning, we packed our luggage, took a cab to Hiroshima Station, bought breakfast, and boarded our train back to Tokyo. We had traveled far of the past two weeks, all the way down to the southern end of Japan's main island of Honshu, and it was a long trip back to Tokyo. Even by bullet train, it took nearly five hours for us to arrive back in the city.

We were going to be staying at the TOE Library, the same guesthouse where we had begun our journey across Japan two weeks before. We were greeted by Yoshi, the owner, who showed us to our room and asked us all about our trip.

Unfortunately, I had started coming down with a cold a few days before, and by the time we finally got to Tokyo, I was feeling really bad. Luckily, at least, it happened at the end of our journey and I was able to enjoy the rest of the trip without any problems.

For dinner, we ate at a local ramen bar. There's nothing better for a cough than a hot bowl of soup, and my miso ramen was really soothing.

What an incredible two weeks it had been! I'm so grateful to have had this fun adventure with my mother, to have been able to show her around Japan and take her to see some of my favorite places... as well as see a bunch of new places too.

The next morning, after a good night's sleep, it was time for us both to head off to Haneda Airport. Mom's flight was earlier than mine, and after saying our farewells, she boarded her flight back to the US. I checked in at the capsule hotel so that I could have some rest before my evening flight, and a few hours later, I was back on my way to Thailand. It had been an unforgettable journey, but it was time to go back to real life.

The Seven Wonders of Mount Misen

Mount Misen (弥山) is one of Japan's sacred mountains. The peak is the highest point on the holy island of Miyajima, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage area of Itsukushima Shrine, and along with the Seto Inland Sea and a number of nearby islands, an integral part of the Setonaikai National Park.

After spending the morning exploring the island, my mom and I took a 15-minute trek through the gorgeous, forested trails of the park to the Miyajima Ropeway, the fourth and final cable car we would end up taking during our two weeks in Japan.

Halfway up the mountain, we had to transfer to a second cable car. The second car we boarded was a funicular; an older style of cable car that operated in a back-and-forth system rather than the circular method of the lower route.

The Miyajima Ropeway is one of the older cable car systems in Japan. It began service in 1959, and the two legs of the route have been ferrying visitors to the top of Mount Misen for nearly seventy years!

Mount Misen is the highest point and spiritual pinnacle of the holy island of Miyajima. From the ropeway station, we could look out across the bay to see all of Hiroshima Town spreading out across the water before us.

We decided to take a hike along the peak trail to the mountain's summit. The hike, which took around half an hour, was a calm winding trail that passed through the mountain's dense primeval forest, a natural landmark protected by the government of Japan.

Those of you who have followed my blog for any amount of time will probably know by now that both my mom and I are avid birders.

As we walked along the dense trails of the mountain path, we heard at least three new birdsongs which we were able to identify via our birding apps. Unfortunately, even after an infuriatingly long time of searching through the mountain forest, we were unable to lay eyes on any of them.

Technically, birders are able to add birds positively identified by their songs to their life lists, but I just don't buy that. Personally, I want to lay eyes on the bird, even if just for a second, before I register it.

In the end, we weren't able to add any new birds, but we still enjoyed a very nice trek along the trail.

Mount Misen's spiritual claim to fame are its "Seven Wonders", a series of seven miraculous occurrences found in ancient tales which surround the mountain. The wonders mostly center around the Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi (774–835), a scholar, calligrapher, and poet, and one of the most important religious figures in Japanese history.

He was the founder of Shingon Buddhism, an esoteric school of Buddhism based on teachings he brought back from China which have gone on to shape Japanese spirituality to this day.

His legacy remains so strong that he is still revered as a teacher, saint, and cultural hero more than a millennium after his death.

The wonders include:

Shakujo-no-ume (The Plum Tree of the Tin Stick)

According to the legend, Kobo Daishi was said to have rested his tin-topped staff against the ground, which took root and blossomed into a beautiful plum tree.

Mandara-iwa

Behind Misenhondo Hall is a huge bedrock wall carved with handwritten characters, Sanskrit script, and images linked to Kobo Daishi. The site is steeped in legend, though it is currently closed to visitors.

Kanman-iwa (The "Ebb-and-Flow" Rock)

This rock sits roughly 500 meters above sea level, yet saltwater inside its hollow mysteriously rises and falls in sync with the tides. No one truly knows how seawater appears this high on the mountain, adding to the mystery.

Hyoshigi-no-oto (The Sound of Wooden Clappers)

At a certain spot on the mountain, people report hearing the sharp sound of wooden clappers echoing through the night with no visible source. The sound is attributed to a tengu, a long-nosed mountain goblin said to reside in Mount Misen. Traditionally, locals stayed indoors when they heard it, fearing bad luck or a curse.

Shigure-zakura (The Showered Cherry Blossom)

This cherry tree was famous for always appearing damp with dew, as though a light rain had just passed, even on hot and sunny days. The tree no longer survives and can’t be seen today, but the legend remains.

Ryuoto-no-sugi (The Sea-Fire Cedar)

A large cedar tree once emitted mysterious flickering lights that could be seen from the ocean off Miyajima’s coast, especially on the eve of the lunar New Year. Only the stump remains today, but the stories of the glowing tree live on.

Finally, we arrived at the peak of Mount Misen where we were greeted with a cool breeze and a beautiful view of the island and surrounding sea.

We had arrived at Kiezu-no-hi (The Eternal Flame).

The flame is housed inside a two-story black pagoda at the summit of the mountain. The most famous of the seven wonders, the sacred fire is said to have been lit by Kobo Daishi in 806 when he established Daishō-in Temple at the foot of the mountain. Miraculously, it has been kept alight ever since. Water boiled over the flame is believed to have healing properties, and the fire even served as the pilot light for the Flame of Peace in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park when it was lit in 1964.

It was hot, dark, and smoky inside the pagoda and centuries of smoke had blackened every surface.

I could only stand to be inside for a minute or so before I began coughing my lungs out and had to escape to the fresh air of the mountain peak. The water boiled in the pagoda's kettle may be good for the health, but staying inside for more than a few moments certainly isn't!

There's also a small shrine at the top of the mountain dedicated to Kobo Daishi. We stopped in briefly to pay our respects before heading back down the trail to the cable car station.

It was late afternoon, and Mom and I still hadn't eaten lunch, so we made our way to Miyajima's popular Omotesando Shopping Street, a busy pedestrian street lined with restaurants and souvenir shops of all sorts.

We decided to eat at Kakiya, one of the top-rated restaurants on Miyajima.

Kakiya sells Hiroshima Prefecture's famous oysters and has been recognized by the Japanese Michelin Guide!

Now, neither Mom nor I were especially interested in eating oysters, but if this restaurant was the best on the island, then at this restaurant we were going to eat! We waited in line for around five minutes before being shows to two seats at the bar.

We both ordered the Kakiya Set, the shop's signature meal set. 

The set came with two pieces of grilled oysters served in the shell and fresh off of the grill, a plate of rice with three fresh simmered oysters, three pieces of battered and fried oysters served with a lemon wedge, an "oil oyster" pickled in an oily brine, red miso oyster soup, and salad with Kakiya’s original oyster oil dressing.

We weren't sure what to expect when we stepped inside Kakiya, but it ended up being an incredible meal. We were afraid that it was going to be too "oyster-y", but everything was absolutely delicious.

Mom also ordered a lemon beer, one of Hiroshima Prefecture's specialties (the area is renowned for its citrus).

As evening approached, we boarded the ferry back to Hiroshima. We had had a wonderful day on Hiroshima's holy island full of food, fun, and adventure, but it was time to head back to our hotel and start packing our bags. The next day, we would be heading back to Tokyo as our adventure together slowly drew to an end.

But the adventure was not over yet! We still had one long journey and two amazing dinners ahead of us!

Miyajima 宮島

Our main purpose for travelling all the way to Hiroshima at the southern end of Honshu was to visit and pay our respects at the Peace Memorial Museum. However, there is so much more to do in and around Hiroshima.

We woke early the next morning and took a taxi to Miyajimaguchi, one of the city's far southwestern neighborhoods, where we boarded a ferry to Miyajima Island.

The JR passes we had purchased before arriving in Japan were a great investment. They allowed us to take unlimited rides on all JR trains including bullet trains. Interestingly, the tickets are also valid on one boat as well: the Hiroshima-Miyajima Ferry, which is also operated by Japan Rail for some reason.

It was a pleasant morning, and the cool sea breeze was much appreciated after the heat of the previous day. I bought us morning coffee from an on-board vending machine, and we settled in for the slow, smooth, 15-minute journey across Hiroshima Bay to the island.

We sipped our cans of iced coffee as the island slowly materialized out of the mist. 

Officially named Itsukushima, the island is almost always referred to as "Miyajima", which means "Shrine Island". In fact, the nickname is so popular that the guidebook, ferry line, and even the government's official tourist website only refer to it as Miyajima.

Miyajima is a peaceful island. There are no cities, just a few small villages with a total population of around 2,000, and lots of temples and shrines. There are few vehicles and no traffic signals anywhere on the island. The island and the waters surrounding it are all part of Setonaikai National Park, and the land is protected. 

Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and just like in Nara, sika deer, considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods, are allowed to roam freely.

The first thing we saw as we docked at the pier was the O-torii, or Great Gate, one of the most unique and iconic Shinto torii gates in Japan. Made of camphor wood to resist decay, the gate, marking the boundary between the secular and sacred, is meant to signify the entire island of Miyajima as a holy place.

So sacred is Itsukushima Island, whose official name means "Island Dedicated to the Gods", that for most of history, only priests were allowed to step foot on the island, and commoners were forbidden from approaching in order to retain its purity. Even today, no births or deaths are supposed to occur on the island. Pregnant women who live on the island are asked to retreat to the mainland as the delivery date approaches, as are the terminally ill.

It was low tide when we arrived, but we planned to come back in the afternoon to see the famous "floating gate" at high tide, when the water would rise making the gate look as if it were floating on top of the water.

The gate is part of Itsukushima-jinja, the island's most important Shinto shrine, which is built on stilts in the bay and also meant to look as if it is floating at high tide.

The shrine is dedicated to the sanjoshin, three Shinto deities who are said to be the goddesses of sea and storm as well as syncretic manifestations of the Buddhist goddess of mercy Kannon. In Shinto mythology, the three sisters are the granddaughters of Amaterasu the sun goddess, chief deity of the Shinto pantheon, and mythological ancestor from whom the Imperial Family traces their genealogy.

The shrine has been described as "like a palace on the sea" and is built in the architectural style of the Heian Period, in which Japanese structures attempted to follow along with the environment as much as possible, allowing natural trees, water, and other parts of the landscape to influence the design of the man-made structures rather than the other way around.

A couple, wearing traditional Japanese kimonos, arrived on hand pulled carts along with their families. It was clear that they were preparing for a wedding, perhaps even a wedding ceremony at the shrine! It was interesting to watch them arrive and take photos at the shrine. I imagine that you must be a pretty rich or important person to be able to get married at one of the country's holiest sites!

Here's a fun fact about the island: one of Miyajima's biggest international claims to fame is that the shamoji, those flat paddles used for scooping rice out of a rice cooker, was invented on the island by a monk who wanted to devise a way of serving rice without ruining the taste or texture.

We saw tons of rice paddles of various types for sale in the tourist shops and markets on the island, you could even buy an ema, or prayer plaque for writing a wish upon, in the shape of a shamoji.

Leaving the shrine, we walked up into the hills beyond the coast towards the Daishō-in Temple, whose name translates to "Great Holy Temple".

It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed our walk along the quiet leafy paths. Miyajima is famous for its maple trees and is one of the most popular spots in Japan for iomijigari, maple leaf viewing, the autumnal counterpart to springtime's cherry blossom hanami.

Even though it was by now the tail end of September, we were still too early to see the golden, red, and orange maple leaves, especially in the far south of Honshu. I have still yet to visit Japan in autumn, but I imagine that the maple season must be a stunning sight to see.

The historic Buddhist temple at the foot of Mount Misen is ancient and is home to a flame which has been said to have been burning since its foundation more than 1200 years ago.

The approach to the temple was lined with tiny stone statues of monks, each of which were wearing little knit hats.

There had to be hundreds of them!

These statues honor Jizō Bosatsu, a bodhisattva (Buddhist saint) who is said to have already reached enlightenment but chosen to postpone Buddhahood so he can help others. In Japan, Jizō is one of the most widely loved figures in modern Buddhism. Traditionally, he’s seen as a protector of travelers, pilgrims, women in labor, and anyone who is experiencing suffering.

Over the centuries, Jizō’s role in Japan evolved and today, he’s venerated as the guardian of children. There’s a folk belief that children who die young and haven’t lived long enough to accumulate the good karma needed to reach the Pure Land, are hidden by Jizō under his robes as he guides these vulnerable souls there in secret.

The bodhisattva is associated with the color red, and expectant parents, those praying for a healthy recovery of their child from illness, or those praying to have a baby themselves, will often knit and donate red caps as a form of merit making and offering.

Up until the Meiji Era, when the emperor was restored to power and began a modernization and nationalization campaign in Japan, Shinbutsu-shūgō, the "syncretism of kami and buddhas", was Japan's main organized religion. During this time, Daishō-in Temple managed and oversaw the island's Shinto shrine. 

This syncretic philosophy was banned in 1868, and the two beliefs, which had become intertwined (and, truth be told, still are to some extent in Japan today), were legally separated.

Despite this, the temple is considered to be one of the most sacred spots in Japan, and has hosted Emperor Meiji, Prince Itō Hirobumi (the first Prime Minister of Japan), and the Dalai Lama who visited in 2006 to celebrate the temple's 1200th anniversary.

Emperor Toba (1107-1123) declared the temple a place to pray for the peace and security of the nation, something that has become even more profound in the decades following the bombing of Hiroshima just across the bay.

One of the most unique spots at the temple is the Henjokutsu Cave, a "Power Spot" (a natural place in Japan believed to have a special spiritual energy) related to the famous Shikoku 88 Pilgrimage, a traditional pilgrimage of 88 Buddhist temples associated with the historically important Japanese monk Kūkai.

A series of 88 Buddha images, each one corresponding to a temple on the pilgrimage route, stands on a small platform above a glass-covered opening in the floor. Within each opening is soil taken from its respective temple.

It’s believed that the devout who are unable to complete the full pilgrimage may instead stand above the soil and pray before each statue in turn, symbolically completing the pilgrimage route.

Momiji manjū is the island's most famous snack, and we knew that we shouldn't leave Miyajima without trying them. These little cakes are made from buckwheat and rice flour and are shaped like Japanese maple leaves, the symbol of Miyajima. They are traditionally filled with sweet red azuki bean paste, but nowadays you can find them in all sorts of flavors, including custard, chocolate, and more.

We stopped outside the window of an old-fashioned sweet shop to order some momiji manjū to try. While we waited in the fast-moving queue, we were able to peer inside the shop's big windows to watch the conveyor belt machine pouring batter and filling into molds and moving the cakes into an oven to bake.

Momiji manjū are an example of miyagekashi, a Japanese term which literally means "souvenir sweets". These are localized specialties which cannot be found outside of a particular region and are heavily protected by both law and custom. The maple leaf cakes can only, therefore, be found in Hiroshima Prefecture. The best-known example of miyagekashi is probably the Tokyo Banana, which has achieved international fame even beyond Japan. It's a snack I'm really fond of!

The little maple leaf cake was freshly baked and still warm. It was super soft and the perfect level of sweetness. I've always liked red bean paste because it is sweet without being overpoweringly so.

Mom and I stopped by the shrine and O-torii on the way back to the ferry port. The tide had come up, and the beautiful old Shinto shrine did indeed look as if it were floating on the still waters of the bay.

You can definitely see how Itsukushima Shrine was seen as so sacred by the people of Japan that the island even got its nickname, "Shrine Island" from the beautiful sight of the red and white buildings floating over the sea.

We also went up to the top of Mount Misen, the island's holy mountain, before leaving, but that adventure was big enough to warrant its own post... stay tuned!