RHS'69
Day 3 finds everyone in Hiroshima after traveling from Osaka via the Bullet Train.
Once in Hiroshima there's a ferry ride to Itsukushima Shrine. Built in the 12th century, it's a must see. After a half day on the island it's back to the hotel just in time for dinner and maybe a little shopping.
The Ding-Ding densha trolley starts off Day 4 followed by a chartered bus tour of the city including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum. The rest of the day is sightseeing and shopping in the Famous Japan street malls. Dinner is on their own.
Tomodachi Tour IV - 2019
Tomadachi IV - the fourth tour to Japan is two weeks in length. We have three reporters covering the trip: Lani Harrington, Vincent Yim (RHS'69) and Bobby Imoto (Kalani'69).
This is a "rolling blog" so each day's events are posted as they come in. Check back often for the latest.
Wednesday/Thursday, February 27-28, 2019
Events added daily through Monday, March 11th
It's the next morning. Time to change city and hotel. The adventures are about to get started. So a bunch are lined up waiting for breakfast, as usual.
First they have to catch the regular train at Shinkansen station to get to the bullet train at another station. The regular train is like a bus - a bit crowded.
The Shin-Osaka Station for the bullet train to Hiroshima.
Selfie.
Excellent form.
Heading to Hiroshima at a speed of 188 mph on Nozomi (Shinkansen) bullet train from Osaka.
The video is a bit short but it's fast!
Itsukushima is a small island in Hiroshima Bay. It is known for its forests and ancient temples. Just offshore, the giant, orange Great Torii Gate is partially submerged at high tide. It marks the entrance to the Itsukushima Shrine, first built in the 12th century.
Some of the monkeys that live on the island.
Nobody was sure what was going on, but everyone was doing it, so they joined in.
The spitting part is interesting.
As Day 3 wraps up it's dinner at the Hiroshima Hon-dori Shopping Mall. Everyone is having the Okonomiyaki pancake dinner.
It sort of looks like hash browns, but it's not.
This actually happened hours earlier but it seemed like a lot of work to move everything around to fit it in somewhere above.
Vincent says he found this garden hidden in the back of a shopping mall.
"I am sure the gentleman on the left spent a lifetime tending this beautiful hideaway. These are the biggest carp I ever saw."
No one in any of the Tomodachi Tours has been known to skip breakfast - so that's where we begin Day 4.
In this restaurant there is a soft chime that goes off occasionally. It announces that freshly baked croissants are coming out of the kitchen. You can imagine the hands being raised.
Before
After
We're really not sure so we're guessing...
Old Japanese proverb:
Look up and there is a tree.
Look down and there is the ground.
Seems to fit.
It appears something not on the itinerary is going to happen tonight.
On Tomodachi Tours Wendy Yim collects pictures of manhole covers.
In Japan they are works of art.
To know more click
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is in the center of the city. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's victims.
The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall and is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties.
The well-known Peace Bell stands near the Children's Peace Monument and visitors are encouraged to ring it.
And so begins that mysterious time honored female pasttime known throughout the world as...shopping.
WARNING!
Cuteness Overload
So - some members of the tour were wandering the streets of Hiroshima when they came upon a pet store. And it had puppies! Cute ones too.
Check the price in the lower left. At the current exchange rate it's $3,200 for a puppy.
Yipes!
This ends Day 4. Some pictures for this day may straggle in over the next couple of days so you might want to check this page again later.
Tomorrow - on the road again. A new city, a new hotel and some hot springs action...
Lunch. In a small hole-in-the-wall with cheap prices and great food.
Can't do better than that.
We wrap up our coverage of Day 4 with dinner at the hotel.
Tomorrow the group is on the road again.
We don't usually do this because it's a Facebook thing - but here's a picture of one of the dinners.
Looks pretty good.
Photos/video by:
Bobby Imoto Kalani'69
Lani Harrington RHS'69
Cheryl Osumi RHS'69
Vincent/Wendy Yim RHS'69