Japan X: Miyajima

Last weekend Hannah and I took a trip to Hiroshima and Miyajima. Most of our time was spent in Miyajima due to rain late in the afternoon on Saturday. After we both got done with work from 9am-12pm and Japanese class 1:15pm-2:45pm, we rode our bikes to Okayama station and bought tickets for the local train bond for Hiroshima at 3:47pm. We both brought our own lunches and dinners in order to save money during the trip.

This was a special tile that was all over Hiroshima's sidewalks. Hiroshima and Miyajima seem to be famous for their maple leaves. One of the local culinary specialties of Hiroshima is momiji-manju or a small cake shaped like a maple leaf. See below for a picture of a momiji-maju cake. Remember, click the pictures to enlarge them!

[Hiroshima at night.]

After arriving in Hiroshima 2 hours and 40 minutes after we left Okayama, we found our hostel and settled in for the night. We both did a tad of exploring before going to bed. The next day, we both made it to Hiroshima station by 8:15am and caught a train that took us to the Miyajima area. Prior to arriving in Hiroshima, Hannah and I made reservations to attend a kayaking tour of Miyajima. After finding the kayak station, we slid into our kayaks and started paddling towards Miyajima. Note, Miyajima is an island. "Jima" in Japanese means "island" in English.

[Paddling around Miyajima]

[Approaching the giant gate]

[Hannah and out tour guide]

 [Getting ready to paddle through the gate]

 After we beached our kayaks, the tour guide took us into town and bought us two momiji-manju cakes and one small cup of tea.Our guide only spoke limited English so I attempted to do as much translating as I could, focusing to pull together the segments of Japanese I know. Speaking and comprehending another language is still one of the most rewarding things I have experienced in Japan, even if my Japanese isn't perfect. For the most part, I can understand a large proportion of what is said to me but it is much more difficult to discipline my tongue to perform properly.

[Momiji-manju. The outside tasted like a pancake and inside was a sweet bean paste.]

 [Hannah enjoying her treat!]

After we stomached our little snack, Hannah and I followed our guide back to the kayaks to return to Hiroshima. Like before, we steered the kayaks through the giant red torri or gate and enjoyed our time on the sea.On the way back, we saw all ilks of jellyfish and skates!

[Thank you Paddle Park!]

Next, Hannah and I headed back to the train station in order to catch a ferry heading to Miyajima. After buying a ticket and riding the ferry, we both spent time relaxing on the island. By the time we had returned to Miyajima, the tide had receded enough for tourists to walk out to the giant torri. The torri itself was constructed in the 12th century and has been rebuilt 7 times since then. As a side note, these giant red torri are indicators of a Shinto shrine as opposed to a Buddhist shrine. The current gate dates back to 1875 and is made of camphor wood. At low tide, many different kinds of oysters and shellfish can be seen attached to the base of the torii. Many people touch the torii for good luck or leave yen pieces in between the shellfish on the torii. I estimated that the high tide around the torii is no more than 5 feet and 5 inches. This ocean side shrine is called Itsukushima Shrine.

[A photo Hannah took of me and the torii at low tide.]

Deer were also present at Miyajima. However, unlike the deer in Nara, these deer were a bit bigger and had darker pelts. However, LIKE the deer in Nara, these deer loved to follow people with food or even paper. Hannah and I even saw one deer that snatched someones map and ate it! We were also fortunate enough to be at Miyajima when many leaves were changing colors. I was able to get a few good photos.

We were going to also visit the Peace Museum and Hiroshima Dome but the late afternoon surprised us with rain.I'll be making a trip back to Hiroshima city though since I teach in Hiroshima prefecture on Thursdays. Overall, I'd have to say that our time in Miyajima was very peaceful! Hannah and I are still very busy with our classes. We both relished having free time to sight see and reflect on how our lives seem so surreal now. Being surrounded by towering pagodas and toriis seemed to have transcendental quality.

More to come later! To all readers and everyone at home, take care! Especially considering this Hurricane Sandy business!

-J