Himeji-jo

Yesterday, we took a day trip from Osaka to Himeji with the purpose of visiting Himeji-jo and the surrounding grounds. We left early enough to join the commuters on a local JR Train going to work. It was packed, but again, you would never know this based off of how quiet it was. Our original plan was to eat our breakfast on the train like we did when going to Miyajima, but we couldn’t get a seat. So, we ate upon arriving in Himeji while waiting for the local Tourism Information Center to open. We finished our breakfast, grabbed a couple of brochures, and set off for the castle. It was a short walk and we could see it in the whole time from the station and the walk.

In my opinion, Himeji has been the most impressive castle we’ve seen. It’s definitely the biggest of the three we’ve gone through. Once you enter the grounds it’s impossible to see the castle at certain times because of the walls that surround it. The walkway up to the castle is maze-like, and was designed this way to confuse enemy soldiers if they chose to attack. Upon getting to the entrance, you are given a plastic bag to put your shoes in. The stone steps leading into the castle are the original ones and date back to the early 1600s when the castle was completely rebuilt by Ikea Terumasa. 

Himeji-jo is not set up like the previous two castles we visited. There is not a museum contained within it. There are information plaques located around the floors to explain the significance of certain elements. I enjoyed getting to see the castle as it would have been, and not cluttered with displays and technology like Hiroshima Castle and Osaka-jo. I did enjoy learning about the history of those two castles, but I really liked getting the feel for what Himeji-jo would have actually been like when it was being used to run a kingdom.

The stairs from one floor to the next were quite steep and reminded me of the temples in Bagan and at Angkor Wat. We saw weapons racks located all around the castle where swords and guns would have once hung. The fourth floor had windows to allow better ventilation when guns and cannons were being fired. There was also a walking deck by the windows to allow for surveillance. There were also little rooms higher up in the corners of certain floors that samurai used to hide in for a sneak attack if the enemy ever got up that far.

Himeji was covered with black cloth during WWII, which allowed it to survive the bombing. There is a captivating photo that shows Himeji Castle standing while the rest of the city lies around it in ruins.

After touring the castle, we make our way to Koko-en Garden. This was not Scott’s cup of tea, so after exploring a couple of the gardens, we made our way back to the train station by passing in and out of a few gift shops. We are currently hunting for different cloths and fabrics that have depictions of the castles we’ve been to. We were able to find a beautiful one amid a lot of interesting items for sale.

After getting back to Osaka, we went on a bit of a wild goose chase looking for different stores and restaurants. First, we went in search of Tower Knives a store that specializes in Japanese made knives. They are incredibly expensive, but beautifully made. Scott and I ended up purchasing an all-purpose knife from a different location later on in the evening. Our second wild goose chase for the day was looking for a place called Beer Belly. We did find it, but unfortunately it was closed. Instead, we found a different little bar to sit and relax in for a minute.

For dinner, we headed to an udon spot in Dotombori recommended by Lonely Planet. I was the only one who liked their dish, and the only part I enjoyed was the noodles. The duck that came in it was very strange. Since Scott didn’t eat very much at the restaurant, he decided that he wanted to try Tako-yaki, an Osaka dish. They are doughy dumplings stuffed with octopus. We watched them make them as Scott ate his and it was a fascinating process. They have these giant cast iron plates that have round holes. It looks like they wipe it down with oil, add batter, the octopus, and more batter. Then they use a chopstick looking thing to continuously stir and spin them without even looking like they are moving their hands or arms. Scott claimed that they were delicious and Lynsey agreed, but I was not brave enough to try them. I have my line of things that I will not cross, and this was one of them.

The last part of our night was spent on the biggest wild goose chase of them all. We took the wrong exit out of the subway station by our hotel and got completely turned around and lost. We stopped to ask for directions twice. The first time I could not understand the man, and the second person sent us in the totally wrong direction. By the time we made it back to our hotel, I was quite cranky. I did get over myself rather quickly and sent myself straight to bed for some much needed R&R.

Osaka-jo

This morning we spent time getting from Hiroshima to Osaka. With the help of a few train station workers and one very friendly older gentleman, we navigated our way through the confusing Osaka Station to arrive at our hotel. We dropped our bags and went in search of food and Osaka-jo, a beautiful castle.

Since we had to navigate it by ourselves, without the help of a local, Osaka’s train and subway system is very confusing. I’m sure that Tokyo’s is even more confusing, but we were lucky to have Danna guiding us! After a mishap of going in the wrong direction on the first subway, we got ourselves sorted out. Our JR passes have come in handy more than I thought they would. I thought they would only be for the bullet trains (the Shinkansen) going long distances, but we’ve discovered that there are many local JR trains that we can get on without having to get tickets for.

After a brief lunch we arrived at the Osaka-jo complex. We discovered that it is a good thing we got to Osaka when we did because the G20 Summit is being held here later this week and the castle is being closed to tourists. The complex was massive and astoundingly beautiful! The boulders that were used to build the walls surrounding the castle were huge. There was even a map inside the museum to show where the megaliths were located around the complex. We saw one as we were walking out. Scott stood next to it, so we could get a sense of just how huge it actually was.

The castle itself is surrounded by two moats and is up on a slight hill. The height of it forces you to look up to see all eight stories of it at once. It didn’t seem to matter where you stood, you inevitably had to look up in order to take the entire structure in. The castle and again the engineering that had to go into it to build it mesmerized me. Just like the castle in Hiroshima, Osaka-jo is set up as a museum and gift shop. I believe this is because both castles were either destroyed or damaged during WWII and were rebuilt or fixed. The layout of the floors was slightly confusing as the stairs were numbered one thing and the landings a different number. We even skipped a level as we wound our way through the museum. The museum contained information on the history of Osaka, the feudal lord, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whom built the castle, his life, and more samurai weapon and outfit displays. The top level was also an observation deck just like the Hiroshima Castle.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi is not only known for building Osaka-jo but also for unifying Japan. Construction began in 1583, and the castle was the largest in the country at that time. Osaka-jo was burnt down twice, both after Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death. The first time was in 1615 during the Summer War and the second was in 1665 after the main castle tower was struck by lightening. To know that this castle was rebuilt each time it was destroyed speaks of the determination and tenacity of the Japanese people. I cannot even imagine having the imagination to create such a structure now, let alone hundreds of years ago without modern technology.

Miyajima

Sunday morning we got up early in order to head to Miyajima in hopes of beating some of the crowds. Thankfully our JR passes got us there for free and after a 30-minute train ride, 5 minute walk, and 10 minute ferry, we arrived on the island of Miyajima. Miyajima is home to a mountain and some spectacular shrines and temples.

Upon arriving we made our way to the Floating Torii. There has been a Torii here since 1168, and the current one dates back to the 1800s. It serves as the entrance to the Itsukushima-jinja. The island used to be a sacred place and commoners were not allowed to set foot on the island. They approached Itsukushima-jinja by boat through the Floating Torii. Itsukushima-jinja is built on a series of piers that are either completely exposed at low tide or partially hidden at high tide. The two structures make a beautiful sight. When we arrived, it was low tide, and there weren’t many other tourists. Because of this, we were able to snap a couple of magnificent photos of the Floating Torii.

From here, we made our way up to the top of Mt. Misen. There was a plethora of stairs and steep inclines to the top. It took us about an hour to get to the 535-meter top, and to say we were sweaty upon arriving would be an understatement. I have now been made aware of how much Mt. Fuji is going to kick my butt in about a week! Despite being difficult, the hike was beautiful! Close to the top of the mountain is a temple where Kobo Daishi meditated for 100 days. Across from the temple is another building that contains a flame that has been burning since Kobo Daishi lit it 1200 years ago. Just above the temple, is a lookout platform that offers some spectacular views of the sea and surrounding islands, including the mainland of Japan.

After taking our time to ooohhh and aaaahhh over the views, we headed back to the bottom via a ropeway. The first tram down was rather crowded and had standing room only as lots of people were let in. The next tram was more of what I expected with seats for only six people. It was a great way to see some of the scenery from above the treetops.

Upon arriving at the bottom of the mountain, we discovered that the rest of the tourists had arrived on the island to see the temples. Itsukushima-jinja was crawling with people and it was hard to get a good photo of the Floating Torii at high tide because there were boats and jet-skis all around it. Rather than waiting in line at Itsukushima-jinja, we climbed up more stairs to go to a different temple. Senjokaku Pavilion was next to the five story pagoda.

We headed back to Hiroshima to spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around Hiroshima Castle. We took the Sightseeing Tour Bus to the castle and began wandering around the grounds before making our way to the replica of the castle. Most of the castle complex was destroyed when the A-bomb was dropped. There are a couple of foundations left and commemorated with plaques for where different buildings were located. In the 1950s the decision was made to rebuild Hiroshima Castle and turn it into a museum. There are five floors. The first floor gave information on how Hiroshima because Hiroshima and how the castle was built. The second floor also contained more history on the castle. The third floor had samurai weapons and outfits. The fourth floor was an exhibition, and the fifth floor was a viewing platform out onto Hiroshima. 

The castle itself was absolutely breathtaking and impressive to think that the original was built in a time where no modern machinery was available. Just like the temples in Myanmar and Angkor Wat, it is hard to believe that such engineering was achievable.

For dinner, we meandered our way back to Okonimi-mura for more Okonimiyaki. We tried out a different stall but essentially got the exact same thing as the majority of the options had some type of seafood on them.

Hiroshima

After arriving in Hiroshima & dropping our bags off at our hostel, we set off for Peace Memorial Park to look at the monuments & museum that pay tribute to the A bomb that was dropped during WWII. Scott was our navigator and brought us to the South end of the park where the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is located. We bought our tickets and were given a notecard, made from recycled paper cranes from the Children’s Peace Monument, to take notes if we desired.

Peace Watch Tower

Before going upstairs, we checked out the Peace “Watch” Tower. This is a clock that has multiple purposes. It has a panel that tells the number of days since the A-bomb was dropped over Hiroshima, and a second panel that tells the number of days since a nuclear test was performed anywhere in the world. Last, it has cogwheels that spin faster when the world is in danger from nuclear holocaust. If the cogwheels ever reach the bottom wheel, it will self destruct.

The second floor of the museum takes you through the history of Hiroshima, the destruction that the A-bomb caused, the devastation of those that survived, and how the city of Hiroshima is working to influence a nuclear free world. The museum was enlightening but difficult. As I’ve stated in previous blogs, my history knowledge from school does not exceed much past the Civil War. We continuously take US History, but instead of streamlining it to teach parts of it in different grade levels, we always start with Columbus sailing the ocean blue. Obviously, I have some basic knowledge of what has happened in the past century, but I’ve never learned what happened to Hiroshima other than the USA dropped an Atomic bomb and it ended the war. I didn’t realize the extent of the impact that it had, and that the scientists who developed it asked military leaders to forewarn Japan of a coming attack.

I did not realize that the bomb immediately destroyed everything within a 2 km radius of the hypocenter, and that anything that survived the first gush of wind was destroyed when the wind was sucked backwards towards the hypocenter.  I did not know how many thousands of school aged children died because they were mobilized to the city to help create firebreaks for bomb attacks. I had no clue how awful and painful it must have been for those who originally survived the bombing but died in the hours or days that followed due to radiation poisoning. I did not know that the people drank radioactive rain as their city burned around them. I was shocked to learn that the firestorms created tornado like pheromones as they neared the river, and that people were also swept up into them. I couldn’t help but think as I walked through this section of the museum and looked at the photos and drawings depicting what had happened, that those who died instantly were the lucky ones. I also thought to myself, that if a nuclear bomb is ever dropped in an area where I live, I hope I am one of those ‘lucky’ ones. I was also appalled to learn that many Japanese survivors did not receive adequate treatment in the years after the bombing because others thought they were faking their illnesses or were worried about their diseases being contagious. I had no clue that the USA and other countries sent scientists to Hiroshima after the bombing to do damage surveying. I also did not realize that the USA controlled the information going out of Hiroshima after the war ended as they were working to turn Japan into a democracy. This was to keep people in the dark about the extent of the damage that had occurred.

As I’ve been reflecting on the information that I learned at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, I’ve had a lot of thoughts on the cruelty of mankind. Knowing what I do know about WWII, I understand why the Atomic bomb was developed and used. However, at the same time, I cannot understand why it was used without warning or truly, even at all. What baffles my mind even more is that people around the world do not listen to those from Hiroshima that have worked tirelessly to promote peace by ending the threat of nuclear war.

Flame of Peace

Cenotaph with Flame of Peace and Atomic Dome behind it.

Needless to say, the museum was a horrifying, emotionally draining, but fascinating experience. The three of us didn’t have a whole lot to say to one another as we exited the museum and headed down towards the rest of the Peace Memorial Park. Our first stop was at the Cenotaph, which is in line with the Fame of Pease and the Atomic Bomb Dome. The Cenotaph lists the names of those known to have perished because of the bomb. There were flowers in front of it. The Flame of Peace is in the middle of the pond behind the Cenotaph. The flame will continue to burn until the day all nuclear weapons are dismantled. Until that day, it will continue to be a reminder to those of Hiroshima that this horrific devastation can still occur anywhere.

Children's Peace Monument

Before heading to the Atomic Bomb Dome, we stopped at the Children’s Peace Monument. Friends of Sadako Sasaki called for the monument to be built for the children who died during and after the bombing. Sadako was two years old when the bomb was dropped. She survived but developed leukemia nine years later. She believed that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes, she could beat the cancer and survive. The cancer was aggressive, and she never completed her goal. Her classmates finished for her and wanted a monument to memorialize the children that were lost. There are thousands of paper cranes on display around the statue. They are sent in from students all over the world.

Atomic Bomb Dome

Our last stop at Peace Memorial Park was at the shell of the Atomic Bomb Dome, formerly known as the Industrial Promotion Hall. The bomb exploded almost directly above the dome. This area is known as the hypocenter. Because it was built out of concrete and directly underneath the initial blast, parts of the building survived both the blast and the ensuing fires that raged for days after the bombing.   

   

Making the Okonimiyaki

Final product

We ended this heavy day by finding Okonimi-mura, three floors of stalls that sell Okonimiyaki. The cooks make your dish on a hot griddle right in front of you. They’re rather hard to describe concoctions, but I’ll do my best. The cooks begin by cooking a very thin pancake, and layering cabbage, beansprouts, other ingredients, and bacon on top of it. They then take their two spatulas and flip it over. Next, they cook your choice of noodles either soba or udon. Once they deem that the layered pancake has been cooked through, they pick it up and put it on top of the noodles. Then, an egg is cracked and spread out in a fashion similar to the pancake. Everything is piled on top of the egg and flipped over again. They spread some type of sauce over the egg and push it over to you. From here, you use your personal little metal spatula to cut a section, place it on your plate, and eat with chopsticks. I’m quite certain my description of how it is made does not convey how delicious the Okonimiyaki turned out to be!

Arriving in Tokyo

Yesterday, Scott and I arrived in Tokyo Haneda Airport where we met up with Danna and Lynsey. The purpose of this trip was to visit Danna and see parts of Japan with her before her contract ended, and she moved back to the States/ a different country. Lynsey heard that we were making the trip and asked to tag along with us.

Scott and I did fly over on business class. He has decided that flights over seven hours are too much for him to be folded up in economy. I don’t blame him, and I could easily get used to living the high life up in business! It was so nice to be able to stretch all the way out get a couple of hours of sleep on the 13-hour flight.

At Danna's apartment. 

Danna met us at the airport and helped us navigate the train station, get our JR passes for the bullet train activated, and find our way to our hotel. It was beyond helpful! There were tons of people and train options, so having someone who knew what they were doing made it less stressful.

Our tiny room. 

Our hotel room was tiny, but functional. They did make great use of the space for having such a small room. Danna took us to her apartment, and again, it was tiny. She did have a nice balcony overlooking her street. It was amazing how quiet her street was for being in such a huge city. This has stood out to me the most in my short amount of time here. Everything is very quiet and orderly. As we are sitting on the bullet train to Hiroshima now, you would never guess that the car is full of people. I’ve already caught myself a couple of times being too loud.

Our comically small bathroom. 

Danna left us to our own devices for dinner as she had a prior engagement, but did recommend a couple of restaurant by our hotel. We ended up at an Indian- Nepalese restaurant. It seemed pretty fitting that upon reuniting in travel with Lynsey that we would end up at an Indian restaurant for our first meal in a new country. The food was delicious! By the time we finished eating, everyone was starting to fade and we headed back to our rooms for some much needed sleep.

This morning Danna took us to breakfast before dropping us off at the station for our first bullet train ride. We’re headed to Hiroshima where we plan to drop our bags at our hotel and go see the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Dome. I anticipate it being a rather emotional but informative afternoon.