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Japan 2025 Part 2: Hiroshima & Shizuoka

Published on February 28, 2025March 1, 2025 by JellyfishKing1 Comment

This is part two of our Japan 2025 trip. Part one is here.

We’re traveling to Hiroshima today from Osaka.

Hiroshima, of course, is famous for suffering the horrendous tragedy 6 Aug 1945 when the first ever Atom Bomb was used in war. The effect was devastating wiping out nearly half of the population instantly. Countless others died in the years following from the effects of the radiation. Hiroshima people have turned this tragic event into a shrine for peace and a constant reminder to the world that the use of nuclear weapons is evil.

Jane and I wanted to visit this city on the last trip, but we couldn’t quite fit it into the schedule.

We caught the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka station at 11.20 arriving at 12.51 (yes, it arrived dead on time). Our hotel was not far from Hiroshima station, so we just caught a taxi to the Smile Hotel. We were too early for check-in, so we dropped our bags, and embarked on a 1km walk to the Peace Memorial Park.

Hiroshima had a very different feel to the giant metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka. The streets were wide and far less crowded. The hustle and bustle were replaced by calm and serenity. At last, some relief. It was a cold day so we went into the Peace Memorial Museum to learn more about the 1945 event.

After purchasing the 400 yen ($4.40 AUD) we joined the line that snaked around the various exhibits. There were lots of people in the museum – all silent. It was quite an eerie feeling. People quietly reading the stories, trying to imagine what was like. I found myself quite emotional while reading about the people living there at the time.

We made our way back to the hotel, as it was check-in time. We will be revisiting the peace park the next day as part of the Hiroshima and Miyajima tour.

The Smile Hotel is “no-frills”. Rooms are only serviced every three days. Amenities, such as toothbrushes, combs, sewing kits, and yes pyjamas, can be taken from a store next to the reception. Towels can be changed each day by leaving them outside the door. Our room was nice. Again small, but clean and comfortable. The shower was hot and strong with a rain-shower head. Very welcoming on a cold day.

We ventured downtown to check out the shopping. As we’d had enough of ramen, sushi and other Japanese food, we went looking for “ethnic” restaurants. We found an Italian place simply named “Pasta”. The menu was in Japanese and the waiter’s English was not strong, but despite that we had a delicious pasta and garlic bread and a couple of glasses of decent Italian red.

The next day was the tour of Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Peace park. Our guide was due to pick us up from the hotel at 7.30, but I managed to get Jane out of bed at 6.30 to try and get some breakfast. It was going to be a big walking day, so we needed to fuel up. Ramen on a cold morning hit the spot. As were finishing the meal Jane noticed with great excitement that it started to snow outside. She ran out of the restaurant gleefully to “catch some flakes”.

We proceeded to take a million photos as we didn’t know how long it would last. It lasted all morning and got a lot heavier. Sei (pronounced “Say”), our guide was waiting at the hotel. He outlined the itinerary. It was a walking tour, with quite a bit of public transportation. Our JR Pass helped a lot, but did not cover busses and trams.

First was a bus and train ride to the ferry terminal for the trip to Itsukushima, also known as Miyajima. It is known for its ancient temples and the large red wooden “gate” just offshore. The ferry trip took just 10 minutes and we disembarked in the heavy snow and made our way to view the Torii Gate. Sei commented that he never seen the Torii Gate in the snow and was impressed how majestic it looked. A couple of deer were wandering around too, which seemed to make it more magical.

A short walk to the Itsukushima Shrine was the next stop. This is a 12^th century Shinto Shrine. The structure was impressive with stunning views over the bay and the Torii Gate. Up the hill another important shrine of the island, Diasho-in. This is a Buddhist temple, which struck me as odd being so close to the Shinto Shrine. When I asked Sei about, it he said most Japanese worship both Shinto and Buddhism. He said its not unusual for Japanese households to have tributes to both religions in them. The Buddhist temple was quite different from the Shinto, but equally impressive. Again, there were plenty of deer roaming around, quite comfortable being around the people. Sei left us for a while to roam around the shopping area before heading back to the ferry terminal. We sampled the island speciality treat Momiji manjū. A filled baked and deep fried rice cake. I had custard while Jane has red bean paste. It was still snowing and a hot snack as just the ticket. Jane had a Matcha Latte also – Matcha and red bean… there’s no accounting for taste!

After the ferry ride and train to Hiroshima city it was time for lunch. Sei gave us a couple of options, but there was no other choice for me than to sample Hiroshima’s famous Okonomiyaki. This is a strange combination of pancake, cabbage, noodles, egg and other fillings cooked on a large barbeque plate, teppanyaki style right in front of you. It was a fun experience and delicious. I added seafood to mine, while Jane had the “classic”. Sei, a 78 year old small man gobbled his up quickly, while Jane and I struggled to finish ours. We asked Sei to explain to our hosts that we enjoyed the food but were just too full to finish it.

Back on the bus to the Peace Memorial Park. Sei took us to all the significant monuments. Sei came to Hiroshima in 1965, twenty years after the bomb. He recounted that the city had been rebuilt about 80-90% by then. The Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome) was significant for me. A building that partially survived the blast so close to the detonation point. Again, it was a sombre reminder of what could happen to the world in the hands of madmen. Lucky there are no madmen in charge of nuclear weapons these days… phew!

The tour did include a visit to the Peace Memorial Museum, but as we had already did that, Sei took us to the Shukkeien Garden. Getting there involved riding on two trams. Finding the 280 yen fare proved frustrating. The garden nestled in the heart of the city, is a miniature Chinese style garden. It has stopped snowing and the sun was out and it was almost warm. As we strolled around the garden we reflected on the day’s activities and learnings. How lucky we are to be here and experiencing this. “Hats off” to you Hiroshima, turning something so horrible into something beautiful and inspiring.

Sei guided us back to the hotel (more “fare fumbles”) and we thanked him for a wonderful tour, despite our feet crying out in pain.

The next day we were back on the Shinkansen to Shizuoka. I had booked a Ryokan in a smaller city to contrast the big city hotel stays. A Ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn. I wanted to experience some traditional Japanese culture away from the frenzy of Tokyo and Osaka. Shizuoka is a smallish city on the way from Hiroshima to Tokyo. We changed trains in Kobe. After arriving at the Shizuoka Station we caught a suburban train to Mochimune, where our hosts from Nihon Iro picked us up.

What a contrast it was! The room was spectacular, unlike the hotel rooms we’d stayed previously. The bedroom was spacious, there was a kitchen and dining area and the bathroom had a large bath.

The receptionist suggested some things to do, so after unpacking we headed down the road via the stony beach. We stopped for an ice cream, before visiting the Mochimune Spa. This had a traditional Japanese Onsen. I’d wanted to try this as this uniquely Japanese experience, but I had read that they usually don’t allow people with tattoos to use the facilities. We tried out luck but was a hard “no” with the attendant gesturing the “no deal” arms crossed sign. On a positive note, the spa fronted onto the fishing harbour which afforded a spectacular view on Mt Fuji. The setting sun painted the mountain majestically with golden light. It was still too early for dinner, and we made our way back to the room, not before stopping to grab some drinks.

We were too tired to go out to find food, so we just had some cup noodles and snacks in the room. I ran the bath, and we soaked in there sipping our drinks.

The next morning, we had breakfast prepared for us in the room. What a treat this was. It was a traditional Japanese breakfast with local produce. This is included wild boar caught in the nearby mountains and locally caught fish.

After breakfast we checked out wishing that we could have stayed another night. But as this was the last day of our JR Pass we had to leave for Tokyo.

Back on the Shinkansen for the hour and a half trip back to hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Our hotel this time was in Shinbashi. It was a fair walk from Shinbashi station, so we decided to catch a taxi straight to the hotel, saving us the task of dragging our cases through the street. The taxi only took 10 minutes and cost 1500 yen ($16.50 AUD) – a good deal I thought, while Jane was frowning. The 1899 Hotel is a small boutique hotel with a tea theme. The room was very modern and continued the tea theme in the décor. Even the toiletries were green tea scented. This completed a clean sweep of hotels in our trip – all were excellent.

We walked into Ginza to explore the designer shops and grabbed dinner in the red light district in Shimbashi.

Our last day in Japan involved hunting for pasalubongs – gifts for people back home. We had an exhaustive list and it exhausted us. We travelled to Shibuya, back to Ginza and Tokyo station and clocked up the biggest step count of the trip. Fed up with Japanese food again, we opted for Italian and had a nice pizza and pasta at a restaurant close to our hotel. We packed our cases and retired early with aching feet. We had to be up early to catch the Narita Express to the airport for a 10am flight.

What a whirlwind trip this was. We crammed quite a lot into the 11 days. All very enjoyable and most fulfilling. We will return to Japan again the future. Next time perhaps hiring a car and exploring the hinterland staying in Ryodans. We both love the people, the culture and the natural beauty of Japan.

Japan 2025 Part 1: Tokyo & Osaka

Published on February 23, 2025March 1, 2025 by JellyfishKing2 Comments

When Green Day (American punk band) announced their Japanese tour dates Jane and I looked at each other and knew we were thinking the same thing. We must see God’s Favourite Band in Japan! We visited Japan in 2018 and loved it so much we’d always said we’ll go back. What better excuse to visit this weird and wonderful land again 7 years later?

Green Day were only performing four concerts in Japan. Two shows in Yokohama, one in Nagoya and one in Osaka. We quickly scanned airfares and saw Singapore airlines had quite reasonable fares to Tokyo (around $800 return). I managed to secure tickets to Green Day’s Osaka concert and we booked the Travel to Tokyo, knowing that we can easily travel by train to Osaka.

We had been to Osaka on the last trip, but only as a day excursion from Kyoto.

Soon after, Green Day announced their Australian tour dates. We were dismayed to see they omitted Perth from the tour. Jane and I looked at each other and said do we dare see them again in Syndey? Yes, we shall. We bought tickets for the Engie Stadium show and booked flights to Sydney immediately arriving home from Japan. I know what you’re thinking – madness. But as an aging band, it might be the last time Green Day embarks on a world tour.

Our fight on Singapore Airlines, via Singapore left at 1am and arrived Singapore 6.20am. We tried to get some sleep on the plane. The flight to Narita (Tokyo) left Singapore 9.20am and arrives 5.00pm. There’s one hour difference between Perth and Japan. Quite a long journey.

Narita airport is quite a way from Tokyo City and the best and fastest way to get into town is riding the Narita Express (NEx) train. This arrives at Tokyo Station which is perfect for our hotel. The Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi.

Tokyo Station is massive, and it took ages to find the right exit for the hotel. We eventually found the Nihonbashi Exit and the hotel was right outside. It took a little while to learn the reception was on the 27^th floor of the Sapia Building. Our room was on the 28th floor affording spectacular views east over the Shinkansen rail lines.

The room was small, but that’s expected of Japanese hotels. It was very clean (again expected) and modern. It was a challenge to find a resting spots for out two large suitcases. One the bed lay two sets of pyjamas – so civilised!

As it was only around 8pm, so we ventured outside to find somewhere to eat. It was bitterly cold (around 2 deg C) and we found ourselves back in the train station where there was plenty of eating options and much warmer! We had our first beer and Ramen for the trip. After a long and tiring day we were able to relax – it was good to be back in Japan.

The priority of the next day was to validate our JR Pass. I had bought this online via Klook. Buying the pass before you travel was a strong recommendation from all sources. As the previous night navigating our way around Tokyo Station proved frustrating. Even with the many information maps posted around the station it was still hard to get your bearings. We eventually found the JR Pass office and a nice attendant talked us through the process. She also booked our Shinkansen tickets for Osaka and Hiroshima trips – easy!

We settled in and had lunch at a nearby restaurant still in the station.

We decided that we can’t spend all our trip inside the Tokyo station, so we ventured out to visit some touristy spots. First stop was Harajuku. We walked down Takeshita Street which was much less crowded than when we visited in 2018. We ended up in the usually shaped building which seems to have no name, where Jane was on the hunt for Matcha ice cream. We found it in the food court on the 5^th floor. I ordered a black sesame ice cream, and we ate it on the terrace outside in the freezing cold like proper tourists.

We strolled around Harajuku and into the Yoyogi Park until our feet started to hurt. We decided head to Shinjuku for a rest (drink). We had a walking food tour booked, so we thought we’d better find the meeting place, then have a drink somewhere near and rest of feet. There were plenty of bars in the vicinity, but they all opened later in the evening. We settled for a restaurant that was promoting their “happy hour”. We ordered a couple of drinks and noticed the menu says we still had to order at least one food dish. With our food tour coming up we didn’t need full stomachs. We ordered some Sashimi, nonetheless. Jane struck up a conversation (in broken English) with a group of four Japanese gentlemen eating and drinking next to us. Jane was asking them about their food and the next thing they plonked one of their croquettes on Jane’s plate. We clinked our glasses and shouted Kanpai!

The walking food tour kicked off at 5.30 outside a Starbucks close to Shinjuku station. We were promised 13 dishes from four different restaurants in the area. We walked through the famous Izakaya alleyway Omoide Yokocho. This looked great and I was looking forward to sampling something from one of the tiny restaurants. But we emerged out the other side with empty stomachs. We proceeded onwards to four different restaurants with the guide, Shingo explained the dishes and their origins. There were quite a few drinks included too, which I didn’t expect. Sake tasters were the go for the first venue. The last venue was dessert, Taiyaki, which is like a custard filled waffle in the shape of a fish.

The food did all taste great and was plentiful. The other people on the tour were friendly and interesting, including a couple from Uruguay. I would describe the tour as “good”, as the food was nothing new to Jane and I. Shingo was nice and seemed knowledgeable about the food and its origins. I suspect the tour was aimed at first-time Japan tourists with little exposure to Japanese cuisine. I guess Jane and I are blessed with so many good Japanese restaurants in Perth.

Off to Osaka tomorrow!

We checked out early and made our way back into Tokyo Station to find our Shinkansen line and have breakfast. The JR Pass agent recommended a place to buy a bento box for the journey, but we couldn’t find it despite having a station map with her directions. We settled for some snacks from a convenience store. The train left on time (of course) and we were zooming through the Japanese countryside in no time. The JR Pass agent booked us seats on the right side of the train, so we’d have a great view passing Mt Fuji. The mountain really is spectacular.

We arrived at Shin-Osaka station three hours later and made our way to Osaka Station via a short train ride. We were shocked to find that Osaka station was even more complicated than Tokyo station. First there’s two “terminals” one for JR lines and the other for private lines. Our JR Pass allowed us free travel on the JR lines only. Knowing which was which was challenging. Secondly the station has two names – Osaka station and Umeda Station. If you didn’t know that it made it difficult to navigate as Osaka station sometimes didn’t appear on the map.

Getting to our hotel, however, proved easier than first thought. The Rihga Royal Hotel has a free shuttle bus from the station to the hotel. Once we found that, things became a lot easier.

The Rihga Royal is not located in a tourist area and not close to any train stations. I guess that’s the reason they run the shuttle buses. We checked in and found that the hotel is much grander than we expected. The room was very nice – again quite small.

We ventured back out to Osaka station via the shuttle and made our way to Dotonbori area. We’d been there before and knew there was plenty to see and eat and drink.

We woke late and decided to walk around the area around the hotel and find somewhere for breakfast. We found a lovely little restaurant called Yorozuan opposite the Nakanoshima Museum of Art. The staff didn’t speak much English but were very friendly and we somehow ended up with a delicious meal.

We decided to pay a visit to the museum too. There were two exhibitions. We decide on the “Space In-Between: Shizuko Yoshikawa and Josef Müller-Brockmann”. Shizoku specialised in painting colourful crosses and Josef, her husband designed advertising posters. Perhaps the other exhibition might have been more interesting.

Back to the Hotel to freshen up and get ready for the big concert. As we’d bought the tickets “internationally” we had to exchange a voucher at the venue – 30 minutes before the gates opened. We decided to get there quite early and scope the place out. Osaka-Jo Hall is right next to Osaka Castle so we could also catch a glimpse of it. We had an early dinner at a restaurant near the hall that specialised in Katsu Curry. The box office opened, and we procured our tickets easing my anxiety. We joined (pushed in) the massive line for merchandise and bought a couple of sweatshirts. We wore them straight away and it was a very cold day.

The concert was fantastic as expected. A Japanese punk bank, “Aburina Town” opened. A trio of girls gave a high energy and fun performance. Lyrics all in Japanese, but very enjoyable. Green Day came on stage at 7.30 on the dot and opened with “The American Dream is Killing Me”. They went on to play all of the Dookie album with a few later hits thrown in. They then went into American Idiot, playing most of the album. They finished at 9.30 on the dot and we couldn’t help thinking that they were strictly confined to that window. The last song was “Good Riddance”. The highlight for me was “Jesus of Suburbia”. There was less chit chat than previous concerts we’ve been to and very little swearing from Billie Joe. It will be interesting to compare this with the Sydney show next week. I suspect it will be longer and much more swearing. We got the train home with Jane constantly singing “… I am one of those melodramatic fools…”.

We had nothing planned for the next day, so we decided to go shopping downtown. It was Sunday and most of Osaka had the same idea. The place was packed. We found some respite in the basement of Daimaru, where we found a little bar. Jane had their Sake taster set and I had a couple of Japanese beers and a Okinawa Gin and tonic. We headed back to Dotonbori and had the famous Takoyaki on the street. That certainly hit the spot on a cold night. On the way home we found a nice-looking pub and topped up with a very amateurish pizza. You can’t win them all.