Mobile once again, we set out to meet up with friends in two parts of Japan. Near Hiroshima, we met up with Josh, a buddy from Cornell. Then, after finally catching a view of Mt. Fuji, we met up with Ryo, Carrie and their dog Luke, our workaway hosts from back in September.
Hiroshima is beautiful, modern, and full of life. We ate the local okonomiyaki for lunch, and wandered through the beautiful peace park on a cold but clear day. We paid our respects to the victims of the bomb as we wandered through the museum and visited the famous dome left standing under the epicenter of the atomic bomb dropped here sixty years ago. It’s hard to imagine this entire city flattened and on fire, but a general sentiment of optimism and hopefulness permeates the modern city. The city was rebuilt and came back stronger and more beautiful than ever. One of our favorite places was the Shukkein garden – it was peaceful, very masterfully curated, and we enjoyed the sun as we walked around the lake at the center.
The next day, our friend Josh picked us up in town and we caught a ferry to Ookunoshima – better known as the “rabbit island” to locals and tourists. The island was previously a chemical weapons testing facility. After the program ended, the island was abandoned and rabbits took over. As soon as we got off the ferry, rabbits charged toward us, knowing that we brought treats. We walked around the island, rabbit food and treats in hand and took in the unlimited cuteness.
The next day, we floated across the bay to Miyajima, home to the very iconic “floating” Tori. We visited the shrine and the cute town surrounding it. It would be cool to see it again at high tide.
We caught the shinkansen back to Nagoya, and headed to the famous Fuji five-lakes region. Our hotel was near the shores of kawaguchi lake. From the far side, we got stunning views of Mt. Fuji with its new coat of snow. It is such an iconic mountain – it’s not hard to believe how it became a symbol of Japan. For dinner, we had a dish I’ve never had before – pumpkin Hoto (kabocha hoto), a hearty pumpkin miso stew with thick noodles. It warms the body and soul.
On our way out of the area we wanted to say hi to our hosts from our September trip to Japan. We caught up, had a warm bowl of Udon for dinner, then Mel and I were off to Osaka to catch our flight to Hawaii.
Osaka was surprising. Its density is reminiscent of Tokyo but here food is king! We wandered through the massive covered market, sampling food. I found some childhood favorites, tako-yaki (a round ball of a delicious batter with octopus), mochi with fresh strawberry, and tasty curries. Feeling very satisfied, we went to the airport and took off to the USA!
Title photo: Just before sunrise on Kawaguchi-ko
