The Wandering Age

Day 6 – Miyajima and Hiroshima

June 29, 2006 at 11:00 pm (Japan)

The next morning I woke up pretty early and headed out to the ferry, which was right across from the train station. The ferry is also run by JR and it was one of the few others things I could ride for free, so I just hopped on as it was getting ready to head out. I went up to the top of the boat and the ride over was very nice. It was of course and extremely hot and humid day but the sea breeze felt good. I was beside a group of Japanese schoolgirls on the boat and listened to them talk without them knowing I could understand. I couldn’t hear everything though. They seemed pretty nice and I thought about talking to them and maybe hooking up with them to visit the island. They said they were eating when they first got there and I hadn’t eaten in 36 hours or so (just too much to do to stop and eat), so I thought that was a good idea. I ended up not talking to them though; I think I was still too shy (hadn’t yet convinced myself to do whatever’s the most interesting since I’m in Japan). Also, I was worried about trying to keep up with three schoolgirl friends talking; it would be rough.

You could see the otorii on the way in. That’s the giant gate in the water that you see in a lot of pictures. It’s pretty interesting, I don’t think they even carved its main posts; they’re just giant tree trunks stuck in the ground. Anyway, when I got off of the ferry, I pretty much just followed everyone else. I still hadn’t decided what I actually wanted to do on Miyajima. It’s got very natural and very touristy things on it. There’s a whole tourist trip village, an aquarium, a lots of parks and hiking trails, etc. Some of the hiking trails are actual hardcore hikes that would take a few days to finish. One of them had been destroyed recently in a typhoon and a helicopter was carrying giant logs up the mountain for rebuilding the trail. That made me wonder about how the people built it earlier without helicopters.

First I went to Itsukushima Shrine which is the shrine behind the otorii. It’s a very different style than most since it’s sort of a shrine and a pier. Parts of it were being repainted so I could get to it all. It also had an inner part with decorations and such. Nearby there’s also a really nice bridge but it was closed off when I was there (or maybe it’s permanent now because it’s old). After that, I walked through most of the tourist village looking for a cheap place to eat (most was pretty expensive and not nearly as much food as I needed), but I couldn’t find anything so I just kept going. When I was wandering around where there weren’t many people I found this weird super steep path up the side of a hill so I followed it to see where it went. I don’t think people go up there often anymore, it was completely overgrown and had lots of spiderwebs, but eventually I ended up on a peak looking out over the village and the bay. It was a nice little find. I crawled back down and looked at a few small shrines and parks before heading back to the touristy part where I came in.

I figured if I was going to be climbing a mountain I should probably get something to eat since I hadn’t eaten that day or the previous day. I kept looking and eventually I found the perfect spot. It was a little noodle shop right on the ocean. The prices looked good and I figured the udon would fill me up pretty well so I went in and it was the typical little restaurant with one guy and no customers. That might be the most I’ve ever eaten. I expected a bowl of udon, but I got an entire pot that looked like it was meant to serve four. It also tasted great and the guy showed me the extra accessories and flavorings to put in it. It was incredibly hot though, and combined with how hot I already was, it was pretty brutal. That was my most satisfying meal ever though, and it got me up the mountain and covered me for another day or two.

After lunch, I looked at a few of the bigger shrines there, but I couldn’t go in or anything. I started to get the impression, most Japanese don’t go there for the shrines or anything, but for a modern beachy retreat with fancy food and the aquarium and such. Eventually I decided there wasn’t much to do on the bottom so I headed for the main mountain. there were some cute signs saying how far it was to the ropeway. It said it was 8 minutes walking or 6 “if you run a little.” (It wasn’t Engrish, the Japanese said the exact same thing). This was another place I’d love to see in the fall, but then there are lots of those. I eventually made it to the ropeway and it was pretty expensive but I decided to go up anyway. This was one time it felt a little awkward being on my own. I road up in my own trolley which was a little lonely because it would be a fun chance to point out things and chat with friends. Also this is when I realized any pictures with me in them from now on would be the old arm length self-shots. Actually I have a picture I took of myself in the trolley and you can see a little Engrish behind me.

When you get halfway up, you have to switch to another cart that’s bigger and only goes every now and then; luckily I got there right about when it was leaving. It was neat to see all the mountainous islands around me. I don’t think I had ever seen a landscape like that before. I’d seen beaches and I’ve seen mountains, but never together like this. It has a very tropical island feel except not that kind of vegetation really. Also I wish it was less foggy when I was there. When I got to the top I saw all the signs warning me about the monkeys. It’s supposed to be mandatory to leave any bags in some free lockers because the monkeys will steal anything. They also warn you not to look them in the eye or feed them because, “They do not hope to be such a monkey” (fat I guess). The monkeys were just sitting around looking about like I do in that kind of heat. One was nursing her baby which was really cute. I also got a nice nature channel shot of a lizard catching a big centipede. I don’t remember which I saw first, but I heard some movement and saw them both moving slowly, trying to figure the other one out. I guess I should have taken a movie, because it was pretty cool when the lizard got him. Then the centipede kept trying to get away while the lizard would threw him back and swallow more.

There are actually two peaks to Misen (the mountain I was on) and the ropeway takes you to the lower one so I started walking to the other. I have a picture of each peak from the other. It’s actually a pretty long walk and a little dangerous in some parts. I also kept hearing animals noises that I’d never heard before which is pretty interesting. I still don’t know what they were ’cause I knew the monkey sound and it wasn’t them.

Eventually I got to the top and there was a little building where you could rest and buy food or drink inside or go up on the roof for the highest view on the island. I wanted some of that tasty Japanese tea bad, and I was ready to pay whatever they were going to gouge me for, but this was my first experience with how the Japanese don’t price gouge. The drinks were the exact same price on top of the mountain as in a train station, which is amazing considering they had to transport it up there somehow even if they don’t want to gouge. So I bought myself a tea and went upstairs to take pictures. There were maps naming all the islands around me and it was a great view, but again, visibility wasn’t very good. I stayed awhile taking in the atmosphere and resting before I headed back.

I headed back about the same time as a British guy and his dad and it was weird to just walk near them listening to them talk so I started talking to them. The guy was in Japan teaching English and his dad was just visiting. They were pretty nice and we talked a lot on the way back. This was my first time using English since I’d been in Japan and it was pretty weird. We also saw some monkeys playing in the trees and running in front of us on the path. I took the ropeway back down to the bottom of the mountain and tried to decide what to do next. It was too early in the day (3:00) to go back to the hostel, but I didn’t know what else I could do on the island without a lot more time. My plan had been to go to Hiroshima the next day on the way out, but I decided I could probably make it there now and stay there until later at night. On the way back to the ferry I saw my first tanuki (I think). I had heard of tanuki before (Mario once had a tanuki suit, tanuki let you save in Mystical Ninja, etc.) and I knew the legends of them but I had no idea they were real, so I was pretty shocked to see one. He was just standing in the middle of the road and let me get really close to take pictures. Later since I knew tanuki were real, I looked them up and the thing I saw actually looks a bit different so I have no idea what it was. I have a picture so if anyone knows, please tell me.

I had to run back to catch the ferry that was leaving and I made it just in time (after running a really long way to get around construction). After I made it back I just crossed the street and hopped on the train to Hiroshima. I didn’t bring my Hiroshima maps since I didn’t know I was going there so I picked up some new ones in the station. A popular way to get around Hiroshima even today is on cable cars. After World War II, a lot of European countries were phasing out their cable car systems, so they donated them to Hiroshima for the reconstruction and they still use them today. That’s how most people get from the station to the Atomic Bomb Dome (it’s about a mile and a half), but I decided to walk so I could see the city.

I really liked the look and feel of Hiroshima. It felt very modern and lively, but more personal than Tokyo. Everything feels pretty new, but that’s not just because of the bombing; most Japanese cities had to be built from scratch after the war, but others still feel older. There were nice shopping and entertainment areas and things seemed upscale but not super expensive. One street I couldn’t cross and I realized I was supposed to go underground so I did and I found I had been walking on top of a giant underground mall. A lot of Japanese cities are like that. There are stairs going underground on every corner and they either go to a mall or a subway.

Eventually I got to the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorials and Museums. The Atomic Bomb Dome is a building that was originally some sort of public services building. As the war intensified, it was taken oven for military use, and it just so happened to be a few meters (horizontally) from ground zero. Since the blast was almost directly overhead, the force only pressed down on the walls and didn’t knock them over like everything else in the city. Later it was decided to leave the building up as a reminder. There are also lots of memorials nearby for peace, for children killed or poisoned by the blast, for nuclear disarmament, etc. I didn’t go in the museum since it was closing soon and also I didn’t really want to. The dome was what I’d rather see anyway. Oh, also I saw a little sparrow drinking from the fountain near one of the peace memorials and I thought about it reminded me of Charlie who was probably asleep back home.

I think I wrote a bit about this in my original blog, but it affected me a lot more than I expected. I won’t say too much about it, but I’m glad I was there alone (not with other Japanese or Americans). It gave me a chance to think about a lot of things myself which is what I hoped for more of on this trip but usually I was too busy planning, seeing, and doing, and I didn’t get much time to really reflect on things. I spent awhile around the dome and memorials just thinking about things in general, not just about Hiroshima; it was a very nice area around there and I just took some time to reflect on my trip.

When it started to get a little late, I headed back in the direction of the station, but I planned to stop by to see anything interesting on the way or if I found any internet cafes. The first place I stopped, was DeoDeo, a massive eight-story electronics store (sorta like Best Buy but much cooler and wider variety). I just wandered around looking at all the neat Japanese toys and such for awhile. They have so many more videogames over there it’s insane. They also cost a lot more for some reason; I guess it’s just market differences since most are made over there anyway. You can also try out anything you want in a Japanese store and there’s usually a sample set up for you to try. There was an old many shaving with a $200 electric razor and he told me he always goes there to shave and offered it to me when he was done. It looked pretty nice, but I didn’t really wanna try a public razor. Then I found the awesome massage chair section. They had a huge selection of massage chairs that cost thousands of dollars and every one is out for you to try. I had been walking so much and carrying my heavy backpack a lot so I thought a massage would be nice and it was amazing. You straight things around your feet, arms, and legs so it can get all sides and that thing shows no mercy. It hurt so bad, but it loosened me up a lot. I also found out the newest home exercise craze in Japan is this rodeo thing. You sit on this saddle which bucks all over and you hold on which strengthens your core muscles while looking hilarious.

After DeoDeo, I went to a shopping and entertainment area which was pretty cool and wandered around for a bit. At one point I saw lots of people walking into this one building so I figured it must be interesting and followed. But as soon as the inside door opened I realized that was a mistake. It was a pachinko (like pinball gambling) parlor, and it was the loudest place you could imagine. As soon as the inside door cracked open I could feel the wall of noise physically hit me. It’s hundreds of gambling machines which make the most annoying noises cranked up as loud as they will go. I don’t understand how people could actually go inside that place and stay. Anyway, I asked a few people if there was an internet cafe around and I finally found one. This started my chain of internet cafe memberships across the country. I found out they don’t have plain old internet cafes anymore, only manga cafes, which have internet but also have access to any comics, movies, books, videogames, or music you might want. It’s like a pop media library you pay for by the hour and you get your own private room to do whatever. I always asked if I could just have internet but I always had to pay the full rate which wasn’t too cheap. Also some other Americans came in after me and were trying to get some internet time but didn’t understand they had to fill out a membership card. I hadn’t gone to my booth yet so I translated for them and the clerk. He asked if I knew them, ’cause you know, all white guys know each other. I spent some time in there and caught up with friends and family for the first time since I’d been in Japan and when it started to get late I headed out.

The problem was it had gotten later than I thought and started raining and it looked like it was about to switch from raining to dumping buckets of water, so I half walked half ran back to the station and made it in time so all my goods didn’t get soaked (it was nice day earlier so I didn’t have my umbrella). When I got back to the hostel there was another guy there, an older Canadian who traveled for his job and piggybacked personal world travel on top of it. He was like most other travelers I ended up meeting; pretty good at getting himself around but horrible at anything Japanese (you’ll see what I mean when he crops up again in a later story). I talked to him for a bit about different places to see and taught him some Japanese. He gave me the name of a really nice hostel in Kyoto (in case I ended up back there one night) and the place I ended up staying when I went to Tokyo (before school). After that I went to bed and tried to decide what to do the next day, because this was as far as I had planned in my trip. I was pretty tired so I decided to go to Okayama in the morning and decide what to do after Okayama on the train on the way there.