HIROSHIMA & MT FUJI

I don’t think any Aussie could go to Japan and not go to Hiroshima. If you haven’t been there then you really don’t know what the consequences of nuclear weapons really are. Anyway we arrived in Hiroshima and walked from the station to our hotel and for the first time we were upgraded. I don’t really believe the upgrade thing. Our room on the top floor was great. We could see the whole of Hiroshima castle and back into the hills beyond.

Hiroshima Castle and surrounds from our hotel room. Word is that the
moat is the most impressive thing about the castle.

After settling in we set out to explore the iconic precinct around the dome. 

On our way to the dome we passed this hotel, featuring the iconic origami cranes which have become synonymous with the message of peace which has come as a consequence of the bomb.

First stop was the dome itself then we slowly worked our way through the Children’s Peace Monument, the Flame of Peace and the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims, to the Peace Memorial Museum. 

The Childrens' Peace Monument features thousands of paper cranes sent from all over the world. This is just one of several structures housing the cranes.

When we arrived at the Childrens' Monument there was a school choir singing.

 

At the flame of peace the central stone chest holds more than
290,000 names of those who lost their lives to the bomb.

The following link has lots of information about the precinct: http://visithiroshima.net/world_heritage/20th/a_bomb_dome/

It would be impossible to visit the museum and not shed a tear. The stories told about every-day people  who were killed when the bomb was dropped really reinforce the senselessness of violent conflict. After visiting the Hiroshima Memorials, it is hard not to feel a deep sense of sadness at the cruelties man inflicts upon his fellow man.

This display of clothing in the museum is all that remains of some victims of the bomb.

The Memorial Tower to the Mobilised Students. Many school students were
killed by the bomb while clearing debris from previously bombed buildings.

Next morning we were up really early to catch our train to Lake Kawaguchiko, where we would spend two days exploring the lakes adjacent to Mt Fujiyama. From the station at Kawaguchiko, it was really easy to jump on a bus which took us to within 500 metres of our accommodation at Lakeside Inn Weekend Shuffle, which was only 50 metres across the road from the lake. We had to catch a private train on the last leg of our journey, so our JR Pass was not able to be used on this stretch. It was relatively easy though to catch this alternate train. Of course we were really excited when we caught our first sight of the mountain from the train, but once we got to the lake, we realised that there were endless opportunities to photograph the mountain.

The man-hole covers here were probably the prettiest we saw.

For dinner that night we decided to walk the short distance through rice paddies and houses to a little restaurant where we were treated to one of the nicest meals we had in all of our trip and it was probably the best value as well. It was a tiny little restaurant in a private house, recommended by Tepe at our B&B. The meal was huge and cost next to nothing.

These ingenious little machines are used to plant rice in the paddies.

Probably the easiest way to get around in the Mt Fuji area is by bus. It was a short walk from our B&B to the bus stops and you can buy a full day pass which allows unlimited travel around the three lakes in the area. It can be a bit confusing because there are three different routes, which take you to various areas. Click on the following link to learn more: http://bus-en.fujikyu.co.jp/heritage-tour/detail/id/1/

We bought a one day pass and jumped on the first bus going past our hotel heading west to the end of the line at Oishi Park. From here there are lovely views of Mt Fuji across the lake as well as a beautiful garden featuring seasonal flowers. There is always some colour here and if you are there at the right time you will see large beds of lavender. We were a bit late for that but it was still lovely and the views of Mt Fuji were beautiful.

After Oishi Park we jumped back on the red bus and rode it back to a stop where we could change to the green bus which would take us across to the next lake, Lake Saiko. The drive around the lake was really scenic and we were surprised at how many people had set up their tents at the campsite beside the lake. There are lots of different tourist attractions all around the lakes up here and it is a good idea to sit down and plan where you want to get off and on. There are some loops which only go one way so you need to check you are jumping on the right bus. We managed to get on one going the wrong way but it was no drama to get off and wait for the next one going in the opposite direction.

At the north-western end of Lake Saikp is the heritage village called Saiko 'Iyashi no sato Nenba. It is a reconstructed ancient village netled at the end of a steep valley. Several years ago most of the village was destroyed by a landslide after heavy rains. It has since been rebuilt.

This is the fire bell. Only problem is you have to climb up the ladder
and grab the hammer at right before you can ring the bell.

Once again, the fish are used to help protect the buildings from fire.

Fuji looked different from this side. There was less snow visible.
We noticed a reduction of snow too when comparing these photos
with the ones we took from Tokyo airport when we arrived.

A stroll through the village gives you a good insight into how people lived in earlier times. There is also an eclectic collection of crafts produced in the buildings which you can purchase and you can also dress up in traditional costume. Near the carpark there are several food outlets so this is a good place to be around lunchtime.

We encountered the mischievous fox-god here too only this time he was real.
Couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor little bugger.

After a small glitch with the buses we next travelled a little further west to the Saiko Wild Bird Forest Park. While the park itself is very small by Aussie standards, the man who runs the park is passionate about birds and his display of photographs is quite beautiful. We took a quick stroll through the surrounding parklands before jumping back on the bus and heading back to our B&B. If you wanted to spend more time in this area there are plenty of other things to do. We really enjoyed our stay at Weekend Shuffle because it is located in a quieter area where we could take a stroll around the quiet backstreets.

Our host, Tepe, drove us to the local bus stop next morning so that we could catch a cheaper bus to the rail station. We were able to just tap our Suica card to pay the fare. We were now on our way to Tokyo, the last stop on our trip.