We were up and packed early – and for a change the sun was actually shining. Not that it has actually rained that much but it has been overcast most of the time we’ve been in Japan – so the sun was a nice change – until you actually step outside and experience the full brunt of it.
We dawdled over another great simple breakfast at Uno Port Inn and even went for a second excellent coffee. After having our photo taken outside (for their Facebook page or something) we walked over to the station and jumped on the local train for Chayamachi. The trip to Hiroshima required several train changes but eventually we boarded the crowded Shinkansen for Hiroshima. The trip was notable only for the return of Bento Box Boy – who consumed another beautifully packaged box of dubious looking brown stuff with rice.
Hiroshima station is brand new and shiny, but we only stayed long enough to find the correct “street car” – yep they still have trams in Hiroshima – and ride the 12 stops or so to our air bnb accommodation. Once again we were pleasantly surprised by the accommodation – it’s a second floor flat with at least 4 queen sized beds. It’s in pristine condition, everything’s shiny and new and it’s by far the largest space we have had since arriving in Japan. Of course our first priority was doing a shed load of washing, then it was out to go for a stroll around the city.
It turns out we are staying only about 300 metres from Peace Park and the so called “A-Bomb Dome” here in Hiroshima. The atomic bomb detonated a few hundred metres directly above the building and for reasons that I don’t quite understand (I guess you’d have to ask a physicist) the Dome building was one of the few buildings that wasn’t totally destroyed. It now stands as a ruined reminder of what happened back in 1945. It’s a grim site and a really effective symbol.
We decided to check out Peace Park and the associated Museum and monuments the next day and instead headed across the river into the city. The tourist information centre gave us a really good tip on how to acquire some tickets for the sold out baseball game between the Hiroshima Carps and the Tokyo Swallows scheduled for tomorrow night. Tickets in hand we wandered through the covered shopping streets (very similar to the shopping streets of Kyoto), but for me the highlight was making it to punk rock bar and record store Dumb Records. The bar/store was on the 4th floor, classic punk music was playing, the beer was super cold (a rarity in Japan) and the vinyl was cool. I bought a local 45 (limited edition – 200 only – yes!) and Lou and I chatted for a while with the owner and one of the other dudes hanging at the bar. They gave us a few tips for record shops to visit in Tokyo when we return – so friendly, so cool. We promised to give the vinyl a spin on air back in Hobart.
For dinner that night we were determined to try the local version of okonomyaki (a kind of Japanese savoury pancake). They call it Hiroshima-maki – and it’s made with noodles as a base instead of potato. We were told that Okononomi-Mura was the place to go for this. It was basically three separate floors, each with at least 10 separate shopfronts all making their own versions of okonomyaki. Selecting the “right” stall was difficult so we just chose the one that was the most crowded. It was a bit touristy but still lots of fun. Our stall was run by two women, an older women and her daughter – and we were more than happy with our choice. The okonomyaki is made in front of you on a large flat hotplate and the chef layers the ingredients up one on top of the other. First the “pancake” then sliced cabbage, thinly sliced pork, bamboo shoots, various spices etc. The noodles are steamed and then thrown onto the hotplate to grill along with a lightly beaten egg. This all goes crispy, it all piled up together and flipped a few times before being served with fresh spring onions and okonomyaki sauce – which is a little like bbq sauce. Then you just help your self straight from the grill. Soooo good!
Then a stroll through the quiet city streets, past the A-Bomb Dome lit up brightly in the drizzle and home to sleep.
flyeelookee 