Hello and welcome again to the mrlukeniktravels blog. It’s Monday so time for another update. I am writing this in the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The past week has been very busy travelling across a small part of the country. After leaving Kyoto, I have travelled to Osaka and then here to Hiroshima. It has been fascinating exploring some of this country.
As I mentioned last week, Kyoto is the traditional capital of Japan so there are many temples, castles and palaces to take in. However, as the former capital, Kyoto is not the place to find samurai and shoguns. These areas are to the north and south where those legends reside. Japanese castles and temples are also prone to fire and many of them have been burned down and rebuilt numerous times. Lightning strikes, numerous wars and sieges led to short lifespan of these buildings. Thankfully these sites are now fitted with lightning conductors so hopefully they will remain standing for many years.
The path leading up the mountain to the Fushimi Inari shrine near Kyoto.
When reaching Osaka, food experiences became the priority as the city is famous for it. There is even a word Osakans use, Kuidaore, which means to eat yourself poor. With so many dishes and specialities that is not a difficult task. One of the most famous dish from Osaka is Takoyaki. This is Tempura-battered octopus with chunks with pickled ginger and green onions. The look is similar to an onion bhajj, but is a golf ball-sized snack. There is nothing better than picking up this tasty snack from a street vendor whilst browsing the numerous shopping streets. It is also a reminder that, contrary to the belief of those who have not visited, not all Japanese food is healthy! Fried chicken is another example of this. A second speciality of Osaka is Kobe beef, but to be honest, the expense meant that I didn’t try it. Wagu is Japanese beef of which Kobe beef is a type of cut. Perhaps in the future I will get to try this Japanese institution.
The googley eyes makes this guy particularly appetising….
Leaving Osaka, I travelled down via Shinkansen to Hiroshima. The city is, of course, famous for the atom bomb dropped during the Second World War. It is truly amazing to think the city was almost levelled to the ground just over 70 years ago. Unfortunately the main museum was closed for re-development and earthquake-proofing. The surrounding Peace Park is very beautiful and includes a number of memorials and a rose garden. One of the standout aspects is the A-bomb dome. This building was originally a commercial exhibition space and one of few buildings to remain standing after the blast. It is now a preserved monument to the events of the 6th August 1945.
The a-bomb dome in the darkness.
On of the pleasures of spending time in Japan is, as native speaker of the language, the English on offer here. In common with other Asian countries there is lots of English around, but not much local proficiency in speaking the language. In Japan using written English advertising is seen as being helpful for business. However, in general, most people do not really speak English or have much interest in doing so. This leads to some interesting names and translations which are often very literal. There are so many examples for me to mention here, but there are some good ones out there!
So that is it for this week’s bulletin, I hope that this brought you up to date. As I always say, between this week and next there is my Twitter account @mrlukeniktravel for more regular titbits. Or for picture updates there is my Instagram account @mrlukeniktravels. I shall be back next week, sadly not from Japan. I shall be flying south in a few days for my first ever foray into the southern hemisphere! Auckland, New Zealand and spring-time beckons. From now until then, stay safe and travel on!
The peace monument in the centre of the Peace Park, Hiroshima.