Kyoto -> Hiroshima -> Tokyo

We left Kyoto on the bullet train and arrived at Hiroshima. We checked into the hotel and immediately hopped on a bus to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The museum is all about the atomic bombing that occurred in World War II and largely focuses on the victims that were living in the area at the time. There are few words to describe this museum... an absolutely heartbreaking experience reading about all the lives lost and impacted by the atomic bomb. After we completed the museum, we walked around the Peace Memorial Park to observe the memorials, statues, and monuments. You are also able to see the Atomic Bomb Dome which is the preserved ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The dome was almost directly below where the explosion took place. I do believe this should be at the top of the list on a visit to Japan; it allowed us to gain more perspective on one of the many devastating things that occurred during World War II.

Hiroshima is known for the Japanese dish of Okonomiyaki. It is a savory pancake that is cooked on an iron griddle, similar to the one you would see at a Hibachi restaurant. They serve it to you on the griddle and give you a mini metal spatula to cut it up and eat it. We all really enjoyed it. We stuck around to watch the end of the Hiroshima Carps game (baseball team) on the TV and ended up getting to talk with the owner of the restaurant a bit (of course with Kenta as our translator.) Finished the night with a little Karaoke, then headed back to the hotel.

The next day, we woke up, ate breakfast, then headed out on a train and ferry to the island of Itsukushima. This island is where you can see the famous shrine and "floating" tori gate. The island had lots of shops and food and the shrine was gorgeous. Glad we made the trek out there even with limited time in Hiroshima. When we got back, we began our 5 hour journey back to Tokyo on the bullet trains! It was pretty smooth sailing and we arrived at our hotel around dinner time. We decided on Japanese BBQ for dinner since we had yet to try it and luckily there was a nice place close by. The meat was delicious and we learned after that the place only serves A5 Wagyu.... I will miss Japanese food and prices thoroughly!

Our flight wasn't until 4 pm, so with our suitcases in hand, we decided to venture out to the Tsukiji fish market. There were tight streets which made it tough for us to explore, but we made it work and eventually found a revolving sushi bar to sit at and have brunch. We walked to a park after and then decided it was time to head to the airport.

We absolutely could not have done this trip without Kenta!! He answered almost all of our historical and cultural questions about Japan, navigated us through streets and from city to city, and knew all the best spots to go to. What a way to end our travels- an incredible country with some incredible friends!