Discoveries from around the archipelago
It's always a happy day when a book arrives in the mail. My doorbell rang the other morning with one of Tuttle Publishing's latest offerings, The Peace Tree from Hiroshima. While we've just missed the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and the end of World War II, the message in this book never goes... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I posted my own wishlist of places I hope to hit this year on my travels. But the longer I am here, the more "obscure" my list admittedly becomes. Of course, I want to return to Hakone or soak up the atmosphere of Kyoto in autumn. But I'm also just as thrilled... Continue Reading →
When in Rome, pizza is a must. And when in Hiroshima, you can't miss out on the local specialty of okonomiyaki. While you can find this "Japanese pancake" nearly everywhere in Japan now, the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka are known for their top quality okonomiyaki and it's always good to try it at the source.... Continue Reading →
Do you ever have those days were the weather is perfect, the light is perfect, and nothing can mess with your travel mojo? My husband had a work commitment in Iwakuni in the middle of October so - along with our daughter - we drove the four hours up to Hiroshima prefecture for what essentially... Continue Reading →
It seems fitting that I review a book this month that deals with a hibakusha, or survivor of the atomic bomb. On August 6th and 9th, Hiroshima and Nagasaki marked the 69th anniversary of the atomic bomb drops. (Interestingly enough, just a few weeks prior, the last survivor member of the Enola Gay - the plane that... Continue Reading →
Miyajima is one of those places that you may not have heard of but you absolutely recognize from the pictures. Here you go - look familiar? This floating torii gate is one of the top 3 most famous views of Japan. What most people don't realize is that the torii gate is merely the massive... Continue Reading →
In case you missed it, one of this month's posts was a Crash Course on ryokan. The first year I lived in Japan, my husband and I loved to head out from Tokyo and explore the countryside. Not wanting to just have the same humdrum experience time and again of staying in a hotel, we... Continue Reading →
The Hiroshima Peace Museum is a worthwhile visit in its own right but for me, the most moving moment of my visit there a few years ago was the chance to listen to a hibakusha tell his story. Hibakusha is the Japanese word for those who survived the atomic bombing of either Hiroshima or Nagasaki... Continue Reading →
Sixty-seven years ago on August 6th, the city of Hiroshima, Japan, woke up to a day that seemed like any other. By 8:15am, however, the unthinkable had occurred and Hiroshima's residents became the victims of the world's first atomic bombing. Whatever your beliefs on the motive behind the bombing (was it necessary? was it overkill?... Continue Reading →
