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The rain is slightly heavier as we climb up to the Daisho-in Temple, the walk including a long flight of steps. The temple is an historic complex with many temples and statues on Mount Misen, the holy mountain on the island. In the temple there is a flame which is said to have been burning since its foundation more than 1200 years ago. The temple area is very peaceful without the crowds of the waterfront and the Itsukushima shrine. The very many statues including a large number of small ones that are all bedecked with berets - mostly red, but some white. We then descend to the waterfront area passing a five-storey pagoda built in 1407

It is now raining heavily as we explore the main sights of Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, beginning at the Aoio Bridge over the Hankawa River (right), a T-shaped structure that is believed to have been the landmark used as a target for the dropping of the atom bomb on August 6th 1945. Near here is the A-Bomb Dome (left), the former Industrial Promotion Hall, its twisted girders, gaping holes, and piles of rubble a sober monument of the bombing of Hiroshima

From the A-Bomb Dome, we cross the river into the Peace Memorial Park proper, and walk through it to the Peace Memorial Museum. On the way, we visit the Peace Bell (right - which we are able to ring); the Memorial Mound that contains the ashes of thousands of people cremated here; the Children’s Peace Monument that depicts a child with outstretched hands (where we add our paper cranes to those already there); the Flame of Peace (which will only be extinguished when all nuclear weapons have been eliminated); and the Cenotaph erected in memory of the victims of the bombing. Near here, gardeners  are laying out large numbers of boxes containing colourful flowers

The centrepiece of the park is the Peace Memorial Museum which graphically explains the consequences of the bomb on the city as well as explaining how the atomic bomb was developed, and why it was used. A most informative and well laid out museum that also provides shelter from the rain. We leave the park at 4pm and are back at the hotel by 4:30pm. 
(left):
 
Children's Memorial
 
 
(right):
 
Cenotaph
The Granvia Hotel (right) is part of the railway station complex and, after showering, we walk to this complex to find somewhere to eat, pausing on the way to buy postcards illustrating the Bullet Train, and a souvenir pencil. In the restaurant area of the station complex we find a restaurant specialising in pasta, where Marilyn and Brian are already eating. After a short wait, we get their table and choose mushroom pasta (J), and chicken and asparagus pasta (D). The restaurant has a feature of providing ‘unlimited bread’ and we utilise this offer by frequently raising a sign that says “PLEASE”. A very enjoyable meal - after which we go back to the hotel and take the lift to the 21st floor to enjoy the views of the city
The Essence of Japan (continued)

Seeking somewhere to have something to eat, we decide to go into a branch of Starbucks. This proves a good choice as our names are written in Japanese on the coffee cup sleeves, providing us with excellent souvenirs. We have beef and mozzarella sandwiches with our coffee, and also get a free donut sample. There are plenty of shops in this area and we buy caramel cake, some chocolates, and a beautifully colourful screen for hanging in the verandah. We return to the mainland on the 1:10pm ferry and are back in the bus at 1:35pm. 

On our bus journeys today, Akiko has patiently tried to get us all to fold a paper square into the shape of a ’peace crane’ that we can leave at the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima. With much input from Akiko, we all complete our cranes by the time we reach Hiroshima at 2:20pm.

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