Sight Seeing in Hiroshima!

A Free Day in Hiroshima

After our presentations were finished, we enjoyed a day to ourselves to explore around the city! We started the day at the “One Coin Bakery.” Delicious pastries for only a dollar?! Sold! Then on to castle number two! It was a bit of a walk, and through the hot sun, but we saw a lot along the way, enjoyed conversation, and finally found the castle.

The architecture is stunning and I was amazed every time I approached a building with this kind of structure.

After enjoying the castle, and sitting in the shade with some ice cream, we got up to make our way to a garden that was recommended by a local during our walk. Along the way, we stopped in what looked like an art gallery, both to see what was inside, but also to take a break from the heat. However, when we walked in, we found out that this was a “Project for Peace.” The two women inside had just graduated from an art school and were encouraging others to create art to bring peace, during the anniversary of the Atomic Bomb. We ended up staying for about an hour and a half and had the best time with some spontaneous arts and crafts (we didn’t end up going to the garden)!

Then, it was time for lunch and a visit to the Cat Cafe! We were all very excited to spend some time with these fluffy critters and watch them chase feathers on sticks. A little girl had given the cats some tasty treats, and it was like a soft footed stampede!

We finished the day with a ferry ride to Miyajima Island to visit the Floating Shrine – Istukushima Shrine. We arrived on the later side, so most of the shops were closing, but we saw the Shrine at sunset, and it was incredible. The light was hitting it just right, with beams shooting down through the clouds, and once the sun had finally set, the shrine was lit up from below, and glowed on top of the water.