Hiroshima/ Kyoto Adventuring

Regrets from the trip? Initially food stuff comes to mind Didn't get to eat or buy the white daikon no osukemono. Didn't eat as much of the more regional food options as I had the ability to, didn't stuff myself with . . . etc. But also only really visited the places on the schedule, didn't do a lot of wandering by myself, didn't stay an extra day in Kyoto, didn't get to go in the fall (which could in no way work so . . .) , mainly visited the big places and so didn't find any wonderful hidey holes etc.

Impressions of Hiroshima; expectations of visit were, oh, dominated by the association of the city with the atomic bomb and this made me feel strange about touristing there. There's a lot more to the city than the past, no matter how much care and attention is paid to preserving the memories and using them to try to protect the future. I forgot to remind myself that it is also a prosperous (or so I thought) city full of people living normal lives, focused on their next step and spending their energy on living, not just remembering. I think that Hiroshima is a beautiful place and I wish I'd had more time to spend there by myself but unfortunately, at this point in time, that's not possible. There's a lot more there than the ゲンバクドーム and unique お好み焼き,

And there's a lot more to Kyoto than temples and shrines. But I don't have much of an impression of that other stuff because we seemed to spend most of our time in touristy spots. And in Kyoto, touristy spots are dominated by temples and shrines. I think that I'll be heading back that way in December when my parents come to Japan with my being here already as a persuasion tactic to get my father to actually take a trip. I'd like to wander off the beaten path a little then but the cold will probably do much to dissuade me.

I wish we had been able to go to Kyoto in the fall because my favorite places were all nature heavy where I kind of forgot that it was actually a temple or a shrine I was visiting. I know Kyoto's famous for great gardens and landscapes but it was different seeing it and I know from pictures that it is absolutely beautiful in the fall. I think Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji in particular would look awesome in the fall.

All in all, it was a great trip. I'd probably do some things differently if I had a chance at a do-over but I had a lot of fun, saw a lot of beautiful and fascinating things, and only got sunburned once! Also, the day in Miyajima was splendid.