Hiroshima in One Day: /11:50 JR Miyajima Ferry — Guide miki

Title: What Is a Private Miyajima and Hiroshima Peace Park Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

Before the tour, it was difficult to get in touch with the guests, and I apologize for the trouble this caused, but today I was again able to spend an enjoyable and meaningful time with the guests.

The weather was fine and the temperature felt just right. At each place we visited, I asked about the guests' wishes and did my best to carry out the tour in a way that fulfilled them as much as possible. The guests said they wanted to buy made-in-Japan items from Miyajima, and at a momiji manju shop they purchased a set of chopsticks and a rice scoop (shamoji) for about 2,000 yen. At another shop they also bought a made-in-Japan rice scoop and seemed very satisfied. One of the guests apparently likes the color red very much, and at a chopstick shop bought red chopsticks. Although the length was of the smaller size, they still had their own name engraved on the red chopsticks.

On the day, at first the guests said they wanted to eat a Hiroshima specialty at a restaurant, but the island was extremely crowded with school trip students and others, so getting a seat looked difficult. One of the guests said they wanted to eat oyster dishes, so as an alternative I suggested trying oysters and other items sold at storefronts as street food. The guests were worried that eating while walking might be a breach of etiquette, but I explained that in Miyajima it is currently fine as long as you are careful of passersby and do not enter a shop while holding food. We bought oysters at a storefront, and a person sitting on a bench cried out. It seems a deer had approached while they were about to eat ice cream. We had also planned to eat our oysters on a bench, but a deer suddenly appeared, drawn by the sound of the plastic bag I was carrying for trash and by the smell of the oysters, so we ended up standing to eat the oysters. (See attached photo.) The guests said they were surprised at how delicious the oysters were, and told me, "Thank you for bringing us to this shop!" The guests were very cheerful, and everywhere we went they said things like, "Thank you for bringing us here," and "Thank you for introducing us to this shop." [Regarding feeding deer: OK in Nara, NG in Hiroshima] In Nara, deer crackers are sold, but in Hiroshima feeding the deer is currently prohibited. When I was a child, deer crackers were sold in Miyajima, and dried corn as feed for pigeons was sold at Peace Park. Neither is sold anymore. Also, deer dying from eating plastic has been in the news in both Nara and Hiroshima, so if a deer looks like it is about to eat plastic, I get the guests' consent and approach the deer to take the plastic away from it.

The day before the tour, the guests said they wanted to take the World Heritage Sea Route, but same-day web reservations were not possible. After arriving on the island, we went to the counter on the day, and although I was worried since it was the autumn sightseeing season, there were seats available. However, when boarding from Miyajima it was more crowded than ever, so I was really glad we were able to get seats. The boat was full, and there was a group talking loudly. The guests remarked, "In such a crowded place it's easy to catch germs, so you're doing the right thing wearing a mask and mouth shield." The tide level today was very high, and when passing under the lowest bridge on the way from Miyajima to Peace Park, the boat came closer than usual to the bridge girder, and the guests found it thrilling and enjoyable.

[The guests' reaction after visiting the Atomic Bomb Museum] After visiting the Atomic Bomb Museum, the guests said they felt very sad. They also earnestly stated that the leaders of nuclear-armed nations should come here and feel the horror of possessing and using nuclear weapons. In May 2023, the G7 Summit was held in Hiroshima, and world leaders visited the Atomic Bomb Museum, but according to the news, some reportedly said they "did not want to see such tragic photos," so it is unclear exactly which exhibits they viewed and how. Judging from the live footage, the shortest visit by one country was about 30 minutes. During that time it is unclear whether those who entered first were viewing the exhibits or waiting somewhere for the last leader to arrive. There was also a news report that some leaders returned to visit the museum privately on a separate day.

Click here for more details: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide

Tour Report by miki

Dear guests,
Hello! My name is Miki. I was born and brought up in Hiroshima. I enjoy traveling around Inland Sea areas and I enjoy chatting with guests from overseas!

In Hiroshima, you can see many beautiful rivers and old bridges. Lately, I often take photos of Hiroshima city including bridges and rivers. There are not many tall buildings here, but I know some places you can visit and see the view for free. By the atomic bomb dome, there is a building called Orizuru(paper crane) Tower. You need to pay to go up to the top floor but you can see the view of Hiroshima city and the Miyajima Island(Itsukushima).

Many tourists from overseas as well as Japan want to visit Miyajima Island. You can see a beautiful shrine from Heian Period which is around 12th century and a huge Torii gate in front of the shrine and it is in the water. There are several ways to visit the island from Hiroshima city. If you are going to stay near JR Hiroshima Station, we will visit the island by JR train and JR ferry. If you are staying in the city area, we can go there by streetcar and ferry, or there is a high-speed boat from Peace Memorial Park pier directly to the island and vise versa.

Hoping to see you in the near future!

Miki
Your tour guide in Hiroshima