Hiroshima: Shukkeien Garden & Hypocenter — Guide miki

Title: What Is a Private Walking Tour of Hiroshima Like in Summer? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests on this tour came through a request based on a referral from relatives who had visited the previous spring. On that earlier occasion it had rained heavily, but this day was clear with a high of 34°C. Since one of the guests was sweating profusely even in the shade, I chose the coolest possible places, such as underground shopping areas and buildings, but once above ground there was almost nowhere to escape the heat. Having heard beforehand from a fellow guide that the Atomic Bomb Museum was very crowded, I informed the guests and suggested that they borrow the audio guide at the reception and visit on their own after the tour, in the early evening when it would be less crowded. When I asked whether they would like to take the streetcar or walk from the hotel to Shukkeien Garden, they said they preferred to walk, so we strolled slowly while I asked about their impressions of Miyajima the day before and the fireworks in Fukuyama. I also explained Hiroshima's streetcar system as we walked.

Shukkeien Garden was not crowded, so we were able to go around at our own relaxed pace. From time to time we sat on benches to hydrate and kept an easy pace. They mentioned that the gardens in Kyoto had been lovely as well, but they seemed to enjoy Shukkeien too. The admission fee had recently been revised sharply, from 260 yen to 350 yen for adults.

Although it takes less than five minutes to walk to Hiroshima Castle, walking along a road with almost no shade was very hot. Since the topic of baumkuchen came up, I talked about how baumkuchen spread from Hiroshima as we headed toward the castle. The 500 ml cooling pack I had brought completely melted in less than an hour. I let them know that the castle keep would close next March and suggested that, if interested, they could enter the keep after the tour within opening hours. I introduced the Astram Line station in the underground shopping area in the city, which has a vending machine selling momiji manju. They also bought baumkuchen at a shop near the underground passage, and when they ate it on a bench, both of them were delighted, saying "It's so delicious!" Because of the heat, I mentioned the option of going up the Orizuru Tower, but as they were undecided, we did not go and instead began the explanation of the hypocenter and the Peace Memorial Park. Just near the Atomic Bomb Dome, a person who had been exposed to radiation in the womb happened to be present again today, so I spoke a little about them and explained that the guests could hear their story after the tour if interested. When I spoke to that person, they said, "It's hot in the afternoon and there are few people to listen, so I'm heading home now," so before they left, I had the guests listen briefly to their story. The guests listened with great interest. As the tour's ending time was approaching, I took them to the Rest House and the basement where a person had survived inside the building, and ended the tour at the entrance to the basement.

It was a tour in very hot conditions, but both of the guests seemed very pleased. That is all.

Click here for more details: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with 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