My Solo Trip to Hiroshima, Osaka, and Koyasan in Japan

Three nights in Kyoto passed  quickly. Back on the train I went,   this time in the direction of Hiroshima.  I would come back for Osaka later. In Hiroshima, I was able to  check into my hotel a bit early.  They even gave me a free beer and snack. I was only staying here for one night  so there was little time to waste. Hiroshima was the target  of the atomic bomb in 1945   which had destroyed most of the city at the time. Walking through it now in all its modernity, it's  hard to imagine the horrors from 80 years ago. The dome of what was originally the  product exhibition hall building was   the only structure left standing  by the end of World War II and is   now kept in a state of ruin to serve  as a somber reminder of its history. I then went to the Hiroshima Peace  Memorial Museum located in the same   park as the dome. It took about 2 hours  to go through and was very emotional,   but it's extremely important so  it's an absolute must for visitors. For dinner I went to try one  of Hiroshima's specialties. In Okonomi Village you can find three floors of   stalls all serving the same thing  --- Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.  It's somewhat confusing as many of them were  reservation only, or they only served locals. Eventually, I found one that served tourists. Okonomiyaki is like a thick pancake mixed with   various ingredients and cooked on  a flat griddle called a teppan.  It originates from Osaka but  Hiroshima boasts their own version.  Here they make it in layers,  rather than mixing it all together.  Being able to watch the chefs cook it in  front of you is all part of the experience. The next morning I checked out and stored my bag  in a coin locker at the Hiroshima train station.  I then took the train to Miyajimaguchi  station to catch the JR ferry to Miyajima,   a small island less than an  hour away from Hiroshima. An overnight stay here is recommended,  but I wasn't able to book a place,   which is why I stayed in Hiroshima itself. As soon as I stepped onto  the island, I saw wild deer.  At 8:00 a.m. in the morning  they were still a bit sleepy. My first stop on the island was the Itsukushima  Shrine, famous for its floating torii gate.  It isn't truly floating of course, it is only  when the tide comes in that it appears to be. After this I headed for the Miyajima Ropeway. Along the way I passed many deer roaming around.  They coexist with the humans here  and aren't really afraid of you. On the ropeway it takes two separate gondola  rides to get to the top of Mount Misen. The view here is really nice, as  you can see Hiroshima and a bunch   of other islands around the area. There is also another 30-minute hike   from here to get to the top observatory, but  unfortunately I didn't have time for that. I finished my half day on  Miyajima at the Omotesando Arcade,   a shopping street where I tried a  bunch of local snacks for lunch. After this whirlwind tour of the Hiroshima  area, I took the train back to Osaka.  Osaka is actually very close to Kyoto so  most people will visit both places together. The next morning I visited Kuromon Ichiba Market,   a public market selling seafood, meat,  produce, snacks, homewares, and more. Of course, my trips are never complete  without seeing penguins if I can. The penguins at Osaka Aquarium  were adorable, but I have to say,   seeing the whale sharks following  the fish around was a real treat. In the late afternoon there was a  thunderstorm so I waited it out at the hotel. When the coast was clear I stepped back out.  Shinsekai was a strange mix of  retro, kitsch, and artificiality,   and yet I found it quite interesting as it was a  bit different to what I had seen so far in Japan. Here I ducked into one of the  restaurants to try kushikatsu,   which refers to various deep fried  skewered meat and vegetables. I returned to Dotonbori to end off the evening.  It was extremely busy here and everyone  wanted a photo with the Glico man. There were also takoyaki stands everywhere. These balls of batter containing small pieces   of octopus originated right here  in Osaka so I had to have some. My jaunt in Osaka was almost over.  On my last morning here, I  walked around Osaka Castle Park.  The current Osaka Castle is a complete  reconstruction of the original that   was built in the late 1500s by the  samurai warlord Toyoto Hideyoshi.  In the spring, the park is a popular  location for cherry blossom viewing. Before I left, I wanted to  try Osaka's okonomiyaki.  It differs from Hiroshima's multi-layered  creation in that almost all of the   ingredients get mixed together in a batter  before it gets cooked on the griddle. This doesn't look that big but it  was actually incredibly filling. It was now time to head to my  last stop for returning to Tokyo,   one that I was pretty excited about.  To get to my destination,  first I had to take two trains, then transfer to a funicular, and finally a bus to get to the top of  Koyasan, or Mount Koya, a Buddhist temple town. I had made a reservation to stay  overnight in one of the temples.  After checking in, the monk showed me to my room. At 400 p.m. there was a free temple tour. This particular temple I was staying  at is one of the oldest in Koyasan.  Founded During the Tenchou period between 824 to 834. For dinner, a traditional Buddhist  vegetarian meal was served. In the evening, I headed outside.  It was a bit chilly now as the  temperature had dropped below 10° C.  The monk had recommended to me earlier to  visit the cemetery next to the temple at night.  It was lit up with lanterns and very atmospheric. However, it was still a bit eerie as I was alone,   so I didn't go far before  returning back to my lodging. A key part of the experience staying at the  temple was being able to attend the monks'   prayers at 6:30 in the morning,  which lasted for almost an hour.  For obvious reasons I couldn't record this  but it was very interesting to observe. Then, a vegetarian Buddhist breakfast. After checking out, I took some time to  stroll through the mountain town before   catching the bus and cable car down the  mountain and then the train back to Tokyo. This was an incredibly jam-packed 3-week  tour of Japan and I'm pretty sure I've   only just scratched the surface, so  I can't wait to come back for more.  Thanks for joining me on this adventure  and I'll see you on the next one!