June 29, 2015
We had another unbelievable day in Japan with our fantastic tour guides. We began our day by traveling on the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Kyoto to Hiroshima (John, I took pictures of the train just for you! The Shinkansen is much cleaner, quieter and faster than the MBTA!) The Shinkansen travels about 172 miles per hour. Once we arrived at the station, Mrs. Kamei and her son, Kota, were waiting for us on the platform. We passed off our luggage to Mrs. Kamei’s sister and got on the subway. After traveling about 20 minutes on the subway, we boarded a ferry to Miyajima Island.
Once we arrived on the island, we were quick to notice the wild deer that wandered around. We were told to be cautious of these animals because they do not shy away from people as they do in America. In fact, they boldly approach visitors with the intention of eating scraps of food, paper, and cloth that stick out of people’s bags and pockets. I also immediately noticed the lushness of the island. It is forbidden to take down any trees.
The next thing we saw was the beautiful Itsukushima Shrine. The shrine’s complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many people would probably recognize the Otorii (Grand Gate) that appears to float in the ocean. While we were there, it was low-tide so we had the privilege of walking out to the temple and touching it. During high tide, the temple looks as though it is floating on the water.
Then, we had lunch. Before I left, Mr. Keser gave me advice about what to eat on the island. I think he’d be happy to hear I tried both of his recommendations. For lunch, I had 2 of the largest and most flavorful oysters I have ever had! I also enjoyed some rice and tea, as well as a bite of Mrs. Kamei's unadon (white rice topped with eel). As a snack later in the day, we ate Momijimanju, which are maple leaf shaped cakes that are filled with a red bean paste and then baked. The one I tested was delicious…and then I had one that was deep-fried…which one do you think I liked better? This famous dessert was created in Miyajima as a local specialty to represent the popular maple leaf viewing spot.
After lunch, we climbed some steep hills and visited a variety of temples. To ease our tired feet, Mrs. Kamei thought it would be a good idea to stop by a hotel and bathe our feet in warm water – she was right! I couldn’t have asked for anything more than a foot soak and ice-cold cola!
Mrs. Kamei and Kota then took us to our guesthouse for the night. We opted for the traditional Japanese room, which meant we made our futons on top of the tatami mats. We also wore kimonos rather than our pajamas. The room was bright and simple. There were no decorations, and when we opened the shoji sliding doors, we had a beautiful view of the city.
For dinner, we joined Mrs. Kamei and her sons, sister, and niece. We ate sushi that arrived on a conveyer belt. The kids loved it because once you ate 5 plates of sushi, you could play a video game and have the opportunity to win a prize. We won two prizes, and the children were kind enough to let us bring them back for our students to see. I ate some delicious sushi, and something new I tried was fried dough with corn. I had my share of fried food today!
Thank you to the Kamei family for such a fantastic day. We are so grateful for your generosity and entertainment. We hope you will visit with us next year when you come back to Boston!