HIROSHIMA ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE BOMB, though it is hard to escape it. While we were on our way to visit the World Heritage site on the island of Miyajima, an elderly couple boarded the tram, thanking us appreciatively with much bowing when we offered them our seats. It wasn’t until much later I remarked that, if they were natives of the area they certainly must have vivid memories of that day.
Pagoda and fall colors
But I digress. The 6th Century Shinto shrine Itsukushima-jinja on Miyajima Island is guarded by its iconic floating torii gate. The shrine appears to float on the sea — at least at high tide — and is one of the most visited sites in Japan. And the most photographed. We waited for the local visitors and a noisy tour group from Texas, judging by their accents, to pass through, then explored the shrines, pagodas and temples. Miyajima is noted for its oysters and we enjoyed an excellent soup of fresh oysters and soba noodles before returning.
Renoir's "Girl in Lace Hat" Unknown Japanese artitst
The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum was a pleasant surprise. The special exhibit, “Monet and Renoir to Picasso” from Japan’s Pola Museum included works by our favorite
