Okonomiyaki for lunch

These are the Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki, good for lunch. Prices are good and can be below 1000 JPY and you will get the money's worth. Many good stores and even locals need to take some time to find out which one should be their choice.

Peace Park photos on special days

The photo with flowers in Peace Pond was taken a day before the opening of Flower Festival celebrated annually for three days at the beginning of May.

The other one was taken a few days before the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony held on August 6.

Seasons go around.

Dome in February evening

A-bomb Dome in winter evening

Architecture talks to you whether they are ruins or active. In either way, they seems to be alive.

The former army clothing depot should be preserved

Next to the depot stand ordinary houses

The former army clothing depot in Hiroshima remains to this day. Being 2.7 km away from the hypocenter, it withstood the atomic blast on August 6, 1945. I rode a bike along it and completely overwhelmed. This historic complex of four buildings which form a large letter L has to be preserved. The complex is visible from a major street but come closer and look at it right there. This eloquently talks to us about the history of the city more than photos or books. Then naturally you would like to know what it was and start learning by yourself. 

Read the articles on the sites of arch-hiroshima and hiroshima peace media center to know more about this installation.

Shin-nyo-do gardens

Shin-nyo-do main hall & three storied pagoda

the newer garden designed by SHIGEMORI's grandson

Here are the photos of the gardens you can see if you pay and go beyond the main hall of the temple called Shin-nyo-do. The large premises of the temple themselves are worth a visit but the interior tour was worth paying for. Not crowded at all, especially because it was a cold winter day, but even in high seasons of Kyoto, the area is relatively quiet. The remains of autumn foliage were still enjoyed when I went there in December. If you try, you can find such places in Kyoto. That's the wealth of the ancient capital. 

the garden of nirvana

The SHIGEMORI Mirei Garden Museum

Feel the seashore

It was on a cold winter day in Kyoto. I had applied for the visit to the Garden Museum where the gardens and the tea ceremony room SHIGEMORI designed can be seen. I kind of love the places for which you have to make a reservation in advance. I saw the similarity between the larger garden I saw on that day and the garden at Kamoizumi Brewery in Saijo, Higashi-hiroshima where I live. These gardens were made in the same period of time, in the middle of the 20th century by SHIGEMORI. The flat brownish stones and white gravels make an interesting seashore in both gardens. The design of the sliding doors reminded me of that of the Katsura Detached Palace.

After the visit to the museum near Kyoto University, I walked around Yoshida Shrine, which looks like a backyard of the university, and Shin-nyo-do, where I happened to go inside the halls and see clean refined temple rooms, drawings on the sliding doors, and two impressive gardens. I'm so glad I spontaneously decided to pay for the visit. The temple person sounded very kind and warm. He and other staff members talk to the visitors. So good to have a house tour with a friendly guide who talks well.

You can walk more around there. Ginkaku-ji temple and other places along the Philosopher's Walk is not so far away. I'd love to go back and walk more.

On this URL are the photos of the garden museum. Enjoy.

Toshodaiji in fall

Toshodaiji and Yakushiji are five-minute walk away to each other. Both are good to look at the Buddhist statues and their halls and pagodas are architecturally interesting. I especially liked to see Miroku Buddha with a hand sign called Sokuchi-in or Goma-in. A finger looks like touching the ground, signifying that the Buddha is conquering evil influences.

Precisely speaking. Miroku is not yet Buddha but in long training. Sometimes, however, they are already referred to as Buddha. I took time to see Miroku in the Buddha status very closely.