[Japan Winter Vacation 2023] 4D3N in Hiroshima

I took a midnight flight on Saturday to Osaka, and the flying time was about 6-ish hours. I was pretty fatigued after rushing to the airport after work. Luckily, the flight was not full, so we could use the empty seats to stretch and rest our legs! I slept throughout the journey.

We reached Kansai International Airport at around 7+ local time in the morning. Japan is around an hour ahead in time difference from Singapore's time. Prior to our departure, we had purchased our JR/SHINKANSEN PASS which allowed us to travel from Kansai Airport to Hiroshima! The train ride only took 2 hours our destination. We stayed within the Downtown Hiroshima area as it gave us the full advantage of allowing us to explore Hiroshima and the surrounding areas!

Our hotel stay in Hiroshima for 3 days was literally located beside Hiroshima JR station. I liked how close it was to the JR station as it was really convenient. In addition to the hotel, there was a super wide selection of shops, restaurants and all kinds of small eating places to grab a quick bite instead of a sit-in meal. It was definitely an excellent option to stay in Hiroshima.

The rooms were comfortable, clean and was of a decent size even though it was a Japanese Hotel, which are notorious for having small compact rooms. Furthermore, the breakfast buffet was splendid too!

We took a street bus which was covered by our JR pass to the Atomic Bomb Dome. It's definitely should be one of the first things to do in Hiroshima. It is an iconic symbol of the ‘Peace City’.

Atomic Bomb Dome is a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. It opened to the public in 1954, and the park houses a museum, as well as numerous memorials and monuments commemorating the people who perished during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945.

The weather was cold, ranging from about 2'C to 5'C, and it dropped even further at night to between 1'C to 0'C. It even dropped further below freezing point sometimes!

We were greeted by a strong blizzard, and we took shelter in the nearby 'Piano Café' for some refreshments to wait out the sudden snowfall until it subsided.

One of the most stunning monuments is the Children’s Peace Monument. It started to snow again, and we left to have our first dinner in Hiroshima.

Hiroshima's Okonomiyaki is similar to the Osaka one, whereby it is still a savory pancake-like dish filled with shredded vegetables and meat. However, the Hiroshima version will add noodles which sets it apart from other regional variants. We walked to Food Theme Park - Okonomi-mura (お好み村) to enjoy a Hiroshima Favorite - Okonomiyaki.

Okonomi-mura (お好み村) is an ideal spot for visitors to try a bite of this local food, as it is a collection of restaurants located in the building that is spread into 3 different floors. This place is a true heaven for Okonomiyaki lovers which is sort of hidden. I randomly selected one of the restaurants which is located on the 2nd level to have the Okonomiyaki dinner.

Hiroshima and Osaka are the famous cities known for Okonomiyaki in Japan. In Osaka, it is called the ‘Kansai-style’ and it is the standard style of Okonomiyaki. However, Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki is unique. The most distinctive feature is to mix noodles into the pancake, and more vegetables are used than the ones in the Kansai-styled Okonomiyaki. It is definitely more filling than those that I usually have in Osaka!

I loved my Okonomiyaki which had pork slices and was topped off with a fried egg! The delicious okonomiyaki sauce enhanced the whole pancake’s taste.

Okonomiyaki is one of Hiroshima’s signature foods, and is definitely a must-try when one is in the city.

Our room stay was inclusive of breakfast, and we headed down to the café to to enjoy a traditional Japanese breakfast set.

The day trip to Miyajima Island is quite easily done from Hiroshima. Even if you come from Kyoto or Osaka, just head down to Hiroshima, and then pop over to Miyajima island. If you have JR Pass and you are traveling from Hiroshima, take the JR Sanyo Line for Iwankuni to travel to Miyajimaguchi. The journey time is just under 30 minutes. Finally, when you arrive at Miyajimaguchi, take another 10-minute ride on the JR Miyajima Ferry to the Island. The walk from the station to the ferry pier is very well-signed, so just follow the signs to the ferry. When boarding the ferry, make sure you choose the correct one and get on the line for the JR Miyajima Ferry, as there is another Non JR ferry that is operating out from the same terminal.

Start planning your Miyajima Island day trip by checking the tides. My recommendation is to arrive on the island during the high tide. During the high tide, Miyajima Island Giant Torii and Itsukushima Shrine appear as if they are floating in the Sea. It is a great iconic view, as the Tori-Gate and Shrine on the water is very beautiful.

However, if you are not able to be on Miyajima Island during the high tide, do not despair, as when the tide is low, you can actually walk all the way to the Giant Floating Torii and really get a feel of how enormous the structure is. Also, you can take some pictures of Itsukushima Shrine for a different perspective.

Upon reaching the island, we had our lunch at one of restaurants on the island,

The highlight of our lunch is the Shio Grilled Oysters!

I had Mazeudon with Raw Egg, and Baby ordered an Unagi Don for himself.

Next, we headed on to Itsukushima Shrine, and an admission fee is required. We actually planned to take the ropeway to catch the magnificent views of the island, unfortunately, it was closed due to bad weather.

The Omotesando Shopping Arcade is a busy street, filled with tourists all year round. At the shopping arcade, you can purchase all your keepsakes, which include specialty snacks and foods that are available at Miyajima.

The Momiji Manju are sweet cakes traditionally filled with red bean paste baked in the shape of a maple leaf. They are a local food of Hiroshima, created in Miyajima in the early 20th century.

The Miyajima Island day trip would not be complete without trying some of the local delicacies - Grilled Oysters. It is a must-see place for oyster lovers. You will find many eateries and restaurants selling fresh or grilled oysters all along Omotesando Shopping Arcade. My recommendation is to try some Grilled Oysters with salt aka 'Shio Kaki' in Japanese.

We came across Miyajima Rilakkuma Sabo at Miyajima island which was actually just a few steps away from Itsukushima shrine! It is a perfect place for fans of Rilakkuma to pick up souvenirs!

We picked up some souvenirs and and snacks, such as the famous maple-shaped cake from Hiroshima Prefecture, the Momiji Manju and this one had a cute Rilakkuma motif!

The most Kawaii yet traditional experience with adorable Rilakkuma!

We went for an early dinner as we discovered that there was going to be a fireworks show on the island! We settled at one of the restaurants in Miyajima Island. I ordered Oyster Fried Rice, while baby had Oyster Fried Rice and a Mini bowl of Udon. We shared a plate of Grilled Oyster.

After 3 years of hiatus due to COVID19, we had the opportunity to be able to join in the Miyajima-on-the-Sea Fireworks Festival, which is an annual display of some of the best fireworks in the region. We were treated to dazzling fireworks which lit up the cold winter night near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Itsukushimajinja Shrine.

The Miyajima Island Fireworks Water Festival is no doubt the most popular festival on Miyajima Island. It is the largest fireworks display in western Japan.

After the fireworks show, there was a long queue back into the ferry terminal. If you want to avoid the crowded ferries, you can choose to view the fireworks nearest to the ferry terminal. Wherever you watch the fireworks from, the Miyajima-on-the-Sea Fireworks Festival is an event not to be missed!

On our last day in Hiroshima, we took the Shinkansen to Hakata for a day-trip which is located at Kyushu prefecture. This is also one of my favorite places in Japan. Upon reaching this familiar city, I went straight for my usual shopping and had lunch at my favorite Ramen Joint - Ichiran.

We came back to Hiroshima by dinner time, and before ending our last day in Hiroshima, we went to try our luck with the claw machines. Yay! I was lucky to catch a huggable size of Miffy with only 1 coin (¥100). Thanks for coming home with me!