2013

We spend quite a bit of today exploring the sombering and thought provoking Peace Museum with exhibits connected to the nuclear blast and deaths

Our first stop for today is rather unexpectedly the Hiroshima branch of the Bank of Japan one of the few survivors of the nuclear blast

We spend the afternoon exploring Kotohira-gu a major Shinto pilgrimage site reachable by almost a thousand steps passing shops and restaurants

We start the morning with the famous and beautiful Ritsurin Garden exploring the meticulously landscaped gardens with our enthusiastic guide

We spend the afternoon exploring the Yashima Temple which lies on a famous pilgrimage route as well as the Taburo Badger

Today we cross over to Shikoku island over multiple impressive bridges enjoying beautiful views and visiting movie locations

After lunch we spend the evening exploring Pontocho Street a historical small street with shops and restaurants

The major attraction today for us is a visit to the majestic Imperial Palace that we booked far in advance

The second temple today is the huge Nishi Hongwan-ji built by a popular Buddhist sect with lots of colorful buildings and temples

The first temple we visit in Kyoto is To-ji a historically important temple founded in 794 and worth exploring