My Japan Trip II: Hiroshima, Miyajima, & Tokyo

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

This is a continuation, as you can see from the title, of my trip with family around the main island of Japan.  I included general tips about transportation in the previous post.  Feel free to ask questions.  I might add places and restaurants that I visited on different trips.   

General Tip: A lot of shopping areas and sightseeing spots close around 5/6pm, so plan ahead.  If you are mostly sightseeing and running around shopping then just wake up and go to bed early.  On the other hand, if you want to party like it is 1999 then you need to figure out when is the last train/ bus/tram you need to catch in order to get back to your hotel.  Taxis can be expensive depending on the city, so I use them as an emergency option.  Although, if you want an experience plan to go clubbing until late and then either head to a 24hour family restaurant (Dennys) or a karaoke spot to either sleep or go for an all-nighter.  The trick to doing karaoke all night (after eating at a bar then clubbing) is to bring caffeine.  You'll probably lose your voice early on, but that'll just make things funnier.  


Hiroshima (2-days)

The view from my hotel room.

Hotel: Grand Prince Hotel
This is a resort hotel so it is far away from downtown Hiroshima.  There is a bus that goes through the downtown area to Hiroshima station and then back to the hotel, but they also have a shuttle bus that goes back and forth from the station to the hotel.  I would recommend doing that instead of the bus.  Which bus goes to the hotel is a bit confusing, so either ride one till it gets to the harbor and wait for the right one to show up or ask the bus driver.  There is a boat that goes to Miyajima island straight from the hotel, but if you have the JR pass you can save money by taking the JR line from Hiroshima station to the JR ferry.  

There are bike/ jogging paths near the hotel, so you can get a break from the urban areas if you want.  Also there was only internet in the lobby.  They do have a breakfast buffet, not complimentary.  But to be warned, I don't care for how they typically prepare eggs in Japan.  They tend to be quite runny. 

A nice place to eat near the park.

Restaurants:
I highly recommend having okonomiyaki here.  It is the local specialty.  There is a street named after the food in downtown Hiroshima, but we ate it for dinner at a place next to the hotel.  If you don't know what it is, it is like a pancake or a pizza.  Don't forget to add the okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise on top.  My family loved it.  (They also serve yakisoba.)  The other nice spot that we went to was a place near the Peace Memorial Park.  It has a whole bunch of oranges in front.  It is an Italian style place and right next to the river.    
  
Activities/ Sights:
Peace Memorial Park
This is the place to go in Hiroshima.  Depending on how much time you have you cut down the sights to just this, the downtown area, and Miyajima. --> Shukkeien Garden
Hiroshima Castle
Hiroshima MOCA
Downtown (Hondori & Aioi street)

- Day trip to Miyajima Island
Itsukushima Shrine
You will want to get here early when it is still high-tide.  The shrine appears to be floating on water, as well as the famous red gate.  Therefore, it is the thing to do first.  There is a shopping street as well as street vendors along the way from the ferry port.  If you spend half the day in Miyajima then you can see the difference between high and low tide.
Hiking trails 
Miyajima Ropeway
I wasn't up for this.  We did it during the hottest part of the day in the summer.  If you do the hiking trails or the ropeway bring walking shoes.  Once you get to the top it would take at least an hour to see everything there. 
 

I could see Senso Temple and Skytree from my room.

Tokyo (4-days)
Hotel: B:Conte Asakusa
This was my favorite hotel of the whole trip.  If you are young I would recommend trying to find a place in Shibuya, but if you are with parents who want to do the tourist thing then Asakusa is great.  B:Conte is new and has a kitchen and laundry in the room.  There is a spot for breakfast right next door.  

There are plenty of crepe stalls around Harajuku

Restaurants:
鳥平 [yakitori/ grilled chicken]
Eggs n' Things [Hawaiian breakfast]
Pizzeria Sangusto [Italian-style Pizza]
35 Steps Bistro [izakaya]

Places we didn't get to: Maruni [Japanese style barbecue]
Nogizaka Uoshin [izakaya]
Tonki [tonkatsu] 
Kushiwakamaru [yakitori izakaya]
Kiraku [Ramen]
Ippudo
   

She is selling whiskey @baseball game.

Activities/ Sights:
Giants Baseball Game
Rikugien Garden
Imperial Palace East Gardens
Shibuya 
- > Center Gai, Spain Slope, Shibuya Crossing
Harajuku and Omotesando
 - > Takeshita street, Oriental Bazaar, Tokyu Plaza, Condomania
Yoyogi Park
Meiji Shrine
Ghibli Museum 

Tokyu Plaza, a new department store.

Art Galleries:
National Art Center
Wako Works of Art
Mizuma Art Gallery
SCAI The Bathhouse
Taka Ishii Gallery
Arataniurano 
Mori Art Museum
Misako and Rosen