Considered one of Japan’s best kept secrets! Hagi, is a small castle town located on the western side of Yamaguchi Prefecture over looking the Sea of Japan. This castle town has been remarkably preserved. Although the castle lies in ruins much of the town including streets and buildings are as they were centuries ago. Hagi was the seat of the Mori Clan. The Mori Clan (Japanese Samurai Clan) settled in this area for more then 250 years around the 1600’s. After this period ended, Hagi became a significant location during the Meiji Period (1868-1912). The Meiji Period was a period of renewal for Japan. During the Meiji Period, Japan quickly became industrialized and adopted many ideas from the Western World. Today, Hagi is a quite town with a lot to offer. Visitors can stroll the streets of the Castle Town, explore some of the nearby shrines and temples, and enjoy multiple other activities and sites that are just a short drive away! What to Do and See Around Hagi Jill and I have been to Hagi at least three times now. From Iwakuni it is a 2 hour drive with tolls and 2.5 hour drive when avoiding tolls. The first time we went to Hagi was with our friend Kimball. Our first time around, Japan was on full lock down so we were pretty restricted on what we could do. Thankfully the last couple times we’ve been able to fully enjoy Hagi without all the ridiculous restrictions brought upon us by COVID-19. For being a small town, Hagi does offer a ton to see and do. Listed are some of the attractions we thoroughly enjoyed and recommend visiting.  Mount Kasayama At 112 meters, Mt. Kasayama is the smallest active volcano in East Asia. There is a parking lot at the base of the mountain and visitors can walk down inside the crater via a short stair case. We did walk inside the crater, just enough time to snap a selfie and view what was beyond the fences. Afterwards, we walked to the observation deck on the volcano. The views of the Sea of Japan are incredible from this location.  Kasayama Camellia Groves The Kasayama Camellia Groves were one of our favorite natural attractions in the area. The last time Jill and I visited Hagi was specifically to see the Camellia Trees. Apparently in winter they bloom a beautiful red flower and the ground is covered with the red flowers. Unfortunately, we came at the wrong time and some trees were starting to bud while others already lost the flower. The Camellia trees and the park here is kind of eerie. The trees are tall and thin but provide a ton of shade making the entrance seem like you are entering a dark tunnel. There are miles of walking trails here, but we like to hug the trail along the coast and gaze out at the ocean and walk on the volcanic rocks. Myojin Pond Definitely a hidden gem. We drove past Myojin Pond our first time around and didn’t think to stop the second time, but it was a clear day and I wanted to take photos of the pond. I am not sure if we just got lucky but the day we were here there were hundreds of hawks, I believe Black Kite is the hawk species. People were feeding the hawks, which is probably why there were so many. Looking around, the hawks were on the houses, telephone wires, tress, street signs, statues, you name it. The pond itself is pretty unique as it is a salt water pond. The water fluctuates depending on the tide and the water comes through cracks in rocks that lead out to the ocean. There are several salt water species of fish here including the cute little fugu or pufferfish. Jill found her happy place here because there were four friendly felines here that were begging her for pets. Win win situation, I got to take photos of hawks while Jill got to relax and pet cute kitties.  Reverberatory Furnace Not the most fascinating site, but the Reverberatory Furnace and other sites from the Meiji Industrial Revolution are a UNESCO site and worth checking out. There are a total of 23 sites around Japan that showcase the Meiji Industrial Revolution and five of those sites are found scattered around Hagi. I would say the most popular one is probably the Reverberatory Furnace. Last time we went to Hagi we drove by it and stopped for five minutes to see it. This furnace was built in 1858 and used in weapon production.  Tokoji Temple Definitely in my list of top 3 favorite temples in all of Japan. The Tokoji Temple is a family temple of the Mori Clan. This temple was built in 1691, Daiohoden, the main hall is impressive and made entirely out of wood. The real draw to this temple is the 500 stone lanterns and tombs behind the main hall. Four Meiji Restoration leaders, eleven samurai warriors, and Mori Lords are all buried here. The lanterns line the walkways and many of the tombs are overgrown by moss, this site is truly magnificent and probably my number one recommendation in Hagi.  Hagi Castle Town Hagi Castle Town has been well preserved for hundreds of years. The castle lies in ruins, but the town was relatively unaffected. To this day, you can walk around the castle town, view some of the old samurai mansions and merchant shops. Both times we’ve been here, there hasn’t been a whole lot going on, I am not sure if it’s because Covid, or it’s just a sleepy part of town during the day. Either way, it is nice to stroll the streets and take photos.  Hagi Castle Built in 1604, Hagi Castle was the seat of the Mori Clan for over 250 years. Due to the feudal era of Japan, all the keeps and wooden structures were dismantled, leaving only the stone foundation and moat of the original castle. The castle is still well worth a visit. There is a ¥210 entrance fee. You didn’t hear this from me, but the castle can be accessed from the sculpture park area without going through the visitor gate, I’ve seen people come in and out this way both times I’ve visited. There are many Sakura Trees (Cherry Blossom) in the castle complex. During Sakura Season, this would be an incredible spot to visit.  Sculpture Park and Beach The sculpture park is located right by the castle, between the ruins and beach. The sculptures are kind of modern, not really to my likings, but this park has great open spaces. We always see families here or locals walking their dogs and feeding cats. Just beyond the sculpture park is a very nice beach. Day Trips from Hagi Hagi is not the easiest town to get to. They do have a train station but it’s small and generally only connects the western towns. Japan doesn’t have a whole lot of trains running east to west, they mainly run north to south. If you look at a map of Japan, most cities are on the Eastern portion of the country facing the Pacific Ocean. After exploring both coasts, I do have to say I like the coast along western Japan facing the Sea of Japan. It seems more rugged, beautiful, and less touristy to me. I’m getting off track. One of the main draws to Hagi is its location and access to many attractions located along the coast. Jill and I took a road trip when we were restricted to our Prefecture and got to see a lot of this area, here are some of the attractions we stopped at that are within a short trip from Hagi. Unrinji Cat Temple About 30 minutes from Hagi is the Unrinji Cat Temple. Surprise, surprise this was on Jill’s to do list, so we had to make a brief stop here. The temple is off the beaten path, but the drive to the temple was gorgeous. One would think a cat temple would be flooded with our furry feline friends, but the cats were more in the form of wooden and stone sculptures. The entrance had a staircase full of beckoning cats. There are around a thousand cat statues in and around the temple. On normal non-Covid years, the inside is open but due to the virus the inside was closed to visitors, at least when we visited. We didn’t see any real kitties at all, but I saw signs of cats living here. It was cute seeing all the cat statues and other decorations resembling cats.  Hornfels Jill and I both got our Open Water SCUBA certificate last year and took our open water courses at Hornfels. Hornfels is about 40 minutes north of Hagi. If Scuba Diving is not on your itinerary, Horfels offers hiking trails around the cliffs and observation points looking over the Sea of Japan. For Scuba diving, there is a great access point here. We dove down to about 60ft, and saw coral and various fish species. Around August time frame the water was clear but I was told it’s not ideal to dive here during the winter months.  Motonosumi Inari Shrine About a 45 minute drive south from Hagi, is the Motonosumi Inari Shrine and perhaps considered to be Yamaguchi’s most iconic landmark. Anytime you see a tourist visitor center or train station you will see travel advertisements of all these red Torii gates leading up to the coast. It’s actually a magnificent area and very popular, meaning it gets crowded. When we were here, the parking lot was almost full, there must have been a hundred people here. There are no big temples here, instead there are 123 Torii Gates that follow a foot path toward a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean.  Tsunoshima Another iconic Yamaguchi attraction is the long and scenic bridge toward Tsunoshima. A little over an hours drive from Hagi, visitors come from all over Japan to see the gorgeous 1.7 Km long bridge. “Shima” means Island in Japanese by the way. Once across the bridge, there are many activities to do on the small island, like camping, fishing, snorkeling, hiking, and visiting sites like the Tsunoshima Lighthouse and various temples scattered throughout the island. Although on the smaller side, Hagi boosts a lot of tourists from around Japan due to its rich history, UNESCO sites, and access to other attractions and landmarks. Hagi is a bit off the beaten path and not easy to get to, especially for the common visitor to Japan that fly’s into Tokyo. I guess, we’ve been lucky to live in Yamaguchi and have had the chance to visit Hagi more then once. It amazes me that so many towns Jill and I have visited while living here are unheard of to the rest of the world. Prior to living here, I’ve never heard of Hagi but now I highly recommend visitors go out of their way to travel to Southern Japan and visit Hagi and other sites and attractions outlined in this post. 

What comes to mind when you think of Hiroshima, Japan? For most people, it would be World War II and becoming the first city ever to be targeted by a nuclear weapon. I had the exact same thoughts, I knew absolutely nothing about Hiroshima other then the event that took place on August 6 1945. I’ve been to Hiroshima at least a dozen times now, and have fallen in love with this city. Hiroshima has a dark past, the events that took place here will never be forgotten. But at the same time, Hiroshima has become a modern and fun city that is home to great museums, lovely gardens, ancient temples, and quite possibly my favorite food in all of Japan. This post outlines all things Hiroshima, including what to see and do in Hiroshima City along with what to eat and where to get some of the best food Hiroshima has to offer.  August 6, 1945 August 6, 1945, this date will be chiseled in your memory after visiting Hiroshima especially after visiting the Peace Memorial Museum. So what happened on this date? It’s a date that forever changed the world and warfare. An American B-29 Bomber dropped an atomic bomb over the city of Hiroshima in hopes of ending the war.  Hiroshima was the primary target in the first attack. The B-29 Bomber (The Enola Gay) took off on that day from Tinian Island which is a part of the Northern Mariana Islands equipped with “Little Boy,” the code name given to the atomic bomb. At approximately 8:15 am the bomb was dropped and detonated about 580 m (1900 ft), above the city of Hiroshima. The Aioi Bridge was the planned target but due to crosswinds it shifted and detonated right above the Shima Hospital. 70,000 people were immediately killed while another 70,000 were killed days, months, and years later due to their injuries and effects of radiation, those counts are most likely much higher. On August 15,  Japan surrendered.  Attractions and Monuments Related to the War Hypo Center – The hypo center is the exact location on the ground where the bomb detonated from above. Today, there is a plaque here marking the location (Coordinates for the hypo center: 34.3947865,132.452522).  A-Bomb Dome The most notable and famous building in all of Hiroshima is the Atomic Bomb Dome. The A-Bomb Dome was originally known as the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall and was used to show and sell commercial goods for the area. When the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, all people within the A-Bomb Dome died instantly.  The A-Bomb Dome was close to the hypo center and yet it was not completely destroyed. The citizens of Hiroshima decided to keep the building as is as a reminder. In 1996, the A-Bomb Dome was listed as a UNESCO Site.    Peace Memorial Park In between the A-Bomb Dome and Museum, visitors can find the Peace Memorial Park. This Park is beautifully designed and created as a reminder and way to remember all the victims that passed away due to the effects of the atomic bomb.    Peace Memorial Museum – One of the best museums I’ve been to. This one is up there with the World War I Museum in Kansas City. The entrance fee is only ¥200 which is like $2. This museum usually hits hard, it’s terribly sad. I like the museum because it doesn’t talk about how bad the enemy is and point fingers, instead it reflects on the people who lived here during the time of the bombing. It has a lot of touching stories about both survivors and innocents who lost their lives. For more information, you can view the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Website.  Honkawa Elementary School – The skeletal remains of this Elementary School still exist and have been turned into a museum. This was the closest school to the hypocenter at 410 meters away. During the time of the bombing, there was one principal here, 10 staff workers, and about 400 students. Sadly, only one student and one teacher survived the bombing.  Bank of Japan – The Bank of Japan was the second best preserved building after the A-Bomb Dome. Unfortunately, all 42 people working here that day were killed during the blast. Surprisingly, the bank was back in business just two days after the bomb.  Must See Sites and Attractions Around Hiroshima City There is a lot more to see and do in Hiroshima then visiting all the WWII sites. Hiroshima is huge and although most sites are located within walking distance of the city center, some attractions are further out and best reached by bicycle or other means of transportation. If you are only visiting for a day or two and wondering what to see and do in Hiroshima, below are my recommendations and must see attractions in Hiroshima.  Tour Hiroshima Castle Hiroshima Castle can be found in the heart of the city, just north of the Peace Memorial Park. Originally built in 1589, it was destroyed by the bomb blast in 1945. This castle is unique as it is built on a plain or flat ground surrounded by a moat instead of being perched on a hilltop. The 5-story keep has since been rebuilt and is now a museum. There is a ¥370 fee to enter the castle but the grounds are free to roam.  Do Some Window Shopping on Hondori Hondori is the arcade style shopping street in Hiroshima. Almost every major town in Japan has a Shotengai or arcade style shopping street. The Shotengai are generally pedestrians walkways that are covered and lined with fun shops and restaurants on both sides. The Hondori street in Hiroshima is always lively and full of fun shops and delicious restaurants. Some shops we always have to stop in while here are Daiso (¥100 store), Country Cat, and Cresson for souvenirs. Check out Mitaki Temple, One of my Favorite Temples in Japan Mitaki Temple is one of my favorite temples in all of Japan. It is so tranquil, peaceful, and beautiful, I fell in love with this place instantly. The Buddhist temple here dates back to the year 809. There is a two story pagoda here that was gifted to Mitaki from Wakayama as a memorial to the victims of the bomb. This temple complex host three waterfalls and other temples, structures, and statues. There is a small trail here, well worth a hike. The moss covered statues, temples surrounded by forests, and feeling of being secluded meanwhile a huge city is just a few minutes away are all why I love coming to Mitaki Temple.  Relax and Take in the Beauty at Shukkien A beautiful Japanese Garden in the heart of the city. This garden dates back to the 1600’s and still showcases a lot of historical features like the tea houses. The garden has a trail that loops around a large pond. There is a small hill here that is based on Mt. Fuji, walk to the top for the best views of the park. While walking the perimeter of the pond, pay attention to the turtles and Koi Fish as they are abundant. There is a tree here that is said to be the only remaining tree that was still standing after the bomb.  Why not Check Out Costco and Try a Bulgogi Bake Sorry, I just had to throw Costco in here. Although many people probably won’t visit Costco when they tour Hiroshima, this is more of a place to visit for people living in the area. The Costco in Hiroshima is basically the same as everywhere else. It is full of electronics, home work out equipment, outdoor accessories, and free food samples! We come here once in a while mainly to load up on muffins and bagels. The Costco even has a food court like in the States where you can get a huge slice of pizza or a hotdog and drink for 150 Yen. The biggest draw for me here is their Bulgogi Bake. I believe the States has a Chicken Bake, which I believe I’ve tried once. But the Bulgogi Bake is far superior. We usually get one to go and head toward the train station.  Catch a Hiroshima Carp Game Baseball is huge in Japan. You see baseball everywhere whether it be local games at the park, or fathers and sons playing catch in their driveways. I’m not sure what the craze is as I’m not crazy about baseball. But Hiroshima does have a Baseball team called the Hiroshima Carp and they are huge in the area. Next to Costco is their giant stadium. When there are home games in Hiroshima, almost the entire city is dressed in red with their Carp jerseys. You can catch a lot of fans at Costco before the game, chowing down and getting their shopping done.  Visit a Cat Cafe Hiroshima has a few cat and animal cafes. On our Shimanami Kaido trip, we strolled past this café and saw the most fluffy and adorable kitty in the window. It was closed at the time, so we made sure to bookmark this place and come back at a future date. Eventually we came back to the cat café, known as Neco Republic and had a blast here hanging out and playing with the cats. The fluff monster we saw in the window was there, although he got a nice new haircut. The café was was a memorable experience, we felt they loved the cats and took good care of them.  Don’t Miss Out on Shopping at Don Quijote Sensory Overload! I’ve never seen a store like Don Quijote and to be honest it is hard to explain what this store is except to tell people it is a 5 story building that has everything you can thin of, it’s super loud, and crowded with items from the floor to the ceiling! This is one of the best places to come to though for fun seasonal candies and liquor. My favorite liquor is a German beverage called Kleiner Feigling. I’ve never found this in the states, but am happy to say that Don Quijote carries it. Not only to they carry the original one but they have several other flavors. There is this lichi drink to I found here called Dita which is also very good. We come to Don Quijote to load up on drinks, but to also find dun seasonal Kit-Kats. Generally everything in the store is pretty cheap, it’s just fun to come here and look around. Hiroshima Food Scene Hiroshima is definitely a food destination. I feel it is one of the more underrated cities in Japan when it comes to food. After all, one of my favorites comes from here, Okonomiyaki. This is their claim to fame, but there are so many other cuisines from all around the world that can be tasted and enjoyed throughout the city.  Okonomiyaki Okonomiyaki! Now, I consider this dish one of my favorites. Prior to Japan, I’ve never even heard of this dish. How has this dish not made its way around the world? In the Hiroshima area, Okonomiyaki is everywhere, it is like a Japanese comfort food.  Okonomiyaki can be found throughout Japan but the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka claim to have the best style. I’ve had both and personally I like Hiroshima style hands-down! So what is Okonomiyaki and what are the differences? People say Okonomiyaki translates to Pancake – as you like it. But I disagree, it’s nothing like a pancake that you and I think of. The only resemblance to a pancake is that there is a small layer of batter at the bottom and the Osaka style one looks kind of like a pancake. Okonomiyaki is basically a mix of ingredients (eggs, cabbage, bean sprouts, bacon, noodles, green onion, cheese, and seafood if desired). The Osaka style mixes all the ingredients together while the Hiroshima style layers them. In Osaka,

We’ve lived in Japan going on three years now and there are characteristics here that are simply unique to Japan. Obviously, there are more then 10 things I love about Japan but the list would be incredibly long. I came up with this top ten list based on day to day aspects that truly make living in Japan fun and exciting!  Cleanliness Japan is incredibly clean. You rarely see trash on the side of the streets. On mainland, I think I’ve seen graffiti only a handful of times. You can go to a city like Hiroshima or Fukuoka, well over a population of 1 million and the cities are almost spotless. The streets are clean, the paint on them is almost like they’ve never been touched, it’s fascinating. Even the pigeons here are in pristine condition. I’ve never seen such clean and healthy pigeons in my life. The cleanliness might have something do to with how they recycle here or just the way the Japanese have grown up. The most fascinating thing about the cleanliness of Japan is that there are hardly any trash cans around. You could walk for an hour and not find a single trash can. I guess everyone here is just good at packing out their trash. To me, a clean city is just refreshing, it is nice to know that people care and actually make an effort to make their city clean and trash free!   Convenience Stores Convenience Stores can be found in any country throughout the world. But the stores here in Japan are much different then any other convenience stores I’ve been to. For starters, people here rely on convenience stores. I say this because people come to them for lunch and dinner, use the ATM’s, pickup mail, and purchase almost anything else one can find at any store, it is pretty amazing! We have 7-Eleven in Japan, but without the pumps, it’s simply a convenience store. My favorite items at the convenient stores are their treats! Many times, you can find great seasonal chocolates here, really good pastries and pre-made meals, and warm fresh food at the counter. The food is not your typical hot dog and taquito that has been spinning around all day. At the 7-Eleven in Japan, you can find chicken on a stick, various types of fried chicken, steam buns, and even soups. At first, I really only went to convenience stores once in a while, now I find myself here often, especially on road trips!  English Translations I’m not sure how companies do their English translations here. Many products here are professional products with legit labels, yet the English translations sometimes make zero sense. It is actually a hobby of mine to look at product labels and signs just to read the English translations. Jill and I always joke around that she should get a job (she has an English degree) in Japan and translate the product phrases to something a little more readable. Below are a few of my favorite English translations I’ve found so far while in Japan.  “Keep Out, Do Not Enter, a Flower is Growing“ “Because you are slippery, and this inside is dangerous, please do not enter“ “It will enjoy to cooking because hardly stick and very light“ “It is always walking on business everyday, and it gets tired“ “ParadiseCat – A pretty holiday in a cat is full of fun“ Hotels I love staying at hotels, but I really love staying in Japanese hotels. In the States, you know what to expect when you arrive at your hotel, they all have the same layout and amenities. In Japan, almost every one is different and unique. They all have amazing bathrooms, some have very little space while others are the size of an apartment, there really is no telling. Every hotel I’ve stayed at, the room comes with awesome items to use and take home. Some items include slippers, robes, brushes, toothbrushes/toothpaste,  and  razors. We have a pile of these items in our home, they make for great amenities for guests. Hotels are considerably cheaper as well. It’s rare to pay over $100 for a night stay.  If you come to Japan, try and find a hotel that serves breakfast. The breakfasts are usually buffet style and come with a lot of traditional and western style food options like eggs. The breakfasts also include Japanese items like eel and other fish, potato salad, various types of noodles, rice, and even soups. You can also find Pod Hotels in all the big cities.  I stayed at one in Osaka and it was a wonderful experience. There were 4 pods in one room. The pods are actually quite comfortable and spacious, each one was equipped with a shelf, light, and even a safe.  Manhole Covers As if Japan does not have enough fun things! Another great past time of mine, especially when visiting new cities is to look for their manhole covers. The manhole covers here vary from city to city, and usually reflect the city in some way. As an example, Iwakuni is famous for the Kintai Bridge, so the bridge is the main focus on the manhole cover. Hiroshima has a popular baseball team known as the Carp, so some of their manhole covers have the Carp mascot on them. It is estimated that in Japan there are 6,000 unique manhole covers. Apparently in 1985 some high ranking individual allowed each municipality to design and create their own manhole cover. Since local taxpayers are paying for them, might as well make them at least appealing to the city.  There are even Pokémon manhole covers that can be found throughout certain prefectures of Japan.  Below are some of the manholes we’ve found around Japan.  Nature When you think of Japan, I guarantee that nature is not what pops up in your mind. When I thought of Japan, I automatically thought of Tokyo and other huge concrete jungles full of crowds, lights, and technology. I could not have been more wrong about Japan. Japan is an island and 70% of the country is mountainous, stretching from northern Hokkaido to the southern tip of Kyushu. Most of the major cities are located on the eastern side of Japan near the coasts. Between the east and west coast of Japan is mountains and forests. I still can’t believe how much nature is here in Japan. Agriculture exists, but in small quantities. It is not like other places where entire states are almost set up for agriculture. Here, you will find local farmers throughout the prefectures that have small and sustainable farms. Japan should be world famous for their hiking and outdoor activities. In central Honshu, there is an area known as the Japanese Alps because of their resemblance to the famous European Alps. If you get tired of mountains, Japan is an island so ocean surrounds it on all sides. I think the western side of Japan facing the Sea of Japan has some of the most gorgeous beaches with turquoises water and tropical fish. Not to mention there is the southern prefecture of Okinawa with some of the prettiest beaches on the planet.  Seasonal Items Japan surprised me when I found out you can’t buy things like apples all year long or when you go to the store to get your favorite chocolate and its gone, it wont be available until next year! At first it was frustrating but now I love it. Fruits have their seasons, so grocery stores are stocked with seasonal fruit. Mikan (mandarin oranges) season is a few months out, but once they are in season the stores will be full of them. Now you can find imported oranges that are higher in price. Candy and sweets seem to be seasonal as well. Hazelnut season is not to far out now, I am starting to see hazelnut kit-kats and other sweets that are hazelnut flavored. There will also be orange flavored chocolate come winter time. It is always changing, so if you find a flavor of Kit-Kat or other treat you like, it is probably wise to stock up, because it might not be there tomorrow and you will have to wait another year.  Toilets There is no place else in the world that has toilets like Japan and to be honest it has ruined me, I feel I am to good now for an average western toilet. When I move back to North America or Europe, one of my first purchases will be a Japanese bidet. You can actually install them in your home, as long as you have a plugin. First, let’s start with the traditional Japanese toilet, which I have used but not a huge fan. The traditional toilets are squat toilets, which are still widely used and can be found in most outdoor public spaces. But when you are in a home, store, rest stop, or restaurant, chances are that they have a Japanese style bidet toilet and it is magical. The bidet varies by brand and obviously expense, but for the most part they include the hose that sprays you clean (option for women as well). You can also adjust the temperature of the water that sprays you, warm water is really nice during the winter months. Most bidets will also have a heated seat where the temperature can be adjusted as well. Some of the fancier bidet’s will have more advanced features. Some of the advanced features include an air dryer, so toilet paper is not even necessary. One of the coolest functions I’ve seen, is the bidet will play music or some sort of sound like waterfalls or rain droplets to mask the sound. A little side note, not only are the toilets awesome but the whole bathrooms here are incredible, especially in public spaces. Almost every restroom has a stall with a seat for a child, you can place them here while you take care of business. The handicapped bathroom stalls are impressive as well, they come with a bed and other functions I can’t even begin to explain.  Transportation Growing up in Germany, I got spoiled with public transportation because when I moved to the Midwest, public transportation was non-existent. I knew Japan and other Asian countries were known for their bullet trains and having great transportation, but I never knew how great the system was until I actually moved here.  Most cities in Japan have great train stations. You can use an ICOCA card (prepaid card) to board the train then sit comfortably until you arrive at your destination. Bigger cities have train stations where you literally can spend all day in. They are full of shops, restaurants, and attractions. Taking the local trains say from Iwakuni to Hiroshima is quite convenient, it’s not the cheapest option to get from one place to another but it is fast and easy. Taking the Shinkansen is a whole new animal. The Shinkansen is Japan’s Bullet Train or High Speed Rail. It is impressive, if standing on the train platform and you hear one coming, get your phone ready because it will pass you in the blink of an eye. The train can go 320 km/h or 200 mph. Once inside the train they are so spacious, clean, and quiet. The Shinkansen mainly goes through the country side, so you can stare out the gigantic window and view the beautiful nature Japan has to offer.  Vending Machines Vending machines, another thing where at first I didn’t really rely on, simply because I never used a vending machine in the states. Oh man, they are much different in Japan. In the US, vending machines are pretty much the same everywhere you go and have the same products. In Japan, vending machines are quite the opposite, sure you will find a lot of the same products in various vending machines, but they are so much more fun and enjoyable and the stock rotates constantly. The vending

Nagasaki, Japan. To Westerners, one image or thought instantly pops up when discussing the Japanese city of Nagasaki. August 9th, 1945, 3 days after the atomic bomb exploded over the city of Hiroshima, Nagasaki witnessed a similar fate. Fat Man – the name given to the atomic bomb that exploded over Nagasaki, killing around 80,000, ultimately leading to the surrender of Japan 6 days later. Prior to the war, Nagasaki was one of Japans most important and largest trading ports. Because of trade mainly by the Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese, there are a lot of cultural influences within the city that make Nagasaki a truly unique city worth visiting not to mention they host the Lantern Festival every year around February.  An Early History of Nagasaki Nagasaki started off as a small fishing village on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The first outside visitors to arrive on the shores of Nagasaki were Portuguese explorers in the early 1500’s. Shintoism and Buddhism are the primary religions in Japan and Christianity was non-existent at the time of the first explorers arrival. The Portuguese decided to preach Christianity here before making their way through other areas of Japan. Because of the success of trading, in 1571, the local government decided to open a port here to allow trading with the Portuguese. Soon after, the Dutch and Chinese also found themselves here at the port trading goods. At one point, the Japanese government closed off all ports in Japan except Nagasaki to foreigners, so the city quickly expanded and became one of the more prominent cities in Southern Japan.   The War and How it Shaped Nagasaki It is a shame that World War II and the atomic bomb are what makes Nagasaki so famous. But we can’t deny this, it will forever remain in our history. When you walk around the Peace Park and museum you will see the date August 9, 1945 everywhere. The day the atomic bomb was dropped and leveled the city killing 80,000 people. The B-29 known as Bockscar took off with “Fat Man”, the atomic bomb. The people of Kokura got very lucky that day, as Kokura was the primary target, but due to haze and bad visibility that day, Bockscar flew to Nagasaki, the secondary target. At approximately 10:58 am local time, Fat Man was dropped and exploded 1,640 ft above ground.   Half of the 80,000 people on the ground died instantly, and the rest died  days, weeks, months, years later  of injuries from the blast and radiation.  About 40% of the entire city was completely destroyed.  Because of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered. Nagasaki and most of Japan has done a tremendous job of rebuilding their city, history, and culture since the war.  Attractions and Sites Nagasaki is not a huge city but has a lot to offer, therefor I suggest spending two days here. There are trams that connect the city and travel frequently so it easy to get from one end to the other relatively quickly.  Atomic Bomb Museum – Museums in Japan are inexpensive, the entrance fee for the Atomic Bomb Museum is 200 Yen. If you are a foreign visitor in Nagasaki, this museum is a must. The museum is not very big but it is informative and of course tragic but it is a part of our history. The museum has a replica of Fat Man and a lot of artifacts that were collect after the bombing along with stories of residents at the time of the bombing.  Peace Park – Not far from the museum is the Peace Park, a place for remembrance. Beautifully laid out and has one of the coolest escalators I’ve seen. Dejima – An Open-Air-Museum, set up to show what the port was like for the Portuguese and Dutch traders. Originally it was an island and made to separate Westerners from the local Japanese. Today, you can freely walk around and explore the buildings. Chinatown – The oldest in Japan and is fairly large. This area is full of restaurants and shops.  Oura Church – Considered the oldest Catholic church in all of Japan and is a UNESCO site. I found the entrance to be very expensive for what it is, 1000 Yen.  Kofukiuji Temple – The oldest Chinese temple in Nagasaki. It was built by a Chinese monk in 1620.  There is a 300 Yen fee to enter the grounds for this temple.  Lantern Festival For a long time, Nagasaki has had residents from China. The famous lantern festival started when they would celebrate the Chinese New Year everywhere. In the year 1994, the city of Nagasaki made it a tradition to turn this into Japan’s largest lantern festival. Since then, every year the lantern festival takes place in Nagasaki on January 1st of the lunar calendar year for fifteen days. During this time period the city sets up over 15,000 lanterns throughout Chinatown and other parts of the city and the celebrations begin! During the 15 days, Chinatown is completely overrun by locals and tourists. All shops and restaurants are open but there are several street vendors and festival areas serving food. Honestly, one of our favorite street foods was a Baked Sea Bream, a cake in the shape of a fish filled with either Red Beans or Custard. After living here in Japan for several months, they tend to put red bean paste in a lot of pastries, it is ok but usually I think it’s chocolate, so it is always a let down, my opinion is go with the custard sea bream. Other then food and drinks, many activities take place daily. You should get a pamphlet with events their location and times. Some of the events that occured were the Emperor’s Parade, Dragon Dance, Lion Dance, Acrobatics, karate, and the changing of the masks (Bian Lian)!  Bian Lian – I was at the Kofukiuji Temple with Jill and Kimball for an event. Unfortunately, Jill told us the wrong time and we ended up at the temple for over an hour waiting for the event. We had no idea what the event was but found seats and the temple was a beautiful backdrop for whatever event was scheduled. All of a sudden, music began to play and a fairly large individual appeared in front of the temple wearing a black outfit with huge feathers and a colorful mask. We had no idea what was happening but the performer danced to the music and all of a sudden snapped his fan and boom, a new mask appeared! How was that possible? Not even a split second and his face went from orange to green! Apparently this is an ancient Chinese art associated with a traditional opera where the performer would dance to music and instantly swap their mask with the flick of the fan or other movement. This event was definitely a highlight for me from the Lantern Festival.  [envira-gallery id=”2155″]