Hiroshima, April 4, 2026

We thought the last time the weather in Hiroshima had been bad. But it was actually even worse. At times, the rainwater flowed like a waterfall over the steps. Surprisingly, there were still many people on Miyajima Island. Of course, we encountered fellow travelers from our ship, but they were mainly guided groups from the MSC Bellissima, a ship with about 5,600 passengers.

We took a ferry from near our docking station to Miyajima Island. On the island, we visited the Itsukushima Shrine. It is a huge complex built on stilts from the 6th century. At high tide, it looks as if the whole complex is floating on the water. About 200m out in the sea is a torii gate built in 1875. At low tide, it is accessible on foot, but at high tide, it is completely submerged. It is considered one of the most photographed landmarks in Japan. The shrine and the torii are, like so many things ;), a UNESCO World Heritage site. The whole island would be stunningly beautiful; even from the mountains, one could enjoy wonderful views, and there are many blooming cherry trees and tame sika deer. But in this weather, the desire fades away. We made the return journey again with a short ferry ride and a very long tram ride (about 1 1/2 hours). As the rain intensified, we weren’t in the mood for any museum or shopping mall. We returned to the ship and had an excellent bento box with dumplings. As a farewell, there was an impressive Japanese drum performance by a youth group in front of the ship.