Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island

This is the last of the Japan blogs - it’s gone quickly, and these last few days were super fun!

On Tuesday, we took a day trip from Osaka to Nara, one of Japan’s former capitals and home to some very bold deer. As soon as we stepped into the park near Todaiji Temple, the deer were everywhere — politely bowing (sometimes aggressively nudging) in exchange for the little crackers you can buy from vendors. It was a fun way to start the morning and entertaining watching people try to dodge the more aggressive deer.

Todaiji itself is huge - home to one of the largest Buddha statues in the world, and the whole area has a peaceful atmosphere despite the crowds and occasional deer chaos. We had some free time to wander, then took the train back to Osaka for a chilled evening.

The next day we said goodbye to Osaka and made our way to Hiroshima. The mood shifted here - it’s a beautiful city, but visiting the Peace Memorial Park and Museum was heavy, as expected. The Atomic Bomb Dome, the Eternal Flame, and the Peace Bell are all powerful reminders of what happened here. We had a local guide take us around, which added more context and personal stories - some tough moments but incredibly important to hear. That evening, we went for dinner and had Okonomiyaki. Very tasty! 

On Thursday, we headed to Miyajima Island - just a short ferry ride from Hiroshima. The island is famous for the bright torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, which appears to float at high tide. It’s one of those places that really lives up to the pictures.

The island itself is quiet and scenic, with shrines, beaches, and forest trails. We visited the Senjokaku Pavilion (the "Hall of 1000 Mats"), which is completely open and overlooks the Five-Story Pagoda.

Back in Hiroshima that evening, we went out for a final group dinner and drinks. It was a nice way to wrap everything up - a mix of people I’d only met a couple of weeks ago, but it already feels like we’ve travelled a lot of ground together (literally and figuratively)!

On Friday, the trip officially ended. Everyone headed off in different directions - flights, trains, new cities. I’m now writing this from the airport in Bangkok, waiting for my flight to Krabi. Japan was absolutely amazing and I would come back in a heartbeat!