Hiroshima, trains, buses and trams

8 October, Himeji – Hiroshima

A long day today. On the Shinkansen to Hiroshima before 7:00 am, we were on a day trip from Himeji to visit Hiroshima and the island shrine of Miyajima. This is a long weekend in Japan so we had to hit the track early to get seats on the trains. Miyajima is a temple with a difference. It's said to float above the sea. The orange shrine gate is one of the most photographed sights in Japan. On this sunny day it didn't disappoint.

Taking the train, then a tram, back to central Hiroshima, first stop was the A-Bomb Dome, the shell of the building over which the atomic bomb exploded in August 1945. Although every soul inside the building was lost and fire took the internal structures, somehow the shell survived. The nearby Hiroshima Peace Park, a quiet and reflective park, well set out as only the Japanese can, contains several memorials. A well-balanced museum captured much of the real horror of that day in 1945 when the world changed forever. Photos and personal articles create stories of some of the victims and survivors. It can be harrowing.

Back in Himeji by 4:00 pm, it is probably a good time to mention the Japanese transport systems. We've been on and off trains, subways, trams and buses, with very little hassle. Tens of millions of Japanese and a few tourists, depend on this fantastic public transport every day. Our favourite of course is the Shinkansen (bullet trains). These aircraft-like miracles of modern engineering whisk us about with an efficiency that would leave even the Dutch and Germans gasping. For trips of anything up to 500 kms, the frequency of departures is unbelievable. From Tokyo to Okoyama, trains run about every 15 minutes. Subways, buses and trams right across the country are coordinated, so that it is generally possible to make connections within a few minutes.

Language is no barrier either. Numbered lines and trains assist in more remote areas, but in larger cities, all stations and stops are announced in English. Everything is so well ordered. When a train pulls into a station, departing passengers are lined up at the appropriate spot on the platform that will be precisely where the door will open when the train stops. Amazing stuff!

Stations are places of wonder. There is a constant background noise of announcements, beeps, squawks, bird-like electronic sounds and our favourite, the cleaning carts that play tunes like Camp Town Races as the white-gloved, smartly-uniformed cleaners scrub every surface to a reflective sheen. Electronic noise seems to be everywhere in Japanese cities. Street crossings feature way more than the pathetic, trapped-bird noises that we are familiar with. Some also play music tunes like Scotland the Brave. But for us, the absolute pinnacle was the electronic rendition of the Astro Boy theme that welcomed us to one of the Tokyo subway stations.