Hiroshima’s Best Beer Bars
Aug 26, 2020 By Bert Wishart
You know how it goes. Every day has felt like yet another Monday, and it felt as if Friday would never come. And now it's finally here, Friday afternoon. You watch the minutes tick away until, at last, it's clocking out time. In English, we say TGIF. In Japanese, it's...[ Click to read more ]
Seoul Food – Hiroshima’s Korean Restaurants
Aug 24, 2020 By Bert Wishart
There is no doubt that, living here in Japan, we are spoiled to have on our doorstep some of the world’s finest cuisine. However, it has to be said that Japanese fare is not the be-all and end-all that some may suggest, as from bibimbap to samgyeopsal, from chijimi to...[ Click to read more ]
Mt Misen – A Pilgrimage Hike in Hiroshima
Jul 31, 2020 By Hugh Cann
As mentioned in earlier posts, there are more hiking experiences in Hiroshima than one might immediately expect. One of the more rigorous and interesting is the Mt Misen hike on Miyajima to the west of Hiroshima city. Miyajima has been regarded as a sacred island of divine power channeling the...[ Click to read more ]
Walk with the Animals, Talk with the Animals…
By Hugh Cann
Look I’m just going to say it. I’m not a fan of zoos and my first visit to Japan and see the zoo in the 1980s left me indignant and determined never to go again. HOWEVER. Japanese notions of animal care have evolved a lot and while it’s not Taronga...[ Click to read more ]
Cycling Etajima in Hiroshima’s Seto Inland Sea
By Hugh Cann
Hiroshima faces on to the Seto Inland Sea dotted with islands. The Japanese Aegean? Not quite, but hey, it’s fine to wax romantic. Of course, the title is not literal. Still, as you may imagine, these islands offer a veritable treasure trove of opportunities to explore, not to be passed...[ Click to read more ]
Hiroshima’s Onomichi and Tomonoura: Cruise the Inland Sea
Jun 29, 2020 By Hugh Cann
Most residents of Hiroshima have at least heard of Onomichi, if not had the opportunity to visit. Onomichi is a small shipbuilding town nestled on the edge of the Seto Inland Sea, aka Seto Naikai, to the East of Hiroshima. Among Japanese people of a certain vintage, it is probably...[ Click to read more ]
Umeshu: A Tangy Plum Liquor and Japanese Tradition
By Hugh Cann
If you live in Japan, you have almost certainly tried, or at least seen, "ume." These hard, reddish, berry-like and squishy looking pale prune-like plums on a plate, or seen one or garnishing a bowl of rice. Ume, or "prunus mume," in Japanese ume, is actually an apricot but is...[ Click to read more ]
Cold Noodles in Hiroshima
By Hugh Cann
Cold noodles are just what the doctor ordered in the sweltering Japanese Summer! Noodles are an essential staple of Japanese cuisine, eaten by people of all ages in every part of the country. The first bowl of noodles arrived in Japan via Buddhist monks who brought them back from China more...[ Click to read more ]
Mitaki Temple
Jun 26, 2020 By Matt Mangham
Mitaki Temple (or Mitaki-dera) isn’t as off the beaten path as it once was. All the online references to a “hidden gem” seem to have had their inevitable effect, and the last few times I’ve been there I’ve had plenty of company. Still, except for sunny weekends in cherry blossom...[ Click to read more ]
Making Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki
May 28, 2020 By Hugh Cann
Okonomiyaki (o-konomi-yaki) is most easily described as a Japanese savory pancake made from a variety of ingredients that includes shredded cabbage, flour, and yam based batter, meat (generally fresh pork belly) and seafood. The name comes from the word okonomi, meaning "how you like" or "what you like", and yaki...[ Click to read more ]
