Miyajima & Hiroshima Reflections – Floating torii gates and the spirit of peace.

A short ferry from Hiroshima, Miyajima Island floats between sea and sky. Its vermilion torii gate rises from the tide, reflected in silver ripples. At low tide, you walk to it barefoot; at high tide, it becomes a mirage. On the slopes above, temples and maple groves frame the view like brushstrokes. In Hiroshima, peace has taken form as beauty. The Peace Memorial Park is hushed but not heavy—paper cranes flutter, schoolchildren bow, and the eternal flame burns beneath an open sky. The A-Bomb Dome, preserved in shadow and sunlight, stands not as ruin but as remembrance. Together, these places teach quiet strength: the art of transformation, the courage to rebuild, and the grace to forgive. You leave with reverence, carrying the whisper Japan repeats in a hundred ways—shikata ga nai—there is beauty even in what cannot be changed.