Osaka, Hiroshima, and Hakone.

 Staying at at a traditional Ryokan is a great way to end a Japanese holiday.  Osaka, a modern port and business district, was a good way to start.   

Once acclimatized to the heat, the humidity and the legendary toilets, I was able to move onto Hiroshima, one of the most powerful places I have ever visited. 

 Two years ago in Thailand I saw how the terrible the conditions were on the Burma railway and the brutal conditions the Japanese imposed.  In Hiroshima I saw our terrible retribution.     It is hard to reconcile the version of Japan I saw with the version of Japan I experienced in the country today.   It is good to experience both sides of the story and to have a more nuanced understanding of the country. 

Hiroshima Peace Park

CND rose Hiroshima