Day 1：
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Itsukushima Shrine Viewed at high tide, Itsukushima Shrine appears to be floating on the water. The wooden structure on the sea, which was designed with consideration given to the ebb and flow, makes the shrine unparalleled in the world. Itsukushima Shrine, which is a truly remarkable example of the integration of architecture into nature, is registered as a World Cultural Heritage. The solemn and magnificent architectural beauty created by the masterpiece of the Shinden-style architecture, together with the majestic figure of Mt. Misen rising behind the shrine and the magnificent view of the Seto Inland Sea spreading out in front of the shrine, conveys the court culture of bygone days to visitors. |
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Momijidani Park Momijidani Park, located at the foot of Mt. Misen, is noted for its splendid autumnal view of scarlet tinged maple leaves (momiji), as its name signifies. Although it looks like a natural valley, it is in fact an artificial valley. Since Itsukushima Shrine had been frequently hit by avalanches of earth and rocks, the location of the original valley was changed, and the current artificial valley was created, with consideration given to keeping its shape as natural as possible, when disaster restoration work was carried out. |
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Five-storied Pagoda The cypress bark-roofed five-storied pagoda, approximately 27.6 meters high, rises on the hill. It is said to have been built in 1407. Each pillar has a gold-brocaded decorative painting at the top. On the inner walls, Buddha and other sacred images are painted in vivid colors. The pagoda shows a splendid structural beauty created by skillfully combining Japanese and Chinese styles. |
| Senjoukaku Hideyoshi Toyotomi started construction of Senjoukaku, Buddhist Hall, in 1587 in order to read the sutras and console the war dead. However, due to his death 10-plus years later, part of the building remains unfinished. Votive pictures of a horse, dedicated to Itsukushima Shrine in the past, hang from the beam. |
Day 2：
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Peace Memorial Park The Peace Memorial Park, located roughly in the middle of Hiroshima City, is a large park constructed on the delta between two rivers. The Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, International Conference Center Hiroshima, etc. are located in the park.  |
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Hiroshima Museum of Art Hiroshima Museum of Art was built with "love and relaxation" as its theme and with the citizens' sincere desire for peace. This museum houses art works created by foreign artists, ranging from the French Romanticists (in the mid-19 century) to the Ecole de Paris, as well as those created by Japanese artists, dating from the Meiji era to the present. Hiroshima Museum of Art is also famous for its distinguished collection of art works created by the French Impressionists, such as Cezanne, Manet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. A horse chestnut tree presented by the son of Picasso is growing in the courtyard of the museum. This museum was built in memory of and to express condolence for the victims of the A-bomb. |
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Hiroshima Castle Hiroshima Castle is also known as "carp castle". The exterior of its donjon was restored to the former condition in 1958. The exhibits in the castle tell us how the castle was constructed and what was going on in Hiroshima during the Edo Era. War helmets and armor, used by Hiroshima-based feudal lords and warriors, are on exhibit in the castle. The second compound was reconstructed in 1994. |
Day 3：
3rd floor, International Conference Center Hiroshima,
1-5 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
TEL：082-244-6156 ／FAX：082-244-6138
E-MAIL：hcvb@hiroshima-navi.or.jp
http://www.hcvb.city.hiroshima.jp/e_navigator/hcvb/