The train ride to Hiroshima was to last an hour and twenty minutes. I was looking forward to the sea crossing from Kyushu Island to the larger mainland Honshu but we went thru a tunnel so no bridge span. The train was quite nice and comfy. It is fun watching all the trains pull in as they arrived at Hakata station. Announcements are made in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and English as are the display boards. Arriving at Hiroshima I saw some of the city and river but no landmarks. At Hiroshima station there was a tourist info desk with giant signs telling you how to goto the Peace Park and Miyajima. It seems like they are fed up of giving directions and didnt want to talk to anyone. I was debating whether to buy a tram pass or not. A ticket to the peace park was 150Y while a ticket each way to Miyajima was 270Y. The pass was 600Y ($7.50) so this seemed cheaper. You're supposed to insert your tram pass when you enter and insert it again when you leave. I wasnt doing that so I messed up the sequence maybe invalidating my pass later in the day. The trams were interesting in 1930s style with the conductor standing by the middle entrance. I decided to get off a stop before the Peace Park to walk up to Hiroshima Castle. This is a recreation after the original was destroyed in the atomic blast. I decided not to go in as I was short on time and visiting the much nicer Kumamoto which is larger and older the next day. The outer defences had a free museum though there wasnt much to see. There was also a small temple in the grounds. After taking some pics I returned to the Peace Park which was the centre of the first atomic blast.