Today I departed my hotel early as I wanted to make a start on the journey down to Hiroshima in the south of Japan. After breakfast, I caught the metro to the train station and boarded a Shinkensen (bullet train) to my next destination. The type of train I caught was the Nozomi, the newest and fastest of all bullet trains. It is this type of train that breaks the 120mph mark, and believe me when I say that is fast!! It took just one and a half hours to reach Hiroshima, and from the central station it was the simple matter of a tram ride to reach the hostel. I even managed to complete the final walking part of the journey without having to go around in circles, which is a first for this trip! The ease of my journey did, however, have one downside, I had arrived 3 hours before the place unlocks it doors. It did have a very nice outdoor seating area though, all pine furniture and bamboo, and, after a brief exploration of the immediate vicinity to get my bearings, I settled in the sun to read my book.

Once the reception was open, and much restored by my sojourn, I quickly settled into my room. The J-hopper Traditional Guesthouse has a mix of both dormitory rooms and traditional style private guest rooms. I had chosen the latter, and was very impressed. My room is what would be described as a Tatami room, after the Japanese matting used not only as flooring but as a measurement of the size. In my room, as is traditional, there was no bed and only a low table, with a special mat and blankets for sleeping. It was exactly because of this that I had chosen to stay in this particular hostel; if this style of accommodation had suited feudal lords for the best part of a millennia, it would certainly do for me!

As for the rest of the hostel, it came complete with washing facilities, kitchen, very nice lounge, and a roof top seating area that would appear to be perfect for sunny weather. After taking advantage of the washing facilities, I wandered around the corner to the local laundrette to use their dryers and then went off to explore the town. I was seeking a post office so I could top up my funds of Yen, which had taken hit by having to pay for my room in cash, up front. With one such facility located, I turned my attention to a more basic need: it was dinner time. I quickly chose a decent looking place, but equally quickly became confused by the menu. It appeared that they only served small, thin slices of meat, without any side orders or salads available. It was clear that I was somehow missing the point of the place, but luckily one of the staff noticed my hesitation and came to my rescue armed with an English copy of their menu. It was from this literary masterpiece that I learnt I had wandered into a very specific type of restaurant, namely one that serves Yakinku style food. What one does is choose from the menu a type of seasoned meat, and once the order is placed, the customer is equipped with a brazier of hot coals and the raw dish. You then proceed to cook the meat yourself on this brazier to your own tastes. I ordered two kinds of pork and some peppers (which looked like chilli peppers, but after one cautious bite turned out to taste just like green peppers). Washed down with some Japanese beer and green tea, I was fully sated and returned to the hostel very happy that I had blundered into that particular eatery.

After my fine meal and a short stroll, I returned to my room in order to plan my day for tomorrow. Maybe I will visit the A-bomb memorial and museum, or maybe Hiroshima Castle, or maybe the downtown area....decisions, decisions!!