6 weeks. Countless train rides. Thousands of kilometers. One unforgettable journey across Japan. It has been hubby's bucket list to slow-travel all around Japan, and we are glad to finally make this a reality. From vibrant cities to quiet countryside, snow-covered mountains to coastal towns, ancient temples to modern skylines — we are grateful for the opportunity to experience and see so many different parts of this country. We were also fortunate to experience the cherry blossom season this time around. Arigato gozaimasu, Japan, for the wonderful experiences and memories, and for showing us again what a unique country you are, with amazing culture and people.
6-Weeks Around Japan
24 Feb - 2 Mar 2026: Tokyo
2-3 Mar 2026: Hakone
3-5 Mar 2026: Nagoya, Nakasendo Trail
5-8 Mar 2026: Kyoto, Uji
8-12 Mar 2026: Osaka
12-17 Mar 2026: Sapporo, Niseko, Hakodate
17-18 Mar 2026: Akita
18-22 Mar 2026: Sendai, Ginzan Onsen
22-25 Mar 2026: Kanazawa, Shirakawago
25- 29 Mar 2026: Hiroshima
29 Mar - 4 Apr 2026: Kokura, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki
4-6 Apr 2026: Beppu
6-7 Apr 2026: Fukuoka
25 Mar 2026 (Wed): Kanazawa - Hiroshima
After 3 nights in Kanazawa, it was time for our 6-hour journey to Hiroshima. This was another long travel day with multiple transits involving 4 trains. First leg was a 2.5 hour journey on 2 trains from Kanazawa to Tsuruga station.
2nd leg was a 3-hour journey on the Thunderbird and Sanyo Shinkansen from Tsuruga to Hiroshima station. We had to break our journey to 2 parts at Tsuruga station as we wanted to start using our 7-days Sanyo-San'in Northern Kyushu Area Pass, which covers areas south of Tsuruga. Bought this pass online for 26,000 yen/pax ($167) and collected them when we were in Kyoto.
Are we train-ed out yet at this point? Not at all coz train travel in Japan is comfortable and easy!
Arrived at the busy Shin-Osaka station at 1.30pm to connect to the Sanyo Shinkansen. After being away from the big cities for 2 weeks, it was a lil' overwhelming to be back in the crowd. Managed to secure last row seats on this Shinkansen as well to place our luggage right behind our seats.
Finally made it to Hiroshima at 3.30pm. One more bus ride on the Meipuru-pu bus to get to our hotel. There are other local buses as well but we chose the Meipuru-pu sightseeing bus as it was included in our rail pass.
It was raining but thankfully it wasn't heavy so we were able to make the 8 min walk from the Peace Memorial Bus Stop to our hotel. Bottom photos were taken on a different day.
Our base in Hiroshima was the ANA Crowne Plaza Hiroshima. This hotel was conveniently located close to the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome. It was forecasted to be Sakura bloom week in Hiroshima so the hotel was very busy with many tour groups.
Booked this 4-night stay for 57,000 HG using the 4th night free benefit. Glad booked this stay early and got them at good award prices. Btw the IHG 4th night free benefit turned out to be good for us as it encouraged us to stay 4 nights to take advantage of it, else we'd be hopping around even faster and have to lug around our heavy bags even more.
Since it was raining all day, I decided to chill in the hotel while hubby ventured out for video game shopping. We met up in the evening to grab dinner from McD and of course, discounted bentos from the supermarket. At this point, we are supermarket discounted bentos pros...lol!
26 Mar 2026 (Thurs): Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Mazda Museum
Started our day early with complimentary buffet breakfast at 6.30am. The "Fruitier" buffet restaurant was busy and didn't have enough space for the number of guests who were there.
We were lucky we got there earlier because there was a long line outside when we left.
After a rainy first day in Hiroshima, we woke up to a clear beautiful day. Perfect for sightseeing. We left the hotel at 7.15am and walked 8 minutes to the Peace Memorial Museum.
Arrived the Hiroshima Peace Museum museum at 7.25am and we were surprised to be the first in line waiting for the museum to open at 7.30am. Bought our tickets on Klook for 200 yen/pax and hubby got the audio guide for 500 yen.
We were glad we got there early and was able to experience the museum in silence. The inscription on the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims reads: "Let all the souls here rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil." These words represent the Spirit of Hiroshima, which yearns for the peaceful coexistence and prosperity of all humanity, as well as for the realization of genuine world peace.
At a time when the world feels divided (because of the news and social media), it is even more important for us to be reminded that the freedom, peace, and prosperity that we are enjoying today did not come easy and we should not take these for granted. It is such a privilege to be born in the generation we were born in and we have so much to be thankful for. WWIl may seem like a distant history but there are still people who are alive today, like my grandma, who had experienced the horrors of WWII.
After spending about 2 hours in the museum, we spent some time strolling around the Peace Memorial Park.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a memorial complex dedicated to the victims of the 1945 atomic bombing, located near the hypocenter in Hiroshima, Japan, featuring the Peace Memorial Museum, Atomic Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, the Children's Peace Monument, and the eternal Flame of Peace, all serving as powerful symbols of remembrance, suffering, and hope for a nuclear-free world.
The cherry blossoms trees were starting to bloom along the banks of the Motoyasu River. So pretty!
Done with our morning sightseeing at 10.15am.
Went back to the hotel to get some rest and eat lunch before our afternoon sightseeing. Being a 'higher end' hotel, they didn't have microwave in a public area, but we were told to bring our food down to the front desk for the staff to help us microwave. Oh yea of course we did that multiple times. They even put it in a nice bag for us.
Left the hotel at 12.30pm and took the bus and train to the Mazda Museum. Yes, we visited another car museum. We have a Toyota and a Mazda so of course we had to visit both. The Mazda museum offers a free tour with booking opening 3 months before. We kiasu booked the tour as they were available on Dec 25. Btw, the whole area close to Mazda Headquarters seemed to be 'owned' by Mazda. There's even a Mazda Hospital and Zoom-zoom Pharmacy.
We arrived at 1.45pm and were given a tag for the tour. This building is the HQ for Mazda so there were other employees at the lobby. I had fun watching the non-stop bowing while waiting for the tour to start at 2.15pm.
This Mazda campus is so big we had to take a bus from the head office lobby to the museum.
This 2-hour free guided tour was conducted in English, showcasing the company's history, technology, and manufacturing process, featuring classic cars and concept cars, as well as a view of the assembly line. Btw both Toyota and Mazda have manufacturing plants in Huntsville. This 'kampung' is not that kampung after all.
Finished our visit at 4.15pm and headed back to the hotel.
Stopped by the supermarket to get snacks and dinner before heading back to our hotel to enjoy the sunset and night views from our room.
Early start for the day with breakfast at 6am before leaving the hotel at 6.30am.
Took the streetcar → train → ferry to Miyajima Island.
The train and ferry were included in our rail pass but we had to pay for the streetcar (240 yen/pax) and Miyajima tax (100 yen/pax).
Sat on the right side of the ferry to see the torii gate as we were arriving Miyajima Island.
Arrived Miyajima Island at 7.50am. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the island is known for its stunning scenery, free-roaming deers, and spiritual significance, making it a popular day trip from Hiroshima. The island is not too big and easy to walk around.The island is not too big and easy to walk around.
It was still pretty quiet when we arrived. Miyajima is famous for the iconic Itsukushima Shrine with its "floating" tori gate that appears to float on the water at high tide.
Itsukushima Shrine from far as we did not care to pay the entrance fee to enter.
Tahoto Pagoda surrounded by pretty cherry blossoms.
Senjokaku Pavilion - A large, unfinished hall with "1,000 tatami mats," offering open views and historical significance.
Early bird gets the peaceful and quiet sightseeing. =)
We randomly strolled around and saw a couple who were getting married.
Found this quiet little park (near Yamamura Chaya) with cherry blossoms blooming and deers roaming around. Best of all, we had the whole place to ourselves! Soooo pretty!!
Still enjoying the streets to ourselves at 9.20am...love it!
Daisho-in Temple - A historic and atmospheric Buddhist temple at the base of Mt. Misen.
Tahoto pagoda and cherry blossoms. Took a break at the gazebo here as I was trying to snatch the train tickets for China when ticket sales open at 10am. Successfully bought the tickets while hubby got asked by a Japanese uncle to help him take photo. This uncle ended up bowing to hubby several times to express his gratitude...lol!
View of the Torii gate from above.
The beautiful cherry blossoms at Miyajima Island was definitely a lovely surprise for us.
After taking way too many photos of cherry blossoms, it was time to leave Miyajima. Bought some local treats - Momiji Manju (maple-leaf-shaped cakes) before leaving.
The island was a lot busier and crowded when we left at 10.30am. So glad we came early and was able to enjoy Miyajima without the crowds. Stopped by Surugaya along the way for hubby to shop for video game before getting back to Hiroshima station at 12.15pm.
Had lunch at Sushiro in Hiroshima Parco. Had to wait about 15 min to get a seat coz we went during lunch time on a Friday.
We then walked to Hiroshima Castle at 3pm for a quick visit and take more photos of cherry blossoms before heading back to our hotel.
Went for a night stroll along Motoyasu River to see the Atomic Bomb Dome at night and the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Monument. Stopped by the supermarket to grab discounted bento, snacks and drinks for dinner in the hotel.
After 2 consecutive early mornings, we finally had a slow morning and decided to try out the Japanese breakfast at the Unkai restaurant on the 5th floor. P.S. We had 2 complimentary breakfast options for my IHG Diamond welcome amenity, the buffet and this Japanese restaurant.
There were only another couple at the restaurant when we got there at 8.30am. The restaurant has a view of the garden and pond, and the Japanese music gave a calming atmosphere.
Our beautifully presented breakfast was served very quickly. The food was good and felt very healthy. This was definitely a good option to avoid the buffet crowd.
Had some time before the baseball game so I headed out myself to check out the cherry blossoms and did some shopping at Uniqlo.
On a chillaxing morning, we took the Meipuru-pu bus to Hiroshima station and followed everyone to walk to the Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium for the Hiroshima Carp vs. Nagoya Chunichi Dragons baseball game at 2pm.
This stadium was next to the Shinkansen tracks so it was cool to see the bullet trains going by. We were not allowed to bring water bottles into the stadium but could transfer our drinks into paper cups provided before entering.
We were lucky to get the tickets for this game when we randomly checked at the 7-11 in Kyoto. Got our tickets for 4200 yen/pax ($27). It was a Saturday so a lot of Carp fans were there to support their team. There were also quite a lot of Chunichi Dragons fans.
The official merchandise store was crowded and busy. Big bro asked me to help look for Pokemon stuffs and asked me to buy this Pokemon cap.
Grateful for the beautiful weather during this game as we were pretty 'exposed'. We didn't get to choose our seats for this game since we got the tickets unexpectedly. Our seats were very close to the field, which was a lil' different from where we sat for the last 2 Hanshin Tigers games.
Always fun to be at a Japanese baseball game even for someone who doesn't know baseball like me.
I had too much fun watching the fans. The energy level of these fans are amazing, singing and chanting for the entire game. Even the visiting team was very loud in this game.
There was also a balloon release tradition in this game which we were not aware of and didn't have balloons, but the uncle sitting next to us was kind enough to give us two so we could join in the fun.
The game lasted for 3 hours and it was great to see Hiroshima winning this game.
The red sea of fans leaving the stadium and walking 10 minutes back to Hiroshima station orderly.
Took the last Meipuru bus from Hiroshima station back to the hotel and had the entire bus to ourselves.
Leaving Hiroshima today but wanted to see a better bloom of cherry blossoms (than 3 days ago) at the Hiroshima Peace Park so I got up at 7.15am for one last stroll along the riverside.
Took way too many same same but different photos of cherry blossoms, coz why not. Visiting Japan during cherry blossoms season is a bucket list trip for many people, so I am grateful we were able to see and experience all these on this trip.
Returned to the hotel at 8am to enjoy our buffet breakfast before checking out.
After spending 4 nights in Hiroshima, it was time to get back on the road again (with our heavy bags). Checked out at 9am and walked to the bus stop to catch the 9.15am bus to Hiroshima station.
Next stop...Kokura.
