Hiroshima

We made a five day road trip to parts of Japan we hadn't been to before, 2,500 km in all.

High on the priority list was Hiroshima.

It turned out to be a marvellous place. Obviously you are  always aware of the tragic past and memorials were everywhere, but what a pretty and enjoyable city it is.
"Pretty" is a highly unsual word to use when referring to Japanese cities. They are usually anything but, apart from the odd temple etc. Indeed they tend to all look alike in their drabness and never-ending concrete and overhead wires.

Here is the view from our hotel with the sadly famous dome.

So Hiroshima sits on the many branches of the Ota River and is surrounded by green hills. It must have been  rebuilt from scratch of course and I guess this gave the opportunity for some planning. So streets are wide, trees are plentilul as are parks, on the whole a very pleasant mix.

The local food too is excellent. Along the river branches restaurants sell oysters from
floating terraces.

 The really famous thing though is Hiroshima Okonomyaki. Thought to have originated in Osaka this is a typical Western Japan dish.

 Most versions are pretty heavy, with a thick pancake resembling a pizza and various things on top. Including large amounts of mayonaise and a sort of thick Worcestershire Sauce.

A comfort food for exhausted salarymen it is washed down with prodigious quantities of beer, whiskey sodas and  Japanese Vodka.

The Hiroshima version is quite different, much lighter and full of more interesting things. We found a little place, there were dozens, near our hotel which turned out to be brilliant. The dish is prepared before you on a large hot plate, like Teppanyaki. The master is kept busy cooking various things for the different customers seated around the large hot plate.


The Hiroshima version consists of lots of cabbage, other vegetables and meat  sandwiched betweeen two wafer thin crispy pancakes.



First the thin pancakes are prepared.


Then other ingredients are added. In Hiroshima this often includes thin noodles.

At the same time he prepared other delicious dishes for us on the hot plate:

A wonderful tomato, basil and cheese concoction and a incredibly good dish of fresh scallops and clams.

The bill for two including drinks came to about $30.

What a wonderful place.