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56|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTCITIESHIROSHIMAINGENERALTHEWEATHERINJAPANHASBEENAMAZINGFORUS.ITFEELSLIKE90%OFTHEDAYSHAVEBEENGLORIOUSLYSUNNY,TEMPERATEANDWONDERFULFORPICTURES.TODAYWASNOTONEOFTHOSEDAYS–ANDITHINKITFELTALLTHEMOREMISERABLEBECAUSETHERESTHAVEBEENSOGOOD.WECALLDAYSLIKETHIS“DREICH”INSCOTLAND.TODAYWASADREICHDAY.YESTERDAY,THEGLOOMYWEATHERSUITEDTHEGLOOMYBLOG(SEEHISTORYSECTION)BUTTODAYWEWEREHOPINGFORSOMETHINGSUNNIER.ITWASNOTTOBE.WEDECIDEDTOPUSHONREGARDLESSANDHEADTOITSUKUSHIMASHRINE,ANOTHEROFJAPAN’SUNESCOWORLDHERITAGESITES.DIPPINGITSFEETINTHESETOINLANDSEA,ITSSPECTACULARTORIIGATEHASTOBEREPAIREDMOREREGULARLYTHANORDINARYANCIENTSTRUCTURESASTHESALTYWATERNIBBLESATITSTOES.THEGRANDGATENATURALLYLEADSTOASHRINE,ANDITSUKUSHIMAASAWHOLEISWHATUNESCOCHOSETOACKNOWLEDGE.THEEXACTDATEOFITSORIGINALCONSTRUCTIONISUNKNOWN,HOWEVER,IT’SGENERALLYAGREEDTHATIT’SDEFINITELYBEENAROUNDSINCEATLEAST811AD.DUETOITSLOCATIONATTHEBASEOFMOUNTMISEN,THEHIGHESTPEAKFORMILESAROUND,THESITEHADBEENTHOUGHTHOLYFORMUCHDAY70NOVEMBER19MIYAJIMA,HIROSHIMACOMERAINORSHRINELONGERTHANTHAT.ONCEUPONATIME,THEPEAKWASBELIEVEDASSOSACRED,THATNOONEWOULDSCALEIT.TODAY*,IT’SATESTINGHIKETOTHETOPOPENTOEVERYONE.*NOTLITERALLYTODAY,OFCOURSE.ONAGOODDAY,ALLOFTHIS–GATE,MOUNTAIN,OCEANANDALL–CONTRIBUTETOMIYAJIMA(ASIT’SALSOKNOWN)BEINGLONG-REGARDEDASONEOFJAPAN’SMOSTSCENICSPOTS.THATDECISIONWASPRESUMABLYMADEBEFOREVENDINGMACHINES,HAWKERSANDGANGSOFMENACINGDEERWEREINSTALLED.NOTTHATANYOFITKEEPSTHEPUNTERSAWAY;NEXTTOITSNORTHERLYCOUSINNARA,INSPITEOFTHERAINANDEVERYTHINGELSE,MIYAJIMAISONEOFTHEBUSIESTTOURISTPLACESWE’VEBEENINJAPAN.WELEFTASWEHADARRIVED:COWERINGUNDERUMBRELLAS.SEEINGTHATWEFELTALITTLEGLUM,OURLOVELYGUIDEMIKAKO,TOOKUSFORSOMEOFHIROSHIMA’SFAMOUSOKONOMIYAKI.WEHADSOMEINOSAKATOOBUTHADN’TENJOYEDITALLTHATMUCH.THANKFULLY,THISHIROSHIMAVERSION,HEAVYONVEGETABLES, WASMUCHTASTIER.ITWASSTILLAMILLIONMILESAWAYFROMBEINGAHEALTHYALTERNATIVE,BUTWHATDOESTHATMATTER?ITCHEEREDUSRIGHTUP.
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