Hiroshima and Miyajima

The following morning we caught the train to Hiroshima and then boarded a bus for a day tour 

 We stopped at Hiroshima castle

 before boarding a ferry

 and heading for Miyajima (Shrine Island)

 the place is full of tame deer

 Miyajima is famous for its "floating" Torii gate

 After which we visited Hiroshima's various sites related to the atomic bomb

The bomb dome

 

The peace bell

The children's peace monument

 And went to the Peace Memorial Museum

Kyoto

Following our return from the mountain we stopped an an Onsen bath.

It was quite refreshing/relaxing.

I believe the middle one translates as "no smug assholes"

After returning to Tokyo, rechecking into our hotel (same room, just a few floors up) and grabbing some dinner, we slept for the evening and then headed out to check out Tsukiji fish market.

The entrance to the wholesaler's area

People drive motorised carts around with little to no regard for their surroundings.
The disturbing thing is they all have big metal bumpers, that are all dented and banged up.

 The place is absolutely massive.

This is a section containing a handful of stalls

As denoted by the numbered sign above

 There are over 900 stalls all up.

After eating some sushi at the market for lunch we started about the main business of the day, which was to catch the bullet train to Kyoto.

Nozomi N700

Attempting to take a photo at 300km/h

an equal opportunity hotel

We headed out and went to the top of Kyoto tower to view the city.

There are a number of telescopes at the top of the tower.

We also spied this odd glowing band of lights.

After watching the sun set, we headed off to grab dinner and see if we could find the band of lights.

The lights turned out to be a staircase in the train station.

Reverse view from the stairs to the tower.

 After which we grabbed dinner from the food court at the train station (probably the second best sushi on the trip) and turned in for the night.

Stuff I've eaten - Tokyo edition

The first night we had omakase at a nearby Sushi restaurant that the internet seemed to agree was the best in Shinjuku. It was a very traditional, formal sort of affair so I didn't break out the camera. It was awesome though.

Random chocolate

A hot dog at the Studio Ghibli cafe

 their own label beer

 Abura-soba

 There are drinks vending machines every 3 meters on average.

I can't read enough Japanese to tell you what this is. 

 My drink from the maid cafe, a green tea iced latte

 cheesecake

 A blue samurai, frozen beer slushie on a shandy mixed with blue curacao

The orange version of above, which when I ordered it, I didn't realise was made with half/half beer and orange juice.

I didn't finish it.

 The Sukiyaki dinner (minus a few courses, miso soup, salad, tempura, dessert)

 A matcha frappucino from Starbucks

 The food from the mountain hut halfway up Fuji

 Breakfast the next morning

They've got Mt Fuji and the elevation embossed underneath a picture
of said mountain. I've filled the indentations with maple syrup.

 Shabu shabu

the least interesting soup in the world

somewhat better, still dull tasting afterwards though.