Hiroshima Days - Be a local

"sokoiko!" is a guided cycling tour that takes you to the local places not in the guidebooks. You can choose from 3 courses below in Hiroshima City. -Peace Cycling Tour in Hiroshima -A custom-made cycling tour in Hiroshima -Hiroshima Night Cycling & Bar Hopping Other than these tours in Hiroshima city, there are also tours that take you around a peaceful island:  sokoiko! Etajima . For further information: https://www.sokoiko-mint.com/ Highlights of the Peace Cycling Tour Meeting Place of Peace Tour: Rest House in Peace Memorial Park

Etajima: is the island where the most ferries travel for from Hiroshima Port. The island where you can spend time quietly and relax, actually does exist near Hiroshima city. Cycling Stand Up Paddleboard Beautiful Sunset Staying at a Private Home Guided Cycling Tour "sokoiko!" How to get to Etajima Cycling Once you arrive at the island, why not take a leisurely biking? Etajima is the fourth largest island in the Seto Inland Sea, and if you would like, you can bike for up to 70 km course. How to rent a bike? How do you get your bike ready? If you rent it on Etajima, there are rental bike shops at each port and pier in the island; however, it is better to make a reservation in advance because the type and number of the bikes in each shop are different. The types available are: -Mini-velo -City cycle Other than above, For those who are not confident in your physical strength, don’t worry! There types are available for you: ...

We believe that there is no one who doesn't know Itsukushima Shrine in those who visits Hiroshima. How do you worship there? The shrine on the sea was built by Taira-no-Kiyomori, a samurai of dating back the 12th century. Miyajima island itself was considered as a sacred body, and the shrine was built in the sea so it would not damage the body of God. At that time, the worship was carried out only from the sea on a boat. That is the reason why O-torii (Grand Torii Gate) is standing in the water. After arriving at Miyajima, do you walk to the Itsukushima shrine and worship? It’s good, of course. But there is another good way to visit when you feel like to worship from the sea in the old traditional way; except, due to the ebb and flow of the tide, there is limited time to pass through the torii gate by boat, just as you can walk through it only during the low tide. As it is only for 2-3 hours before and after high tide, please check the schedule carefully. C...

** Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ritual on the sea has been canceled 2021; only the Shinto Ritual in  main building of  Itsukushima Shrine is going to be held. Kangen-sai is a festival that is belong to Itsukushima Shrine, held on June 17 of the old lunar calendar (now it is around the beginning of August) at a nearly full moon evening through night, and is taken as one of Japan's three biggest Boat Shinto Rituals. Now, what is Boat Shinto Ritual? Shinto ritual is a sacred event that enshrines God. You may have heard the word " Matsuri -festival-"; if that Matsuri is an event related to Shrine(God), then that Matsuri also is one of the Shinto rituals. When you hear about  Matsuri , most of you would imagine Mikoshi and the people who carry it. Then, what is  Mikoshi ? Mikoshi  is a place where the god who usually stays in shrines temporarily move in to go around the area during the festival. Writing in kanji, it becomes 神の( Mi : Gods...