The Deeper Side to Hiroshima

Hello everyone! As of next week (September 21st), I will have officially been with sokoiko! Cycling Tours for a full month. It has been an incredibly busy, but exciting experience learning not only about this company, but also about Hiroshima itself. Before joining, I had actually visited Hiroshima several times since it's only about a three-hour drive from my old home in Ehime Prefecture. And to be honest, I thought I had seen everything. From Peace Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, Miyajima, and even the botanical garden, I hit just about every location the guidebooks usually recommend. However, it wasn't until I joined my first e-bike tour that I realized just how much more there was to see. 

As it was my first time, our guide Karl and the very nice couple from Australia we had as our guests allowed me to tag along for their 3-hour Hiroshima cycling tour. The tour covered a fairly large portion of the city. We followed a route that visited Hiroshima Castle, Peace Memorial Park, the atomic bomb hypocenter, and so much more. They were places I had already been to, and yet their stories became so much clearer and more interconnected when I visited them on a bike tour.

For example, I was shocked to learn just how connected the history of Hiroshima Castle is to the events of the atomic bombing. Hearing the stories of those who built it, as well as those who were there on that fateful day, brought a whole new perspective to a place I had been to many times before. Who knew there was an old communications bunker right by the castle gate with a tragic story to tell? Or, what about the Eucalyptus tree that survived the bombing and is still growing proudly to this day? I certainly didn't! I was honestly amazed by how many stories I had simply walked by without even realizing.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. This city is filled to the brim with these kinds of blink-and-you'll-miss-it places that are surprisingly rich in history. Throughout the Hiroshima bike tour, our guide Karl introduced us to so many more stories and places that let our guests and I see the deeper side of Hiroshima. For the rest of those stories, I'll let Karl or one of our other knowledgeable guides tell them. But what I'll say for now is that, having done the full ride, I'm honestly amazed by how much more there is to learn. All it takes is hopping on a bike and seeing what's out there.

It hasn't even been a month at sokoiko! Cycling Tours, and I've already learned so much. I genuinely can't wait to see what else I'll experience the longer I'm here. Until then, let's get pedaling! If you'd like to experience the deeper side of Hiroshima for yourself, feel free to book a cycling tour with us. We'd love to ride with you!