Hiroshima Castle (Carp Castle), Hiroshima-Shi

I was spending the day alone in Hiroshima while my finacee attended a conference in the city. The castle is an easy walk from the Peace Park area and it was a beautiful day. For only 280 yen (discount coupons abound) I spent a lovely 3 hours on the grounds strolling through the gate area, the temple, and the reconstructed tower. Following the directions on the brochure, I headed to a section of the outer stone wall to see if I could view the ancient stamps there. When I happened upon an elderly maintenance man, he spent a good five minutes pointing them out to me and trying to explain them in Japanese, although I didn't understand a word he said. He very much wanted me to get the most out of my experience there! While he refused my request for a photo of him by that wall, he will forever remain in my memory as a prime example of the generous nature of the Japanese people. While the castle itself may not be the most impressive you have ever seen, you have to appreciate what has been done since the bomb and value their attempt to preserve and reconstruct historical sites.