Rainy Shopping in Hiroshima 11/5/11

We're on the platform at Iwakuni Station waiting for a train to Hiroshima. Watch & listen to this VERY brief video. The music is announcing that a train is approaching. It will sound VERY familiar to those who have ever lived in Japan!


Looking out onto Rt 2 as we zip along toward Hiroshima. It's about a 50-minute ride from Iwakuni Station.


This fabric pattern indicates these seats are reserved for the injured/handicapped, elderly, pregnant women and moms with babies.


At Hiroshima Station - these two little girls reminded me of Holly & Heather when they were about these same ages - I used to dress them alike even though they were 4-1/2 years apart.


We've walked out of Hiroshima Station and into the covered streetcar station just in front. We have to be sure to get on the #1 train because we're going to Hondori Street for lunch and shopping.


Cute streetcar!


And looking from inside, that bus has bodies painted in the seats below the windows - how cute!


After a short ride we're at the Hondori shopping street. We're headed to Andersen's for lunch so when we leave the train, we will walk forward on the platform to the light and then cross to the left to enter the covered street. See all the umbrellas? Rain doesn't stop anyone here . . .


There's an entire floor of restaurants on the second floor, but we like this little cafe on the first floor, and we enjoy sitting by the window watching the passersby.


Yum! Special lunch set today was hearty soup, salad & bread with choice of drink & small desert.


And afterward, we're walking around the bakery. You cannot even IMAGINE how good it smells in here! See the loaf that says "Hiroshima" . . . in English?


Heart-shaped English muffins.


And fabulous flaky pastries with fresh fruit . . .


More hearts. Always a popular shape at Christmas.


And look at the cute little piggies!


One of the bakery chefs is pulling bread out of the oven - wow!


And (of course!) when she saw me with a camera, she ducked out of range so I could photograph . . .


These plastic food boxes show what you can order for New Year's presents. Beautiful and yummy - and pricy - but they will feed a very large family for quite a while . . .


Click photos to see closer views - a little of everything inside, and beautifully displayed. They're like a GIANT bento . . .


Historic marker outside Andersen's Bakery on Hondori Street. This building used to be a bank.


Closer look shows photo of building soon after Hiroshima atom bomb in August 1945. It's one of the very few buildings in this location that survived . . .


Inside Hondori shopping street. It's so nice to shop out of the rain.


Oh! The old 100 Yen Shop is now Daiso - bright & new - just like the big one in downtown Iwakuni near the train station. It was also closed for a while & reopened all new.


Inside Tokyu Hands store (one of our favorite large stores!) we found a LOT of Christmas stuff.


I love the detailed hands on this mannikin in the travel department.


And a poster on the wall shows simulated flights to more exotic places . . . nice touch! Everything you need for travel is found here.


Look at these suitcases - you can place little circles to personalize your design! But I have to wonder how they would hold up with the airlines' rough treatment . . . Cute though.


Every store has what I call "umbrella condoms" available in the doorways on rainy days to keep umbrellas from dripping on the floor. This one is automatic - poke your umbrella in the top & it comes out covered . . .


Shopping's finished for today & we're waiting in the center of this wide street for a streetcar back to Hiroshima Station. Another hour & a half & we'll be back in our cozy home.

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