It’s amazing how often I meet people who have lived in Hiroshima all their lives who have never visited Mitaki-dera Temple. It’s one of Hiroshima’s hidden gems and a place to which one can return time after time whenever in need of a bit of peace and quiet in beautiful surroundings.

One of the first things people notice when they arrive in Hiroshima on the shinkansen is the bulbous silver stupa that sits on top of 139m Mt Futaba-yama, just to the south of the Hiroshima Station.

Ikari-jinja is one of the oldest shrines in the Hiroshima city area, and it is thought that it has been a place of worship since the early Nara period, about 1250 years ago.

Despite, being next to a busy thoroughfare, its precinct is quiet and calming, and it has an interesting  history. It’s definitely worth popping in if you find yourself in the area.