This blogpost covers the day of April 1st, 2023 while Kure & Hiroshima, Japan.
Woke up at 8 AM to start a new day, a new adventure. I desired to wake up; To venture to ‘Y’s Cafe’, it allegedly never opened, or opened so early preventing me from venturing there for the Kantai Collection goodies. Instead, I packed up my luggage to venture to 7/11 for my breakfast. I was swarmed by pigeons.
My plan for the day was to mainly visit the Yamato museum, even visit a park on the other side of Kure to observe moored military naval vessels.
Related Blog Posting (Japan Travel):
[Day 1] – [Day 2] – [Day 3] – [Day 4] – [Day 5] – [Day 6] – [Day 7] – [Day 8] – [Day 9] – [Day 10] – [Day 11]
Using my language translator (DeepL) I conversed with the receptionist if I could keep my luggage there for a certain amount of time. It was ‘OK’d’, thus I went on my 7/11, Yamato Museum, and other similar objectives. I had to accomplish what I needed to do prior to my heading off back to Hiroshima.
Relieved that my hotel was to hold onto my luggage I went on a time-sensitive mission to visit both the Yamato Museum, and the moored vessels on the other side of Kure.
While I sat down I recorded a video to Twitter noting how I couldn’t go to Y’s Cafe. I bought 7/11 breakfast, ate it, and planned to visit the Yamato museum. Once I finished eating I went to revisit Yamato’s anchor (as you’ll notice below), and then 180* (double back) to head straight to the Yamato Museum.
I’m loving the park here. The lovely shape of the park, the birds (Heron), and even how these fountains are set up. How Japanese folks keep their own public space clean. Everything is lovely.
I’m amused I failed to make sense of a few things. Yamato Museum, Yamato anchor, Yamato anchorage. Kure was the home-base of Yamato, yet I failed to piece the puzzle together the following day when I was gifted an KanColle Yamato card by a friendly Kure local.
My obliviousness even surprises myself at times.
I agree, Azur Lane has some wonky designs, more so when using AR mode to pay your respects. Whoever made this art failed to take into account the AR functions. The artist would be Dishwasher1910. May need to take into consideration future designs relating to the AR function on the Azur Lane side of things. As for KanColle, I wish I was allowed to make use of KanColle’s AR mode.
My login credentials were stored back at home, in Canada, Ottawa.
Onwards! To the Yamato Naval Museum!
Japan has some funky pathways, yet it was straight forward at times. Both here and in Kamakura. Some pathways can really become awkward, yet mostly smooth sailing.
An interesting way to get to the museum. One could take the intersection, or the foot path across. If I had known I would have taken a more direct route towards the museum, something I would have done so later.
At last! My dream of exploring the Yamato museum has finally come true! Nice!
(Side-note: I didn’t have a stamp book at this point in time. I could have obtained a stamp of this cute chibi KanColle character, had I known I could have done so. I’m now cursing at myself in hindsight.)
I was in genuine awe and amazement once I personally saw the size of this model Yamato. Overly massive! Even in her scale model form she genuinely commands full respect. For the largest battleship in the world, and for Japan, it’s genuinely no wonder why she’s proudly displayed the way she is in this museum. She is large, and she is genuinely mighty.
Checking out the main ‘No Photography Allowed’ section.
Section 2 of Yamato Museum.
Section 1 prevented me from taking photography, though I could have taken images. I took images of ‘section 2’ on the opposite side containing torpedoes, planes, shells, among other displays.
Leading up to the second floor we’re now greeted by a lovely top-down view of the beautiful Zero. The upper floor containing models of various WW2 vessels of the Japanese fleet.
(Side-note: Hindsight knowledge hurts at times. Seeing that stamp station hurts me after having been gifted the stamp book. I wish I noticed it sooner. My obliviousness hurts. I need this in my stamp book!)
The bell you see above is apparently in respect to those in Yamato, something I was (once again) oblivious to at the time. I heard others ring the bell, maybe even potentially playfully. I went up to it, tried to hesitantly ring it. I assumed it was a lover’s bell, at first. In hindsight (again in hindsight) it’s a memorial to those on Yamato.
I may have seen some stares at me as I panicked. I panicked, leaving the area. I panic-fled the area.
Yamato Museum: Complete! | Operation: Moored Vessels, GO!:
Satisfied with having visited the Yamato museum I decided to venture towards my Part 2 goal of seeing moored naval vessels at Kure. Had to walk my way to their mooring area, as suggested by others and myself. Yes, I looked at busing options, I preferred to walk thanks to language barriers.
“Why not take the bus?”, you ask?
I desired to. Being a Canadian in Japan (a foreigner) I felt overly hesitant. I wanted to see if I could speed-walk my way to my destination. Thankfully I walked taking in the scenery. Walking allowed me to soak in the scenery more than I ever could by bus. Savouring the sight seeing in a walking manner.
Google Maps kept taking me through some overly funky pathways, something I had to keep improvising on its suggested routes as well. I followed the roadways, I however had to improvise my way around at times as well.
As I noted previously, these roadways are overly funky and wonky. They’re more car-based than they are pedestrian based. The focus seems to be on using a bus over pedestrian use.
It made me do a bit of a weird half-square detour in the above intersection.
The above intersection caught me off guard. Not confused, not even in the slightest. I simply found this weird and messed up. For something like this (with the green dotted line) add a pedestrian bridge!
Why?! I went the way of red line, while Google Maps suggested a yellow pathway.
The white dotted circle (near 487) had me take a water break. I put my sweater in my back-pack, even taking a water break. During this, my Scathach pin decided to unhook from my bag causing it to roll away on me. I had to chase after it. I should have kept it locked up in my bag from then on.
Continuing to follow the pathway. I even made way for a local Japanese person on the sidewalk who told me – “Thank you” – in English for having made way for him on the pathway. He was on a bike, me on foot. Took me a bit by surprise, yet made me feel warm and happy. Kindness and acknowledgement warms the heart.
I continued on my way.
Alley Karasu-ko-jima:
Was suggested to visit this area by some local Japanese, Google Maps, and by personal interest. My 20-30 minute walk had me arrive to this location.
JS Umigiri
(Umigiri = Seafog)
It goes without saying with how hot it was is how my back was soaking wet. From the time I took of my sweater (weird intersection) to this point, and beyond. It would be a running theme.
Once I saw the tour boat going by I HAD to plan for it in my trip. I HAD to head back ASAP to Yamato Museum, and to book a trip. Seeing JS Chihaya, JS Umigiri, among others I had to.
Intermission – Bus ride:
I went to the nearby bus-stop to make my way back to the Yamato museum. I waited there, even asked a local teen (whom I was assumed was a male, just a female with a hair cut overly short; Military cut). Asked her if the stop I was talking was correct. She was overly confused, even a bit overwhelmed. Sorry! Sorry for overwhelming you. Just simply curious. She pointed out my stop is correct, thus we waited for the bus to round the corner.
Hoped in, took a seat, and GPS tracked my way back to a stop less than what I desired. I rung the bell, walked my way to the front (something I shouldn’t have done), even watching how the bus driver was driving the bus in an overly exaggerated, yet delicate manner. I was awe struck. Very fancy driving. I wish I recorded the way he drove.
I wish I captured these moments on camera.
Naval Tour:
Made my way back a stop short than I had originally planned. Made my way back the way I came, even crossing Takarabashi bridge.
I was trying to find my way around to reach the naval tour booth. I went up and around, over and under. I eventually found the place. I was originally early, yet by the time I found out there was roughly 5-10 minutes left. It was getting painfully close to the tour closing off.
WHERE IS IT?!
Not outside, not at Yamato Museum. My god, I’m going to miss it at this rate!……
Up and around, down and over……
FINALLY! Bottom floor!
“Can I have a tour for 1, naval cruise?”…. “Yes?”…… “YATTA!”
I paid, got my ticket, even thanking them. I both proudly and thankfully made my way to the cruise.
The way he was walking was amusing. Seems overly proud. Hopefully he wasn’t frustrated with me. I tried finding this place earlier, it was however hiding in a spot I wasn’t aware of.
What I could make out was noting how this vessel was as large as Yamato. Also, how Yamato was docked at Kure. A lot of said, and I genuinely understood a quarter of what was being said. Sadly, I forgot the full details as to what was being said. Many comparisons to Yamato were being made.
Basically, “Yamato pride”, “ONE pride”, and “Kure pride”.
At this point I had to plug in my phone to my power bank. It was down to 20%, and then 2%, and draining overly quickly. I was struggling to take images while re-charging my phone via my power bank.
Tried my best to ID these ships. There is a ‘JS Samidare’ in here somewhere, just don’t know where.
(Side-note: This appears to be JS Kaga, or so I’ve been told over and over again. My memory keeps becoming hazy, though I want to be as accurate as possible. I’ve caught JS Kaga while she was at dock, even seeing tweets and videos of her being floated away while still on my final days in Japan.)
With that done, time to take the elevated pathway back to my hotel to head to ‘Y’s Cafe’. Seeing a lovely anchor on the pathway was neat.
Y’s Cafe!:
At last! It seems overly fancy, and neat. Very artistic. Can see the KanColle vibes coming from it.
Going to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m way out of my comfort zone constantly exploring things of my interest. The menu provided was purely in Japanese forcing me to use both Google translate and DeepL to make sense of things.
I was shown where to sit, provided an hand-written menu, and some basic formalities. Flipping through page-to-page trying to make sense of everything. Using Google Translate (Lens) to translate the menu to pick out a few things to eat.
There was a couple (or so I recall) just sitting there, eating. I was silent, they were in a conversation in an on-off manner doing their thing. I was feeling awkward in my own little bubble trying to figure out what to say, what to do, or simply how to simply show common curtesy. Another couple came in, they were guided upstairs. They sat upstairs while I was feeling guilty about having taken their spot. I was feeling a case of social awkwardness.
It’s a simple case of a Canadian (myself) being in Japan trying to figure out how to behave, simple as that. Culture shock.
The other group was eventually guided to their seat.
I finally managed to settle down just enough to start taking figure photography again of my Busou Shinki. Managed to sneak out my Arnval & Renge while making note of the food I was eating.
During such, I even started making note of what was in Y’s Cafe. I was genuinely in awe. Tons of KanColle goodies, big and small. I see tons of familiar faces, even new shipgirls I have yet to familiarize myself.
(Disclaimer: I should have asked to take pictures sooner. It’s proper etiquette to ask if you can take pictures, I should have done that sooner than later. I was being stupidly sneaky, and even I do not know why. I probably lost my mind somewhere, or simply overwhelmed with things.)
I was like a kid in a candy store. I was genuinely happy, even excited to start using my new stamp book, after I was shown how to use it. I was shown an overly detailed ink-stamp collection from all over Japan, something I would proudly start doing myself in Japan. KanColle themed stampbook.
From what I recall, Y’s Cafe had an anniversary (5th), and I happened to be there on that day (or week). The time-frame of the Cafe’s anniversary lined up just right. Nice! All thanks to KanColle.
I was kindly suggested to visit the upper floor, thus I went upstairs making note of all the lovely artistic and naval goodies. All the KanColle stuff, the travel to see Iowa, and other cool stuff.
Bismarck as my first waifu, Warspite is my second. Warspite is a lovely KanColle shipgirl I pride myself in having through-and-through, something Azur Lane shall never win on. Maybe if they radically redesign Warspite (and Saratoga) in a META Warspite form things may improve, that however shall not happen.
I’m happy about the Warspite mug. 😉
(Clarity: Wasn’t gifted to me, only shown to me.)
Off to pick up my luggage, and off to Hiroshima we go! My oblivious nature failed to return to Yamato Museum for two stamp, let alone a Kure stamp. TWO stamps. I had to come back for them the next day, at least one of them from the Kure tourist area. I mean, I obtained the main one, just not the KanColle stamp.
I ventured back to Yamato Museum one more time for the stamp at their location. I needed it for my newly gifted stamp book. I needed the Yamato Museum stamp! I obtained it, though not the KanColle kind, as noted higher up in the blog post with the cardboard displays. The Chibi KanColle stamp.
I had one stamp, just not the KanColle themed stamp.
Trying to capture the coastline and the water was a tricky thing to do. The swaying of the train, the stuff popping into frame, and the obstacles. Japan is gorgeous, and that goes without saying. I’ve said it so many times now.
Japan makes me jealous they have all the good trains and transit, meanwhile Ottawa can’t handle their own LRT, buses, etc. I genuinely love and admire Japanese scenery and transit. It’s many times better.
Hiroshima Arrival:
Arrived! Sadly, with an error. I had to sit at Hiroshima Station for a lengthy amount of time while my Wireless Wi-Fi acted up with a ‘Code 12’. I didn’t contact them, I simply let it sort itself out, as had been done when I was in Kanda, Tokyo. I waited, and waited. I waited near the Shinkansen ticket booth trying to sort things out. I tried to see if I could purchase tickets for my way from Hiroshima to Osaka.
Softbank? I believe that was the provider. Docomo also comes to mind, though that may be a region-per-region service.
[Side-note: Where that yellow-green’ tram are currently positioned is where I crossed the tracks to make my way to Hiroshima Station to visit Kure the next day over. I made the mistake of crossing the tracks, even with looking at tram traffic. I’ll note this again for my next blog post, yet adding a side-note for clarity sake. I made such a horrible mistake I was severely – “NO! NO! NO!” – so hard I forgot what gender I was. I turned female doing the whole ‘X’ with my finger. I even stupidly dropped my head, as a girl would. I feel so stupid.
I feel bad for that train attendant. My stupidity, yet it happens. I was in a rush to Kure on April 2nd. Lesson? DO NOT CROSS TRAIN TRACKS! Follow the pedestrian line! I didn’t know where it was, hence my mistake and why I got yelled at.]
I eventually used my PASMO to get on the tram, with special thanks to the locals helping me out. Thank you!
I even came across a fellow Canadian older guy who came from Vancouver with his Japanese wife to visit relatives in Hiroshima. We talked about vintage trams still roaming the streets from World War 2. We had a happy, if awkward conversation. We noted where we came from, how I recently visited Vancouver a year prior to this trip, and simply kept talking about the restored rare trams.
Apparently the luggage of the folks I was talking to ran away. The local Japanese male teens laughed it off as a happy accident helping my brief new-found buddies out by happily giving their run-away luggage back. Stuff happens, it’s all in good fun.
Got off at my stop to my hotel.
I had to go back specifically for the Kure stamp. I even made note of this on Twitter showing what I had done and acquired.
The hotel I was in was overly strange. It was all “classy”, yet had that weird tone to it. Business tone to it? A hotel staff who was wondering what I was doing, having me check in and get me all signed in. I was put on the 1st floor (2nd in this case) RIGHT next to the elevator. Blood appeared to be on the sheet, or so I recalled. It was a fine hotel. I’m not saying it’s bad, or anything. It had a vibe to it, something that put me slightly on edge. Ever so slightly on edge.
I ventured out to 7/11 for some food (or cash), ventured out for some actual food.
Upon my arrival I witnessed a foreign western girl leaving the store while saying ‘Arigato’. I was guided to my seet, I sat down to then gestured to the coin machine.
I’m amused the owner of the restaurant even guided me to the coin machine, even showing me how to use it. I used Google Translate to translate the menu, to which it caught him in a bit of a surprise. He saw what I was doing, waiting for my ticket. Gave him the ticket, had my meal. I was expecting ramen, got the above. It’s fine! Food is food. I’ll eat. Played some Azur Lane, drank my beer. Made my way in a buzzed manner back to my hotel, crossing Peace Blvd on the way there finding that part to be fancy and neat.
[Travel Log Note: Hotel – 7/11 – Food – FamilyMart – Hotel]
(Check into hotel, 7/11, Food (above), FamilyMart (beer & food), Hotel.)
After the restaurant coin-machine food I went to Familymart to buy snacks and beer, and back to hotel to unwind.
Bonus:
While getting ready to go to sleep in Hiroshima my Twitter feed was bombarded with KanColle Admirals and Kure locals admiring my visit to Kure. I was overwhelmed, yet happy. I made note I would return to Kure for the stamp, even guided to where it is. Shown a map, etc. Others were surprised they saw me on the train heading out back to Hiroshima (or it also be me having came to Kure).
Google translate is spotty, yet the general message is there.
I was handed a business card, to which I liked a Tweet, and it snowballed from there. Tons of interactions and hypes. Thanks for your kindness!
When it comes to translations this is why I preferred DeepL, it’s a bit more accurate and direct.
There were countless tweets! Insane amounts of likes, retweets, and interactions to the point I was overwhelmed. It was insane. It was insane, but in a good way. I haven’t experienced this much happy interactions in a long time, only people wanting to kill other Canadians during the Canadian Freedom Convoy shaming others on Twitter. Japan, you’re awesome, and I admire Japan for its passion in its hobbies.
(I’ll potentially add missed tweets to a bonus blog post relating to this day.)
I genuinely admire both Japan’s and Kure’s hospitality and kindness. I admire Japan for its honesty and admiration of what they themselves enjoy.
Thanks for having me!
I wrapped up my night by hastily going to sleep, eager to head back to Kure the next morning. I even had a spooky incident at night with the washroom lights turning back on (when I’m certain they were off), leading to me believing the hotel room I was in was haunted. The only time I was left truly spooked and somewhat frightened in Japan. A lot of people died in Hiroshima, it left me a bit on edge being in Hiroshima. Maybe it was just a coincidence, yet it stuck with me leaving me in a mental loop for awhile.
Kure Re-adventures tomorrow! WOOOO!~