Pedaling towards Kure on the coastal road, I couldn't help but have a sense of history as I looked out at the islands on the Seto Inland sea having been a history buff since I could pick up a pencil.
I looked seaward and imagined the great warships heading out to sea. I couldn't help but Imagine the super battleship IJN Yamato at sea during her trials in 1940 or after one of her refits before she finally sank on April 7, 1945. In the Kure Maritime Museum, which I bypassed this time around, there is a 1/10th scale supermodel of IJN Yamato built in a sunken floor simulating the waterline that takes up one giant room. There is also a full size A6M7-62 Zeke Fighter as well as several incredible displays of historical artifacts and even a children's discovery room to help understand basics about the supertankers that are built here. The gift shop is a treasure trove of unique kits, stickers and key chains.
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| IJN Akishio |
Just across the street is the JMSDF Museum whose centerpiece outside is the Yushio Class submarine IJN Akishio. The Boat looked glorious in a sparkling new coat of paint.
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| Kure Cranes. Past-Present |
The dock crane on the left is a pure, hand cranked mechanical crane using a combination of pulleys and gears compared to the modern docking cranes in Kure on the right. Nice color on the old crane and rail posts!
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| Don Quijote and Sancho Panza |
The entrance to the Tenno Park in Kure which is apparently used in many children's events.
There are quite a number of modern windmills (Wind turbine generators) in Japan for Don Quijote to chase(!)
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| Mihara |
Mihara is an industrial port town. As I stopped to check in, I came to realize a slight adversity which would prolong one of my future stays. The Hotel Mihara is a business hotel also probably used by local workers. It had a very clean common open shower and sauna and the sleeping areas were more like large curtained bunk beds each with it's own personal TV. After two nights on a clean bed and doing laundry I cycled over to the Sunami-Sawa Ferry port where they have delicious Takoyaki, purchased my ticket and waited for the ferry.
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