The famous floating torii on Miyajima

After the hedonism of Tokyo and Kyoto, Hiroshima is a sobering experience. The atomic bomb that was dropped on the city on August 6, 1945 was met by predictions that "nothing will grow for 75 years".

Thankfully, this has failed to ring true and Hiroshima has risen from the devastation to become a thriving, modern and surprisingly green city.

Millions of tourists and school groups flock here every year to pay their respects at the A-Bomb Dome (the eerie ruins of the building that marks the epicentre of the bomb), the Peace Park, the memorial hall and the museum. Hiroshima is also a jumping off point for the nearby island of Miyajima, with its fantastic network of hiking trails and famous floating Shinto torrii.