Before turning 30, I had always wanted to embark on a solo journey, and Hiroshima Prefecture was the place I most wanted to visit. Why? There are two reasons. Firstly, Japan is said to have five torii gates standing in the water, and the most famous one is the torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima. I wanted to see it. Secondly, I absolutely love seafood, and when you think of Hiroshima Prefecture, oysters (kaki) come to mind. I wanted to taste them. With these two reasons in mind, I decided to go on a solo trip to Hiroshima. I reached Hiroshima Station by Shinkansen in just an hour. At the station, I had a famous bowl of tsukemen (dipping noodles). The noodles were spicy and delicious. The most challenging aspect of traveling alone is not having someone to talk to. While I looked for a hotel using Google Maps, I couldn’t figure out the way. “Where is my hotel for tonight?” I worried aloud. Finally, after about 30 minutes, I arrived at the hotel. In the evening, I took a tram to a lively part of town. There was a building where they sold Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki on the second to fourth floors. The most popular shop was “Daimarudo.” When I entered, it was packed. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t taste the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki I had wanted. Afterward, I took a leisurely stroll. One of my concerns during the trip was not being able to sleep alone at night. So, before bedtime, I finished a beer. However, it was too quiet, and even though I watched TV, I still couldn’t sleep easily. In the end, I only slept for two hours. The next day, I took a boat to Miyajima Island. The deer on Miyajima were fatter than the ones in Nara. However, the deer on Miyajima didn’t seem interested in eating anything; they just sat and rested. Walking along the path, I arrived at Itsukushima Shrine. “What a beautiful torii gate! This is one of Japan’s famous Three Views,” I said to myself. I took many photos. It was wonderful. For lunch, I had oysters at a crowded restaurant. The oysters were big and delicious. I also visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum. At the museum, I saw many photos and videos about the atomic bomb. It made me feel sick. I truly believe that war is the worst thing in the world. This trip was a great experience for me. I’m planning to travel alone again in the future.