広島八丁堀郵便局 (Hiroshima Hatchobori Post Office) - Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima


Another sunny day. I had 8 postcards ready to send and a half-day off. It's fukeiin time! The time was past noon, and I had only a couple of hours to complete my mission. I had searched for two post offices near each other and plotted my route in advance. 

Thanks to this fukeiin journey, my trip-planning skills have improved so much in just one month. You can even hire me to plan your Japan trip itinerary! Just kidding, I don't have enough knowledge of mainstream tourist spots (I know quite a few hidden gems, though). Anyway, this time I'll be going to the Hatchobori area.

***

八丁堀 Hatchobori is one of the busiest districts of Hiroshima. The name 'Hatchobori' comes from the length of the outer moat that once surrounded Hiroshima Castle. The moat was filled in during the Meiji Period, but some monuments marking the moat's outer wall and the place where it used to be still remain. I passed by one of them near the Hatchobori Station.

But before going to the post office, I wanted to visit a place first: Maruzen Bookstore. The bookstore is located on the 7th and 8th floors of Yamada Denki. There is a Tully's Coffee on the 7th floor, but I forgot to check whether you can bring books from the bookstore to read there (you can do that at some Tully's Coffees inside bookstores). I headed to the 8th floor to check the stationery section. I got myself some postcards, washi tapes, and a pocket journal for book reviews (I plan to use it for manga reviews, though). 


Hiroshima Hatchobori post office can be reached by taking Hiroden Streetcar Route 1 and getting off at Hatchobori Station. It's located on the first floor of a building along with some shops, so it might be a bit difficult to find (I almost missed it at first!). 

Before entering the post office, I took the obligatory mailbox photo. I would be sending 4 postcards from this post office: to India, Australia, Indonesia, and Italy. 

Upon entering the post office, as usual, I bought plain postcards for myself to write my address on. Once I finished writing my address, I requested the officer to put fukeiin on all the postcards and post them. I hope all of them reach their new homes safely! 

Now that I had finished my business at Hiroshima Hatchobori Post Office, it was time for me to head to my second post office of the day. 


***

My postcard with the fukeiin arrived a few days later. It has the image of Hiroshima Castle, an arched bridge, and an old building. The fukeiin has "HIROSHIMA HACCHOBORI" written in Romaji, along with the kanji version. I had never seen a fukeiin with the post office name written in romaji before, so it was new to me.

From the Japan Post official website: "The fukeiin depicts Shukkeien (a famous spot in Hiroshima) during azalea season and Hiroshima Castle. "The fukeiin was launched on October 3rd, 1994. 

I had never been to Shukkeien before, and after seeing the fukeiin, I need to visit it. Shukkeien is a historical Japanese garden in Hiroshima, built during the Edo period as a garden for the villa of the Asano clan. Being close to ground zero, Shukkeien suffered extensive damage after the atomic bomb, but the garden and the Seifukan and Meigetsu-tei pavilions had been restored in the 1951 renovations. Thanks, Fukeiin, for showing me the recommended spots that I didn't know before!

I'll see you all on my next fukeiin adventure!


Cheers,

Mulic




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