Etajima

Etajima and Nomijima were once two islands; the strait between them was filled in long ago, and together they now form Etajima City, about 7.5 km by sea from Hiroshima and 6 km from Kure. Most visitors come for one site. In 1888 the Imperial Japanese Navy moved its Naval Academy here from Tsukiji in Tokyo, and officers trained on the island until the navy was dissolved after 1945. Since 1956 the grounds have been used by the Maritime Self-Defense Force, today as the 1st Service School. Guided tours have run since 1960 and pass the old academy buildings, the auditorium and the Educational Reference Museum, whose collection covers the former navy. There is no wandering on your own: you join a tour at a set time, the schedule is published a few months ahead on the school's website, and the walk is long, so wear comfortable shoes. Outside the base the island is quiet: small harbors, citrus groves and oyster rafts out in the bay. The high-speed boat from Hiroshima Port to Koyo takes about 20 minutes, and from Koyo the base is a short bus or taxi ride.