“When asked what foods the gods like best, Uenishi replies thoughtfully. “We make food for the Kamisama every day, but we don’t really know what foods gods like. So we cook what we think tastes great — that’s the best hospitality for a god.” The continuation of this ancient ritual is one of the reasons Kibitsu-jinja Shrine maintains its traditional kitchen. That, and the severed demon’s head buried under the stove.”

“Scanning my eyes over the modern metropolis below, I envision the broken nothingness from which it arose, and consider in turn the countless artists all over the world who, through their creations, continue to lend an immortal voice to the “Spirit of Hiroshima.” But perhaps I shouldn’t be so surprised at the towers which now crowd the once empty space. For after all, nature abhors a vacuum — and art a blank canvas.”

“Below us the ocean, a lovely blue-green, greets the blonde fringes of Setouchi’s islands, which in turn arise regaled in forests of yet darker greens. Above them, the open blue sky, dotted with puffs of white cumulus, beckons us onward — like an unspoken promise of adventure.”

“We take a deep breath and scan our eyes again and again across the prospect below, almost forgetting to snap a photo, stunned as we are with the flawless blend of urban and natural beauty before us. Regaining our senses we bring forth our cameras — and in so doing experience the landscape all over again through their lenses.”

“Even the names of the two top floor suites lay it on the dotted line — Le Roi (The King) and La Leine (The Queen). While both are exquisitely regal, guess which one boasts the most sumptuous experience? Sorry boys, but this is a ‘ladies first’ establishment.”