HIROSHIMA STATION — Attraction in Hiroshima

When you go to Hiroshioma, try to catch a ride on the #2 Streetcar in the late afternoon and sit near the very end of the car and hopefully you'll meet ticket taker, Yuske Seiho.

Yuske is distinctive. I immediately noticed that he greeted and thanked every one of his riders with a different courtesy depending on their station in life and whether or not they were a regular rider or a visitor. I could see that he was very alert and attentive to their needs and his actions were a testament to his dedication to serving his customers with respect and efficiency.

Watching him bustle around the streetcar dispensing tickets, giving change, watching for the next stop and making announcements reminded me of a concierge at a hotel taking care of guests. And that's exactly what Yuske was doing. He was making sure that every rider made it to their next destination; to work, to a doctor's appointment, to a museum; or in my case, to my hotel after a long travel day.

In the 20 minutes that it took for me and my family to ride to the train station, I came to realize how much impact Yuske must have on his community, as all of his interactions where steeped with dignity and enthusiasm. He was a transportation caretaker and I greatly appreciated his dedication and felt the joy that he poured into each interaction. What may have been overlooked by others, was seen by me.

While watching him dash around, I wanted to ask him questions about his extraordinary efforts, but I already knew that he might be embarrassed that I would give him too much credit.

To me, he exemplified how one caring and respectful person creating thousands of positive impressions can add up to major impact on a city of residents, workers and visitors. What he was really doing was sharing a small part of himself while letting others know that he cared for them and was helping them along their journey, no matter who they were or where they were headed.

I travel often and have grown used to the growing lack of courtesy between people as we bump along our adventures. And every once in a while, this question haunts me; "How can someone do the same job day after day for years and decades and not get tired or disgruntled with the repetition?"

After visiting Hiroshima I have a new insight - "That to do one's work well is to experience a sense of vigor and well-being."

My streetcar experience in Hiroshima was six years ago and I haven't met anyone else like Yuske, nor will I ever forget him.

Curiously though, a new question nags at me, "Where will I meet the...

railway station in Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Hiroshima Station is the terminal station for several lines, and all Sanyō Shinkansen trains stop here.

Hiroshima Station has two main entrances: the north — or Shinkansen — entrance, and the south entrance. Until the 1975 opening of the Shinkansen service, the Shinkansen entrance was called the "north entrance", and many local residents, newspapers, and real estate advertisements continue to refer to it as the "north entrance".

A pedestrian tunnel connects the area in front of the Shinkansen entrance to an underground plaza underneath the south entrance to Hiroshima Station. The tunnel includes many gift shops and restaurants, as well as two exits to Fukuya, one to the Hiroshima Station Tram Stop, one in front of the Hiroshima Higashi Post Office, and one directly in front of the south entrance to Hiroshima Station.

Elevator and escalator access is available for several of the entrances. Events are sometimes held in the large area of the underground plaza in front of the entrance to Fukuya.

Prior to 2017, the south entrance connected the plaza outside directly to the platform for track 1; passengers wishing to access any other track from the south entrance were forced to first enter onto the track 1 platform and then ascend to the concourse above. Similarly, passengers wishing to exit the south entrance after arriving on any other platform were forced to descend from the concourse level to the track 1 platform to exit. To eliminate this bottleneck, the concourse level was expanded and a new south entrance was added slightly to the east of the old one. This design, which is standard for major Japanese rail stations, enables direct access to the concourse level from the south entrance. The new south entrance of the station was opened on May 28, 2017, and the old south entrance was...

Big and busy station. Lots of signs and helpful employees to direct you to your designated platform. I love this station because it has 6 platforms for Shinkansen trains.

If you have a JR pass and you're taking Shinkansen, make sure you go to reserve seats. This can be done at the ticket counter on the ground floor before you enter the platforms. Keep in mind that this is a busy station so it has frequent Shinkansen, about every 15-30 minutes, and the line to get a seat reservation is usually a 20 minute wait.

JR passes do not cover Nozomi Shinkansen, it will cover Sakura Shinkansen. Please be aware of this or you'll end up paying extra for the Nozomi line.

Tons of stores to grab a bento box or snacks right on the platform. There's even a 7-Eleven store and a stand up ramen shop. (No chairs)

AC waiting rooms available and also an enclosed smoking room.

Shinkansen is non smoking except for certain designated sections...