LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER
Begin with the people and stories of the atomic bombing. Stay for the rivers, gardens and everyday life of the city people rebuilt.
Hiroshima deserves time. Begin with the people whose lives were changed or ended by the atomic bombing, and give yourself space to listen to their stories. Then stay long enough to walk beside the rivers, sit at an okonomiyaki counter and get a feel for the city people call home.
The city developed around the castle Mōri Terumoto began building in 1589, on the delta of the Ōta River. Trade along the Inland Sea helped it grow; in modern Japan it also became an important military centre. On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The devastation, its lasting human consequences and the work of rebuilding remain central to understanding the city.
Today, trams connect shopping streets and neighbourhoods between the rivers. There are gardens to wander, art to spend an afternoon with and wooded temple grounds a short journey away. I would allow two days for Hiroshima itself, adding another for Miyajima if you can. That leaves room for both the history and the experience of being here.
Further reading
SIGHTS & STORIES
01 / Peace Memorial Park & Museum
Give the museum and park a full morning.
Personal belongings and testimony convey the human consequences of the atomic bombing; outside, the Cenotaph, Children’s Peace Monument and Atomic Bomb Dome offer places to pause. The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims adds individual names and accounts. Leave some unplanned time afterwards for a quiet walk along the river.
02 / Shukkeien Garden
Created in 1620 for the Asano family, Shukkeien brings ponds, small hills, islands and bridges into a compact strolling garden.
Follow the path slowly: the view changes as you cross the bridges and turn around the water. The garden was devastated in 1945 and subsequently restored. The neighbouring Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum is an easy addition if an exhibition catches your eye.
03 / Mitaki-dera
Take the Kabe Line to Mitaki and walk uphill into wooded temple grounds.
Stone figures, moss and flowing water accompany the paths between the halls; in autumn, maples colour the hillside around the red pagoda. The temple’s history reaches back to the ninth century, and parts of the grounds were damaged by the atomic bombing. Allow a few hours for the journey and a slow exploration, including the climb from the station.
04 / Hondori, Fukuromachi & the evening streets
Hondori’s covered arcade runs through the city centre, with shops and busy crossings leading towards smaller streets around Fukuromachi and Shintenchi.
Follow a side street for a café pause, browse between meals, then return in the evening as the restaurants and bars around Nagarekawa fill up. This is an easy area to explore without a fixed route, within walking distance of Peace Memorial Park.
05 / Hijiyama & contemporary art
Climb into Hijiyama Park for trees, outdoor sculpture and the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.
Opened in 1989, the museum presents contemporary work, including art connected with Hiroshima and its memory. Give an exhibition a proper afternoon, then walk through the park before returning to the streets below. It makes a thoughtful second-day outing after the memorial sites.
AT THE TABLE
Layered okonomiyaki, Inland Sea oysters and noodles with a little heat.
01
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki close to Peace Memorial Park. Sit at the counter for the hot-plate cooking and a generous lunch.
02
Shiru-nashi tantanmen: noodles with chilli oil and Sichuan pepper. Mix thoroughly before eating; a compact, punchy lunch between the garden and city centre.
03
Oysters and seasonal Setouchi cooking aboard the riverside restaurant boat. Choose this for a slower meal built around Hiroshima’s best-known seafood.
04
Speciality coffee and sweets from a local roaster. A useful afternoon pause while exploring the streets around Hondori and Shintenchi.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is a good place to begin: thin batter, cabbage, noodles and egg built up in layers on the hot plate. Sitting at the counter lets you watch the whole thing take shape. Oysters connect the city’s table to the waters of the Inland Sea, while shiru-nashi tantanmen brings a different kind of intensity, with chilli oil and the tingling heat of Sichuan pepper.
These are four places to build into the route, from a substantial local meal to an afternoon coffee. Nagata-ya and Kunimatsu suit an informal lunch; Kanawa is the choice for a longer oyster meal by the river.
THROUGH THE YEAR
May
Usually held from 3–5 May, the Flower Festival fills Peace Boulevard and the area around Peace Memorial Park with performances, flowers and parades.
It brings a lively public celebration to the centre of the city. Set aside time to wander between stages and watch part of a procession.
June
An early-summer festival centred on Enryūji Temple, with lanterns, stalls and crowds in yukata around Chūō-dōri.
Come towards evening to see the temple lights and join the flow through the surrounding streets. The temple publishes the annual programme.
6 August
The anniversary of the atomic bombing is marked by the Peace Memorial Ceremony and a moment of silence at 8:15.
Lantern-floating in the evening carries messages of remembrance and peace onto the Motoyasu River. Approach the day with time and care for those commemorating loved ones; the city’s ceremony information explains visitor arrangements.
November
Around 18–20 November, the streets around Ebisu Shrine fill with people seeking good fortune in business.
Decorated lucky rakes and festival stalls connect the celebration to the city’s merchants. Pair an evening walk through the festival with dinner around the central shopping streets.
Winter
From roughly mid-November to early January, illuminated installations turn Peace Boulevard and nearby streets into an evening walking route.
The playful displays make a gentle end to a day in the city, with cafés and restaurants close by.
SHAPE YOUR DAYS
A sample stay, with room to linger.
Day 1
Begin at the Peace Memorial Museum, then walk through the park to the Cenotaph, Children’s Peace Monument and Atomic Bomb Dome.
Day 2
Walk through Shukkeien before moving back towards the city centre. Allow time to follow the smaller paths around the pond.
FIND YOUR WAY
KEEP EXPLORING
Hiroshima
Give the island’s shrine, waterfront and mountain paths a day of their own.
Explore the guide
Fukuoka
Continue west for yatai evenings and another great food city.
Explore the guide
Tottori
Turn towards the Sea of Japan for dunes and an open coastline.
Explore the guideMAKE IT YOUR JOURNEY
Build a journey around the places and experiences that interest you.