Hiroshima広島
A western-Honshu city rebuilt around the Peace Memorial Park, where the A-Bomb Dome and museum tell the story of 1945, and the gateway to the sacred island of Miyajima with its 'floating' torii. Famous for layered Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and fresh oysters; the centre is flat, green and easy to walk.
history culture nature food
Neighbourhoods
Peace Memorial Park
The green riverside heart of modern Hiroshima, laid out where the bomb fell in 1945 — the skeletal A-Bomb Dome, the moving Peace Memorial Museum, the cenotaph and eternal flame, and the Children's Peace Monument. Flat, paved and fully stroller- and wheelchair-accessible; a sobering, essential half-day.
Downtown (Hondori & Castle)
Hiroshima's busy centre — the covered Hondori and Hatchobori arcades, the okonomiyaki halls, the rebuilt castle and the elegant Shukkeien strolling garden. Trams thread it all together; this is where you eat, shop and base yourself.
Miyajima Island
The sacred island of Itsukushima in Hiroshima Bay, where a vermilion shrine and its great torii appear to float at high tide, tame deer roam the lanes, and a ropeway climbs holy Mt Misen for bay views. A full, magical day-trip — reached by a short ferry from Miyajimaguchi.
Where to stay
Downtown (Hondori & Castle)
The Hondori/Hatchobori core — covered arcades, Okonomimura, trams in every direction and most hotels. The best-connected base for the Peace Park and Miyajima day-trips.
Miyajima Island
Staying overnight on Miyajima lets you see the shrine and torii lit up after the day-trippers leave — quiet, special and a little pricier.
Getting there
Hiroshima Station (Sanyo Shinkansen)
~1h40 from Shin-Osaka and ~4h from Tokyo by Shinkansen; trams and buses run from the station to the centre and Peace Park.
Hiroshima Airport (HIJ)
~50 min east of the city by limousine bus; mostly domestic flights with a few international routes.
Miyajima ferry (from Miyajimaguchi)
For the island: take the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi (~25 min) then the JR or Matsudai ferry (~10 min). The JR ferry swings past the torii at high tide.
FAQ
What is Hiroshima best for?
Hiroshima is best for history, culture, nature, food. A western-Honshu city rebuilt around the Peace Memorial Park, where the A-Bomb Dome and museum tell the story of 1945, and the gateway to the sacred island of Miyajima with its 'floating' torii.