Hiroshima: practical city guide

Hiroshima is one of the most visited cities in Japan and one that generates the most expectations before you arrive. What many people do not expect is to find a living, modern city with some of the best food in the country, where the weight of the past and the present coexist without one erasing the other.

After more than fifteen years living in Japan, I have been to Hiroshima several times. There is always something new to see.

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Getting there

Hiroshima is at the western end of Honshū, well connected by shinkansen. From Tokyo, the Nozomi takes about 4 hours. From Osaka, 1 hour 20 minutes. From Hakata (Fukuoka), around 50 minutes.

The JR Pass covers the Hikari and Kodama shinkansen but not the Nozomi. If you are travelling from Tokyo with a JR Pass, take the Hikari: it takes approximately one hour longer.

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The Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum

On 6 August 1945, at 8:15 in the morning, a uranium bomb exploded 600 metres above the centre of Hiroshima. Between 70,000 and 80,000 people died instantly. By the end of 1945, the total number of deaths is estimated between 90,000 and 140,000.

The Atomic Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム, Genbaku Dome) is what remained standing from an exhibition hall located almost directly below the hypocentre. It was deliberately preserved as it was. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (広島平和記念資料館) is a few minutes’ walk from the Dome. It is probably the hardest museum to walk through in Japan, not because of its presentation but because of what it documents: the physical effects of the bomb on the people who were in the city that morning. The sections on testimonies and personal belongings require time and willingness. Entry costs ¥200 for adults.

The Peace Park (平和記念公園) surrounding the museum and the Dome is wide and quiet, with several monuments and the Flame of Peace, which will remain lit until all nuclear weapons are eliminated from the world.

Allow at least two hours for the museum and the park.

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Miyajima: the island with the floating torii

Thirty minutes from Hiroshima by train and ferry is Miyajima (宮島), an island with one of the most photographed icons in Japan: the great wooden torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, which appears to float on the sea at high tide.

The route combines the JR San’yo Line to Miyajimaguchi and then the ferry (10 minutes). The JR Pass covers the JR ferry; the Matsudai company ferry costs ¥200.

On the island, deer roam freely through the village. They are used to people and have no hesitation about approaching you. Do not feed them: it encourages aggressive behaviour and is prohibited.

In addition to the shrine, Miyajima has Daisho-in temple at the foot of the mountain and the ropeway up Mt. Misen (535 metres), from which there are views of the Seto Inland Sea islands on clear days.

The Itsukushima torii has been under restoration since 2019 and has been reopening gradually. Check the current access situation before visiting.

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Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki

Hiroshima okonomiyaki is different from the Osaka version. In Osaka, the ingredients are mixed into the batter before cooking. In Hiroshima, the layers are stacked: a thin layer of batter first, then cabbage, then seafood or meat, then noodles (soba or udon), and the egg on top. The result is more substantial.

The best-known area for okonomiyaki in Hiroshima is Okonomimura (お好み村), a multi-storey market in the city centre with dozens of stalls. There are queues at peak hours, but the atmosphere is genuine and prices are reasonable: between ¥800 and ¥1,200 per person.

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The castle and the city centre

Hiroshima Castle (広島城), known as the Carp Castle, was destroyed by the bomb and rebuilt in 1958. The interior is a museum about the history of the city and the feudal domain. Entry costs ¥370.

The city centre is lively and easy to walk around. The covered shopping street Hondori connects the Peace Park area with Hiroshima Station. There are souvenir shops selling momiji manju (maple leaf-shaped pastries filled with sweet bean paste), the most characteristic omiyage from the city.

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Getting around

Hiroshima has a tram network (路面電車) connecting the station with the Peace Park, the city centre and the Miyajimaguchi ferry terminal. The price is fixed at ¥180 per journey, or a one-day pass for ¥700. You pay on exit with coins or Suica.

For Miyajima, the JR train from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi takes around 25 minutes.

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How much time do you need

Two days allow you to see the Peace Park and museum at a comfortable pace on the first day and spend the second on Miyajima. One day is possible if you start early, but it is tight.

If you are coming from Osaka or Kyoto as a day trip, it is doable, but the museum alone justifies going with more time. Hiroshima also fits well into a 10-day itinerary as a stop between Kyoto and Kyushu.

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Reference prices 2026. Check the current status of the Miyajima torii before visiting.