A Tourists Guide to Hiroshima, Japan

The Best of sights, food, transport and accommodation in Hiroshima

May 17, 2009 Ben Cluse

While Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park is a central focus for travellers to Hiroshima, there's so much more to see and do in this charming and energetic city.

To most international travellers, Hiroshima will be known as the first city in the world to fall victim to an atomic bomb. The article A Guide to Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima specifically focuses on the amazing Peace Memorial Park in the centre of the city, which pays heartfelt tribute to the victims of the attack, while this article gives useful information on travelling in Japan. This current article, on the other hand, is an overall guide to Hiroshima, and the many other things to see and do.

Best Time to Visit Hiroshima

The best time to visit Hiroshima is (late) March, April, May and (early) June. Earlier than this can be quite cold, and later; specifically July and August, the humid and rainy conditions can be uncomfortable. Late March to early April is Cherry Blossom season, a time that’s both beautiful and busy in Japan. To see the Cherry Blossoms at their peak, tourists have to fight the local crowds; but it’s a chance to celebrate one of Japan’s most important social festivals.

Transport in Hiroshima

Hiroshima is the only remaining city in Japan to use a tram system, and this is one of the best ways to move within the city centre. Trams connect from Hiroshima train station, with day passes costing 600 Yen, and single trips 150 Yen. Buses are the best way to get to the outer suburbs of Hiroshima, though most of the sights are in the city. Many of the best sights are within walking distance of the city centre as well.

Hiroshima Castle and Fudoin Temple

Hiroshima castle is one of the best city-based castles in central Japan and an excellent example of a traditional Japanese castle. Unfortunately the original castle was destroyed in the WWII bombing, but this reconstruction is authentic in detail, and provides a museum reflecting life in the times of the feudal system of early Japan. The Fudoin Temple survived the 1945 bombings and, thus, is one of Hiroshima’s most exquisite and authentic traditional buildings. Dating from the 14th century, this temple is a little out of the city centre, but can be reached by bus and is especially worth visiting during Cherry Blossom season in late March to April.

Art Museums and the Manga Library

The Hiroshima Museum of Art is quite centrally located and offers classical-style artworks by artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso, along with many renowned Japanese artists. For tastes more modern and liberal, the Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art offers works by modernist artists like Andy Warhol, and has many works by local artists, which express diverse perspectives of the effects of the atomic bomb on Japanese society. This is one of the highest quality art museums in all Japan and well worth a visit. Adjacent to the Contemporary Art Museum, the Hiroshima City Manga Library is dedicated to one of the big obsessions in Japan; Japanese comic books.

Hijiyama Park

The park is located on the Hijiyama Hilltop and, aside from offering an easy hiking opportunity for fit travellers; it also affords magnificent views of the city. Furthermore, the park is home to the Contemporary Art Museum and the Manga Library, along with the traditional Japanese Tamonin Temple. There’s also an impressive escalator running down the length of one side of the hilltop, if all the hiking and culture has become tiring.

Shopping in Hondori Street

Hondori Street is Hiroshima’s largest covered mall and has a large number of shops, from clothing stores to food to souvenirs. The Mall is located less than ten minutes south of Peace Memorial Park.

The Local Cuisine Okonomiyaki

For those wishing to try some unique local cuisine, Hiroshima is famous for its localised version of the Japanese dish Okonomiyaki. The dish includes cabbage, noodles and egg, fried on a grill plate, with your choice of meat, cheese and/or seafood; the final product resembling a savoury pancake. Watching one of these dishes being created, right in front of your eyes, is almost like watching an artist at work. Waka-Taka is one restaurant that affords this opportunity, and it’s central, not too far from Peace Memorial Park as this map shows.

The copyright of the article A Tourists Guide to Hiroshima, Japan in E Asia Travel is owned by Ben Cluse. Permission to republish A Tourists Guide to Hiroshima, Japan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.