We spent three days in Hiroshima during our 10 day trip in Japan. It was a real highlight and a city that is often overlooked for “bigger, better” cities. The history, the pain, the rebuilding, all have contributed to a magical city that is both exciting and sincere. Let’s go!
Useful Links
- Shinkansen Tickets
- Hiroshima Bus Map
- Hiroshima Bus Schedule
- Hiroshima Electric Railway
- Hiroshima Peace Museum Tickets
Arriving in Hiroshima
We arrived in Hiroshima via the Shinkansen train from Tokyo. It was an incredibly easy trip and made the arrival so much better. We then went directly to the bus bay to find our number that would take us to the Hilton. It was easy to get on and use the Suica card. That common transit card has come in handy so many times already! Google Maps was very accurate when we needed to find the right bus number and the location of the bus terminal.
Hiroshima Hilton
We stayed at the Hiroshima Hilton. It was luckily located right at a bus stop which made it convenient to get from the train and bus station. The hotel was great and a good location just to the south of the main boulevard and downtown area. It made it easy to get around. If you can afford it, I’d recommend this hotel!
Attractions
There’s lots of stuff to see in Hiroshima and the surrounding area. The Peace Museum was a must-see for me. There are tons of smaller monuments and attractions all around the park and along the river. Make sure to see everything if you can. It’ll be worth it!
Peace Museum & Park
The Peace Museum is an immersive testimony about the atomic bomb’s destruction. It is an uncensored look at the aftermath of the war and what happened to the people as the years progressed. It’s amazing to see how beautiful the city is now but it was a long and terrible road to get to where we are now. I think all people should see this sobering account of war!
The park and the surrounding area are full of interesting history. There are several smaller memorials and mausoleums around the park. It is both a cemetery of sorts and a memorial. There’s so much going on so make sure you take your time and pay your respects as you move through the park. There is also the small monument to the hypocenter of the explosion. It’s a few blocks away from the park.
Atomic Bomb Dome
The Atomic Bomb Dome is located across the river from the park and there’s a promenade that runs in front of the dome and along the river. There are several more small monuments along this path. There’s ton to see and read about along this walkway so take your time!
Hiroshima Museum of Art
The Hiroshima Museum of Art was an impromptu stop by turned out to be an exciting one! It’s a smaller museum but it did pack a punch. You could see some surprises in there like art from Rousseau, Picasso, and an entire exhibit dedicated to Albert Marquet. It was a nice surprise as we were walking around town. I think it was worth it too!
Hiroshima Food
I was pleasently surprised by the Hiroshima food scene! There’s a large walking mall in the city that has tons of food options and all around this shopping area. We also made a trip to a specialty burger joint that really rocked!
The Burger House was the best spot we went to! The burger was huge and it was tasty. Looked like it was made to order and right in front of us. It was so good!
We also visited a Tonkatsu placed called Katsumaru. That place was wonderful! It was small and friendly. It had an all you can drink option for your chicken and, boy, it was great! We made a reservation that wasn’t really required but they made us feel special regardless. It was a real highlight of our visit!
Final Thoughts on Hiroshima
Hiroshima was a real bright highlight of our trip in Japan. It was beautiful, it was historic, it was quaint! Finally, it was really welcoming and hospitable! It was just as enjoyable to experience the history as it was to sit by the river and enjoy the birds and drink a beer. If you ever make it to Japan, you MUST put Hiroshima on your itinerary!
Leave a Reply