Hiroshima
Discover Hiroshima
Hiroshima (広島) is an industrial city of wide boulevards and criss-crossing rivers along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. Although many only know it for the horrific split-second on August 6, 1945 when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, it is now a modern cosmopolitan city with excellent cuisine and a bustling nightlife. Those expecting to step off the Shinkansen into a pile of smoldering rubble will be in for a surprise, as Hiroshima has all the ferroconcrete and blinking neon of any other modern Japanese city. Teenagers stream in and out of the station, where McDonald's and the latest keitai (mobile phones) await; hapless salarymen rush down Aioi-dori to their next meeting, casting a bloodshot eye toward the seedy bars of Nagarekawa as they pass. At first glance, it can be hard to imagine that anything out of the ordinary ever happened here.
What to Experience in Hiroshima
Taste of Hiroshima...
Hiroshima is famous for its style of okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), which literally means "cook it as you like it". Often (and somewhat misleadingly) called "Japanese pizza", it is better described as a type of savory pancake made with egg, cabbage, soba noodles, and meat, seafood or cheese. It is grilled in layers on a hot plate in front of you and slathered liberally with okonomiyaki sauce, with optional extras such as mayonnaise, pickled ginger, and seaweed. It sounds and looks like a mess, but is very tasty and filling. To give you a sense of the civic pride involved here, the Hiroshima tourist information office offers a map with a whopping 97 shops serving okonomiyaki within city limits, and reports have several hundred more in the area. Micchan (みっちゃん) is the most famous of the Hiroshima- style okonomiyaki restaurants with long histories. It has a few branches in and around the center of Hiroshima. Hiroshima style and Osaka style are the two competing types of okonomiyaki, and if you raise the subject of okonomiyaki with a local, be ready to state your preference between the two! Basically, in Hiroshima the ingredients are layered and pressed together while cooking, while in Osaka the batter is mixed together first, and the ingredients do not include noodles. According to local legend, both dishes originate from a cheap snack called issen yōshoku (一銭洋食) or "one-cent Western meal", which consisted of a wheat and water pancake served with scallions and sauce.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Hiroshima.
Hiroshima features the standard array of English teaching opportunities, with branches of major eikaiwa like Geos, AEON and ECC as well as small, niche language schools. The Hiroshima International Center (see Connect) is a good place to make inquiries, as is a Saturday night at Kemby's (see Drink). Mazda is the largest employer of foreign personnel in the area, due to their manufacturing plants in USA, Mexico, China and Southeast Asian countries. Contract workers from Southeast Asia and the South Pacific are brought in by Hiroshima-based firms for industries such as shipbuilding, notably in the nearby port city of Kure. Some non-Japanese work illegally — or under-the-radar — as bartenders or sell jewelry in Nagarekawa, which motivates occasional visa crackdowns (see Stay safe). Shopping in Hiroshima is dominated by a few huge department stores. Hon-dori (本通り), a covered shopping arcade in the city center, is the place to wander with a wallet you'd like to empty.
Climate
Unfortunately, most travelers experience Hiroshima during the worst weather of the year, in July and August, when days of heavy rain give way to brutal, muggy heat. Don't book accommodation without air conditioning if that's when you're planning to visit. Also note that in the latter half of September, warm and pleasant days are interspersed with typhoons powerful enough to wreck buildings (such as the one that nearly destroyed Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima in 2004) and keep travelers locked up in their hotels. October and November are ideal, with less rain and cool, refreshing temperatures. The winter months are fine for a visit — the weather is dry, with very little rain or snow, and the temperatures are rarely cold enough to keep you indoors. As elsewhere in Japan, though, a number of museums are closed from 29 Dec to 1 Jan (or 3 Jan). April and May also have excellent weather.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsBuses connect the airport to JR Hiroshima Station (45-50 min, ¥1370) and the Hiroshima Bus Center (55 minutes, ¥1370). There are also buses from the airport to Okayama, Onomichi, Iwakuni, Tottori, and other spots in the Chugoku region. The departing frequency varies from 30 minutes to an hour. 34.39775132.4754722 Hiroshima Station (広島駅 Hiroshima-eki) is a major station on the JR West Sanyo Shinkansen line. On the fastest Nozomi and Mizuho trains, it is 35 minutes from Okayama (¥6350) and 80–85 minutes from Shin-Osaka (¥10630). Tokyo is around 3 hr 45 min away via Nozomi (¥19440). These prices are for reserved seats; unreserved seats, and seats on slower services such as the Sakura and Kodama, cost slightly less....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There is a Visit Hiroshima Tourist Pass that covers either 1-3 days of unlimited journeys inside the city or the prefecture. It can be obtained from the Information Center on the first floor of the airport, the JR station, the Hiroshima Bus Center, and other tourist locations. Digital passes are also available online and are suitable for travelers seeking to use public transportation frequently during their trip in the city. Hiroshima has an extensive tram (streetcar) network, which is operated by Hiroden (広電). It's a slow but reliable way of getting around. The trams themselves are a mix of old rattle-traps and sleek, new "Green Movers" — although they all run on the same lines for the same fares. There's no difference other than the smoothness of the ride. Because the trams were bought from other cities, you're getting a tour of Japanese transit history — some have been in service for more than fifty years, and that might be an old Kyoto tram taking you through Hiroshima.
Where to Stay
For a short night before an early train, the cheapest digs in town will be to nap in the easy chairs at the two Internet cafes outside the south exit of JR Hiroshima Station (see Connect), or possibly a Nagarekawa karaoke box. You won't be the only one doing it, particularly on weekends. Hiroshima has a rough reputation among Japanese people from other cities, thanks largely to the yakuza movies that were filmed in town. In reality, though, it's much safer than any large Western city. As with most places in Japan, petty theft is virtually non-existent. Nagarekawa, the nightlife district, does have its share of prostitutes, sex clubs, and rip-off hostess bars, but to no greater extent than Tokyo or Osaka. There have been a few surprise police raids on bars that offer dancing after 01:00, in accordance with a semi-obscure local law about public immorality that Hiroshima occasionally feels compelled to enforce — probably in order to catch people who are in the country illegally.
Money & Budget
There is an international ATM in the lobby of the central post office, which is on your right as you exit the south side of JR Hiroshima Station. English menus should be available. International ATMs with English menus are also available at 7-Eleven convenience stores, which are open 24 hours in plentiful quantities throughout the city. If you need to change money, the bank across the street from the station — on the first floor of the Fukuya department store — can handle transactions to and from most major currencies. Most visitors arrive at JR Hiroshima Station, which is a 25 minute walk from the Peace Park. If you arrive by Shinkansen, you will be at the north side of the station.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Hiroshima has a rough reputation among Japanese people from other cities, thanks largely to the yakuza movies that were filmed in town. In reality, though, it's much safer than any large Western city. As with most places in Japan, petty theft is virtually non-existent. Nagarekawa, the nightlife district, does have its share of prostitutes, sex clubs, and rip-off hostess bars, but to no greater extent than Tokyo or Osaka. There have been a few surprise police raids on bars that offer dancing after 01:00, in accordance with a semi-obscure local law about public immorality that Hiroshima occasionally feels compelled to enforce — probably in order to catch people who are in the country illegally. Japanese citizens are generally allowed to leave right away, but foreigners have been made to stand in line to have their paperwork checked.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Hiroshima
trees beside brown concrete building
The Atomic Bomb Dome
Floating Tori Gate
a large monument with benches in front of it
Itsukushima Shrine, Japan
red Itsukushima Torii
Itsukushima Shrine, in Miyajima Island. Hiroshima, Japan
brown concrete building near body of water during daytime
white and brown boat on body of water near green mountain during daytime
people riding boat on lake during daytime
trees beside brown concrete building
The Atomic Bomb Dome
Floating Tori Gate