Hiroshima walking tour & city guide

The Peace Memorial Park

At the heart of the city lies the Peace Memorial Park, built on what was once a busy commercial district near the bomb's hypocenter. Its most recognizable structure is the A-Bomb Dome, the skeletal ruin of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, preserved as it stood after the explosion and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The park also holds the Cenotaph for the A-bomb victims, the Flame of Peace, which will burn until all nuclear weapons are abolished, and the Children's Peace Monument, surrounded by thousands of colorful paper cranes sent from around the world. The Peace Memorial Museum tells the story of that day with deep honesty and is an essential, moving visit.

Around the city

Hiroshima's streetcar network, one of the largest in Japan, is a charming way to get around, and some of its trams survived the bombing. Hiroshima Castle, rebuilt in 1958, rises from moat-lined grounds north of the center, and Shukkeien is a beautiful landscape garden with miniature versions of famous scenery.

In the evening, the covered Hondori shopping street and the Nagarekawa entertainment district come alive with restaurants and bars, as the night walking tour shows.

Miyajima day trip

A short train and ferry ride away, the island of Miyajima is home to Itsukushima Shrine and its giant vermilion torii gate, which appears to float on the water at high tide. Friendly deer roam the streets, and a ropeway climbs Mount Misen for views over the Inland Sea. Note that visitors to the island pay a small visitor tax.