Things to do
14-
Atomic Bomb Dome
Hiroshima's old exhibition hall stands 160 metres from where the bomb exploded, and from its fence on the river bank you see what the bombing left: a bare steel dome over broken walls. Then walk south through the park to the museum.
View more → -
Daisho-in
A temple on the slope above Miyajima's village, quieter than the shrine below and reached by stone steps lined with small statues in knitted caps. Spin the prayer wheels set into the handrail on the way up. Walkers coming down from Mount Misen pass through in the afternoon, so visit in the morning for the halls at their calmest.
-
Hiroshima Castle
The concrete keep closed permanently in March 2026: it still stands in the open Honmaru grounds and the walk up to it is free, but there is no way inside. The rebuilt Ninomaru gate and timber turrets can be entered by day. Give it an hour on the way to or from the Peace Park, about fifteen minutes' walk to the south, and do not plan a half day around it.
-
Hiroshima Orizuru Tower
The open rooftop deck of this office tower looks straight down on the Atomic Bomb Dome and across the Peace Park to the hills behind the city. Go up just before sunset, when the light is low over the rivers. Entry is ticketed, and a slide runs down part of the building as a quicker way back to the street.
-
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The main building tells the story of the bombing through the belongings of named victims: a scorched tricycle, a child's lunchbox, a watch stopped at a quarter past eight. Allow two hours and leave time afterwards, because it is hard going. Avoid midday because of the crowds; only the first hour and the last evening slot need an online reservation.
-
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
The park fills a river island in the centre, and a walk through it is the heart of a Hiroshima visit. Stand on the museum side of the Cenotaph to see the flame and the Atomic Bomb Dome lined up through its arch, then walk on to the Children's Peace Monument, hung with strings of paper cranes. Entry is free and the paths stay open at all hours, so it works early or late.
-
Itsukushima Shrine
Best seen twice in one day: at high water the shrine's corridors and its vermilion gate seem to stand on the sea, and hours later you can walk out across the drained bay to the gate.
View more → -
Mount Misen
Miyajima's summit is a scatter of boulders with a view across the islands of the Inland Sea. A two-stage ropeway does most of the climb and leaves a rocky half-hour walk, but it shuts for maintenance for spells each year and stops in high wind, so check before setting out. On foot it takes about two hours, and the favoured loop goes up through Momijidani and down past Daisho-in.
-
Hiroshima Museum of Art
A round gallery in Chuo Park holding a compact collection of French painting from the Impressionists to Picasso, alongside Japanese painters who worked in the Western style. It sits a few minutes' walk from the castle grounds and makes a calm hour after the Peace Park. Temporary exhibitions take over part of the building through the year.
-
Mazda Stadium
The Carp's home ground is a ten-minute walk from Hiroshima Station, and a home game between late March and October is the noisiest night out in the city. Sit in the outfield sections to join the trumpets and chants, and stay for the balloons released in the seventh inning. Buy tickets a few days ahead online or at a convenience store, since weekend games sell out.
-
Mitaki-dera
A hillside temple in the forest at the city's northern edge, with three small waterfalls, moss-covered statues and a vermilion pagoda among the trees. Take the JR Kabe line three stops to Mitaki, then walk about fifteen minutes uphill on a steep lane. Come in November for the maples, or on any weekday morning for the quiet.
-
Momijidani Park
A wooded valley of maples along a stream behind the shrine, about twenty minutes' walk from the ferry pier. The colour peaks in mid to late November, when this is the busiest corner of the island. The ropeway's lower station sits above its upper end, and the walking trail up Mount Misen starts here too.
-
Okonomimura
Two dozen small okonomiyaki counters fill three floors of one building a few minutes from the Hondori arcade. Every counter cooks the Hiroshima version, built up in layers of batter, cabbage, noodles and egg on the griddle in front of the stools. Most seat fewer than ten, so expect a wait on the stairs.
-
Shukkei-en
A walking garden laid out as landscape in miniature, with paths circling a pond crossed by a steep stone arch bridge, teahouses and small hills among the pines. A few trees that survived the bomb are marked along the way. Weekdays are quieter, and it pairs with the castle grounds, a short walk west.
