Hiroshima Travel Guide: What to do in Hiroshima, Japan

Last Updated on October 29, 2023

Japan has been on my travel bucket list for ages, and in October Nick and I finally had a chance to visit.

Our Japanese adventure lasted two and a half weeks, and our itinerary consisted of Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. Visiting this many cities gave us a fantastic overview of Japan, and the many things that it had to offer.

Hiroshima was a city that Nick added to our itinerary, and I’m very grateful that he did. As it’s not only beautiful, but its history is well worth learning about.

We only had one full day to explore Hiroshima, so we fitted in as much as possible.

The first place we visited was Ground Zero, which is where the atomic bomb that was dropped on the 6^th of August 1945 landed, devastating nearly everything within a two-kilometre radius.

A board now stands in this location, describing the intensity of the bomb. It’s up a street, and at first it’s hard to see, but I definitely recommend looking at this board and taking in just how devastating the bomb was for the city.

A five-minute walk from Ground Zero is Peace Memorial Park, which houses the Peace Memorial Museum. The contents of this museum were heartbreaking, and really opened my eyes to the horrific events that ensued after the bomb was dropped.

The museum contained items of clothing, and pieces of buildings that were found after the bomb went off. There was also a lot of information on the bombing, and the effects of the bomb as time went on.

After our visit to the Peace Memorial Museum, we walked around the surrounding Peace Memorial Garden, where we viewed the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims, the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Peace Bell, and Children’s Peace Monument.

One of the most notable structures here was the Atomic Bomb Dome, which amazingly still stands as it did prior to the bomb dropping, but of course with significant damage.

The Atomic Bomb Dome was originally the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, but is now a Unesco World Heritage Site. It’s one of the few buildings to remain standing after the bomb was dropped, and is definitely a site worth seeing.

After our exploration of the Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Garden, we walked for 20 minutes to Hiroshima Castle.

The castle was rebuilt in 1958 after being destroyed by the bomb. The picture below is of the entrance, but the castle is actually five stories high.

Nick and I walked through every story, and learnt more about Hiroshima’s history, as well as what it was like to live in the 1590s, when the castle was originally built.

After the castle we walked for 10 minutes and found Cusco Café, where we had dinner. This was a Spanish restaurant, which was perfect as it’s a cuisine that Nick and I hadn’t had for ages. I had a couple of Pina Coladas, which were fantastic!

Hiroshima was eye opening. I had no idea about the scale of the bombing, and the number of people that the bomb killed. Hiroshima’s attractions did a fantastic job of educating me on the scope of the bomb, but not in a depressing way, or a way that blames anyone.

If you’d like to read posts on other Asian cities I’ve visited then please visit my Asia travels page. Or, if you’d like to read posts I’ve written on other places then please visit this travel page.

Do you have any Hiroshima recommendations?