Introduction to: Hiroshima

This article is based on a visit made on Monday, 21 November 2016.

Edit 12 June 2018: Added excursions.
Edit 8 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Hiroshima (広島, lit. 'wide island') is the largest city in Chugoku, the region encompassing the western end of Japan's main island of Honshu.  It has a history dating back to the late 16th century AD, and grew to be a major port town during the country's industrial rise.  But for many, it will forever be associated with one singular event.  At 8:15 AM of Monday, 6 August 1945, near the end of World War II, the United States Air Force dropped an atomic bomb over the city, the first time this kind of weapon had ever been used in war.  70,000 people died directly from the blast, and tens of thousands more succumbed to radiation-related illnesses in the following years.  This, and the subsequent atomic bombing of Nagasaki three days after, were major factors in the Emperor declaring surrender later in the month.

Even today, the rationale behind the bombing is known to cause controversy in debates, and is not to be discussed lightly, especially with natives of the city.  That said, Hiroshima has rebuilt itself into a modern and lively city, and its people are as friendly and inviting as in any other city in Japan, if not more so.  It may be somewhat light on historical sites, and most of what remain are post-bombing reconstructions, but they are no less worth a visit.  For foodies, Hiroshima's restaurants offer a number of specialties, and are most famous for a unique version of the cabbage-pancake dish okonomiyaki.

Main Attractions

1) Shukkei-en: A landscape garden cultivated around a wide lake.

2) Hiroshima Castle: A semi-wooden castle, rebuilt after the bombing.

By そらみみ [CC BY-SA 4.0], from Wikimedia Commons

3) Hon-dori: A covered shopping street.

4) A-Bomb Dome: A surviving former exhibition hall located near the blast's epicenter.

5) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park: A public park with many artworks inspired by the atomic bombing and its aftermath.

6) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: A museum describing Hiroshima life before, during, and after the bombing.

7) Mazda Museum: The main factory of the car company, offering free guided tours.

Orientation

Hiroshima is located on top of the Ota River delta, along the north coast of Hiroshima Bay.  The city is sandwiched between the bay and the Sanyo Shinkansen.  The major train station, Hiroshima Station, is situated on the northeastern edge of the city's central area.

The following rail companies operate in Hiroshima:

• JR West operates the high-speed Sanyo Shinkansen, the local Sanyo Main Line, and other lines.
• The Hiroshima Electric Railway, or "Hiroden" for short, operates a dense network of streetcar trams within the city.
• The Astram Line is a privately-owned train line connecting the central city with its northern suburbs.  It connects with the JR Sanyo line at Shin-Hakushima Station.

A map of the Hiroshima Electric Railway tram lines.

One of the more convenient methods of transportation within Hiroshima is the tram system operated by the Hiroshima Electric Railway, a.k.a. "Hiroden" (広電).  They run eight routes throughout the city, numbered 1 through 9 (skipping number 4 because of superstition).  Fares within the city centre, up to Nishi-Hiroshima Station, cost a flat rate of ¥190 per ride (the shorter route 9 costs ¥130).  Route 2 extends all the way down to Miyajima-guchi; fares in the section beyond Nishi-Hiroshima Station are distance-based.

Hiroden offers a 1-day pass for unlimited use of their trams, for ¥600.  The 1-Day Streetcar and Ferry Pass, ¥840, also covers ferries to Miyajima operated by Matsudai (but not JR).  While a great value, note that the tram is a far slower method of reaching Miyajima-guchi (70 minutes, ¥270) than the JR Sanyo line (30 minutes, ¥420, JR Pass OK).  More information: (English), (Japanese)

Among the buses in Hiroshima, the "Maple-oop" (めいぷる～ぷ) buses, run by JR Chugoku Bus, are one of the most useful for tourists.  There are three lines: Orange, Green, and Lemon; the anti-clockwise Orange and clockwise Green lines run every 30 minutes, while the anti-clockwise Lemon line runs once an hour.  All three lines start and end at Hiroshima Station, and stop at major attractions within the city.  One ride on the Maple-oop buses costs ¥200, a 1-day pass costs ¥400, and Japan Rail Pass users may ride them for free.  More information: (Japanese)

With the exception of JR lines, the above transportation options in Hiroshima accept a local IC card called Paspy.  As of 17 March 2018, they have also become compatible with other major IC cards from around the country, including Suica, Pasmo, Icoca, etc.  Before then, the only other card accepted was JR West's Icoca.  More information: (Japanese)

The HiroDen tram network uses old and new car models.  Some (not this one) even pre-date the atomic bombing and are still in use!.
Taken on Monday, 21 November 2016.

Access

Hiroshima Airport (IATA code: HIJ) is located about 42 kilometres (26 miles) east of central Hiroshima. (English) (Japanese)  It serves a few domestic (Tokyo-Haneda, Osaka-Itami, Sapporo-Chitose, etc.) and international (Beijing, Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, etc.) locations.  There are no rail links to the airport, but there are highway buses between the airport and Hiroshima Station (45 minutes, ¥1,370) (Schedule).

The easiest way to get to Hiroshima from other cities in Japan is by the Sanyo Shinkansen high-speed train.  All Sanyo services stop at Hiroshima Station, except for Hikari trains that do not travel that far.  If you are using a Japan Rail Pass and are coming in from eastern cities like Tokyo and Nagoya, you will have to transfer to a Sakura or Kodama train at Shin-Osaka Station.  Travel times and fares from major cities are as follows:

City	Time (Kodama)	Time (Hikari)	Time (Nozomi)	Time (Sakura)	Time (Mizuho)	Fare (Reserved)
Tokyo	N/A	N/A	240 minutes	N/A	N/A	¥18,910
Nagoya	N/A	N/A	135 minutes	N/A	N/A	¥14,070
Kyoto	N/A	N/A	105 minutes	N/A	N/A	¥11,300
Osaka (Shin-Osaka)	150 minutes	105-120 minutes	80 minutes	90 minutes	85 minutes	¥10,420
Fukuoka (Hakata)	105 minutes	85 minutes	65 minutes	65 minutes	60 minutes	¥9,100

Times and fares are based on October 2019 schedules and are subject to change.

Excursions

1) Miyajima: An island to the southwest of Hiroshima, with some iconic Shinto shrines.
Access: JR Sanyo Main Line to Miyajimaguchi Station (30 minutes, ¥420, JR Pass OK), followed by a ferry to Miyajima Port (10 minutes, ¥180, JR Pass OK) (schedule).

2) Iwakuni: A town with a famous multi-arched bridge.
Access: Sanyo Shinkansen to Shin-Iwakuni Station (Kodama only, 15 minutes, ¥1,640 non-reserved, JR Pass OK); or JR Sanyo Main Line to Iwakuni Station (50 minutes, ¥770, JR Pass OK).

3) Onomichi: A city with a densely-packed temple walk, and the start of the Shimanami Kaido cycling trail.
Access: Sanyo Shinkansen to Shin-Onomichi (Kodama only, 45 minutes, ¥3,810 reserved, JR Pass OK); or JR Sanyo Main Line to Onomichi Station (90-100 minutes w/ 1 transfer, ¥1,520, JR Pass OK).

4) Fukuyama: A city with a castle right next to its train station.
Access: Sanyo Shinkansen to Fukuyama (25-50 minutes, ¥5,040 reserved, JR Pass OK).

5) Kure: A port city with museums about Japan's maritime history.
Access: JR Kure to Kure (30-45 minutes, ¥510, JR Pass OK).

6) Matsuyama: A city in western Shikoku with famous hot spring facilities.
Access: Super Jet ferry to Matsuyama Sightseeing Port (70 minutes, ¥7,230) (schedule); or car ferry to Matsuyama Sightseeing Port (2 hours 40 minutes, ¥3,670) (schedule).