Things to Do in Hiroshima – Plan a Perfect Day Trip
Best tips for a day trip in Hiroshima. Things to do in 24 hours in Hiroshima. Add a day trip to your Japan travel plan. Is a Hiroshima day trip worthwhile?
Mentioning Hiroshima, what is the first thing coming up in your mind? Yes, exactly, Nuclear Bomb! Unlike clamorous, animated and bustling cities which define the unique modern lifestyle of Japan, Hiroshima represents a strong revival after the devastation, a peaceful and spiritual city of culture.
Hiroshima city – the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, is located in South-West of Honshu, the biggest island of Japan. Visiting Hiroshima is a possible option if you have chance to set your foot on Land of the Rising Sun and it’s a doable one-day trip from Kyoto, Osaka or Tokyo. This article will give you general information about Hiroshima and make sure you will enjoy Hiroshima the most.
Transportation
There multiple options to get to Hiroshima which are affordable for each budget.
- Flight:
Cost: 25000 yen ~
1h 25m duration from Tokyo, up to 21 flights/day.
- Shinkansen:
Cost: 160000 – 20000 yen
This is the most convenient way to go if you hold the JR Pass ( JR Rail Pass ) which you can use for not only Shinkansen but JR local Train as well.
- High-way Bus:
Cost: 5000 – 10000 yen
Night bus would be the best choice for backpacker and other travelers with tiny budget. But it doesn’t mean that it’s not safe for us to travel this way. It only takes time and of course it’s way cheaper than other means. The easiest way to search for buses is Willer Expess or you can have more options by using Rakuten Travel.
Once you are in Hiroshima, going around is not big problem since the public transportation in Japan is highly developed. Here in Hiroshima, we have Hiroden – Electric Railway System.
- Passes:
For travelers who got JR Pass. The good news is that you don’t have to pay for more transportation to Miyajima Island as long as you use only JR Lines and JR Ferry Boat. But if you want to see Hiroshima deep inside the city, purchasing their Hiroden 1-day Pass (840 yen) which include Ferry Boat of Miyajima MATSUDAI KISEN tourist ship (different from JR Ferry Boat) will be better.
Provided by Hiroshima Electric Railway
Where to go
Miyajima Island
Photo Credit: Linh Tran
Coming right after Mount Fuji as Japan’s icon, Itsukushia Shrine’s Torii Gate is one of World’s Heritages which you definitely cannot miss during your time in Hiroshima.
Miyajima Island is only 10 minutes away from the city by Ferry Boat. There is a belief that this Island is where God dwells. There are many temples and shrines locate on the island but we should only choose main spots to go.
Access: From Hiroshima Station you can take either JR Sanyo Lines (towards Iwakuni) or Hiroden No.2 to Miyajimaguchi Station for 26 minutes. Then take Ferry Boat to Miyajima Island for 10 mintutes.
Provided by 宮島松代汽船
Here are some recommendations:
- Itsukushima Shrine
Hours: 6:30 – 18:00,
No closing days
Fee: 300yen (500+ Treasure hall)
- Senjoukaku
Hours: 8:30 – 16:00
No Closing days
Fee: 100yen
- Daisho-in Temple
Hours: 8:00 – 17:00
No Closing day
Fee: Free
- Mt. Misen
If your plan is staying in Miyajima for one night, Mt Misen will be a good choice for trekking in the next day.
Hours: 9:00 – 17:00
No Closing days
Access: Ropeway 1000 – 1800yen
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Photo Credit: Linh Tran
Settling in the center of the city, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was built to contrast the devastated scene after the atomic bomb and a peaceful, lively atmosphere as Hiroshima is today. There are buildings, statues and museum to commemorate people who laid down at that time and represent people’s prayers for peace.
Access:
From Hiroshima Station: Take Hiroden No.2 or 6 towards Eba, stop at Gembaku Mae Station (160yen, 16 minutes)
From Miyajimaguchi Station: Take Hiroden Miyajima Line (continue as Hiroden No.2) towards Hiroshimaeki (260yen, 26 minutes)
*If you take Sanyo JR Line, get off at Yokogawa Station, take bus toward Hiroshima Station and stop at Meruparuku Mae (Kamiyacho)
Here are the main spots:
- A-bomb Dome: located right next to the river in the center of the park.
- Peace Memorial Museum:
Fee: 200yen
Closing days: 29/12 -1/1
Hours: 8:30am – 6pm
8:30am – 7pm (August)
8:30am – 5pm (Dec-Feb)
Last Admission: 30 mins before closing time.
Other Attractions
Except for Mazda Museum, other places are located in walkable area around Peace Memorial Park. So you can pick them up by yourself according to your timetable.
Food Guide
Provided by Foursquare
- Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki: The best place for this unique style okonomiyaki is Okonomimura which located in shopping street and other restaurants are easy to find around Hiroshima Station. Make sure that you sit at the counter to see chef’s performance of making okonomiyaki 😉
Provided by Foursquare
- Oyster: 60-70% Japan’s Oyster Production is accounted by Hiroshima Prefecture. So in another words, we can say Hiroshima is Oyster Heaven and of course, we should not miss the chance to try oyster here. If you’re in Miyajima Island by lunch time, you would probably stop at Kakiya Restaurant. But you don’t have to go that far for good oyster dishes because 5-minute walk from Hiroshima Station, there is Kakiden Restaurant.
Photo Credit: Sam Sheffield via Flickr cc
- Momijimanju: Maple leaf cake was traditionally filled with only Red Bean paste but nowadays, there are different fillings to meet customers’ sweet tooth demands such as Green Tea, Sweet Potato or Custard. This is also the best souvenirs from Hiroshima. Some Momijimaju and Japanese Tea for dessert would be more than perfect.
- Spicy Tsukemen: Just like other tsukemen, we dip noodle in the separate bowl of soup and eat. But Hiroshima’s Tsukemen Soup is spicy or super duper spicy. They have scale for spiciness. Let’s try this challenge to see which level of spiciness you can take. I will take the highest level! How about you?
I am not going to tell you how I feel about Hiroshima because I want to hear from your opinion first. Please share with me your plan, your photos and your thoughts about this brave land. Have a good time in Hiroshima 🙂
