Top Great Places you need to see in Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima which is now home to over a million inhabitants was once upon a time destroyed by atomic bombs. The tremendous power that nearly destroyed everything within a two kilometer radius. Great effort was taken to rebuild the city after the war. Nowadays, Hiroshima historical heritages like castles and gardens have become a source of attraction to many tourists. Henceforth these are the Top Great places you need to see in Hiroshima, Japan.

1. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is located in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park(Heiwa Kinen Kōen). It consists of two buildings: the museum surveys the history of Hiroshima and the advent of the nuclear bomb. Some personal details displayed are really upsetting and serve to remind us that we should not take peace for granted.

2. Atomic Bomb Dome

The Atomic Bomb Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The building serves as a place to promote industries. It is one of the buildings that remained standing when the bomb exploded.

3. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

To see and visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum you need to pass here. The park is not only home to the museum but equally to the Atomic Bomb Dome. It’s one of the most eminent features of the city. Visitors will surely stumble on it without even knowing due to its size (over 120000 square meters). This Peace Memorial Park was once Hiroshima’s political and commercial city before the bomb.

4. Shukkei-en Garden

Translated in English as Shrunken scenery garden due to mountains, valleys and forests represented in miniature. Shukkei-en is a picturesque and calm garden you need to see during your trip in Hiroshima. It was founded in 1620 so it’s quite ancient. An artificial but natural looking lake is found at the center of the garden. A stony bridge connects the two ends of the lake. You can find tea houses around the garden bridge which offers visitors sumptuous scenery.

5. Hiroshima Castle

Hiroshima Castle “Carp Castle” was demolished by the atomic bomb in 1945. Built in 1589 by the powerful feudal lord Mori Terumoto, Hiroshima Castle was an important seat of power in Western Japan. After some years, its main keep was rebuilt in ferro-concrete, with a beautiful and partially attractive wooden exterior. From the top floor of the castle you can enjoy panoramic views and the city’s surroundings.

Within the castle’s precincts you will find a shrine, some ruins and a few reconstructed buildings of the Ninomaru. In recent restorations, some parts of Ninomaru(castle’s second circle of defense) were reconstructed using original materials. In addition visitors can enter the castle and view displays about it’s reconstruction.

6. Okonomimura

Each Japan’s region offers its own unique food culture. Hiroshima’s favorite is Okonomimura, a gourmet spot housing twenty-four restaurants. These restaurants are specialized in Okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki consist of flour paste cooked into a crepe-like form. Then it is topped with cabbage, pork as well as soba or udon and other great ingredients.

Hiroshima is an ideal spot for you to try a bit of this local food. Beside that, Okonomimura is not only a delicious place but equally where people or visitors can chat together and have fun together. You really need to see and visit this spot in Hiroshima.

7. Hiroshima Museum of Art

Having the theme “For love and peace”, Hiroshima Museum of Art is an incarnation of both a prayer for the repose of the victims of the atomic bomb and a desire for peace.

The museum includes a variety of artwork around the world ranging from mid-19th Century Romanticism to those representing the school of Paris and also Japanese modern art from Meiji.

Hiroshima Museum is famous for some of its artwork collections by French artists such as Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, van Gogh and many others.

8. Hiroshima MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium

This is a spectacular baseball stadium in Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan. Primarily used for baseball, Hiroshima MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium is equally home of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Japanese Central League. It opened in April 2009 and has a capacity of 32000 people. The “Zoom-Zoom” name is a reference to a marketing campaign by Mazda.

If you are visiting Hiroshima during the Hiroshima Toyo Carp don’t forget to visit and help cheer up your favorite team.

9. Mitaki Temple

This is a temple dedicated to Kannon the Goddess of Mercy and Dates. The Mitaki-Dera Temple is a wonderful temple complex you need to see in Hiroshima, tucked away in a forest on the slopes of Mount Mitaki.  Close to the entrance of the complex is a two-storied pagoda. It was moved to Hiroshima from Wakayama in 1951 to help comfort the souls that were lost during the bomb.

Equally, here’s also a small, teahouse where you can enjoy simple traditional Japanese food. As you walk through the calm grounds, you’ll come across several other memorials for the atomic bomb victims, as well as stone jizo statues. Jizo is known to be the protector of women, children and travelers, and its statues often have bright red caps and bibs. 

So far these are the top great Places you need to see and visit in Hiroshima, Japan. I hope you will enjoy visiting the castles and temples as well as have fun while eating some Okonomiyaki. However there are equally many other top great places you need to see in Hiroshima. The ones presented in this article are highly recommended by guides. But there are also other destinations you should consider visiting.

Top other Places You Need to see in Hiroshima

• Hiroshima Botanical Garden
• MAZDA Museum
• Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine
• Hiroshima Orizuru Tower
• Peace Flame

Other beautiful and sumptuous destinations I also recommend you to visit in japan are Tokyo, Kyoto, Naoshima, or Himeji. But don’t forget to have a wonderful trip and a lot of fun guys.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hiroshima

What are the best outdoor activities in Hiroshima ?

• Shukkei-en Garden
• Motoyasu River
• Setonaikai
• Asa Zoological Park
• Hijiyama Park

What are the most popular things to do in Hiroshima with kids ?

• Atomic Bomb Dome
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
• Shukkei-en Garden
• The Cenotaph
• Children’s Peace Monument