Things to Do in Hiroshima: The Peace Park, Castle, Okonomiyaki and Miyajima

The Best Things to Do in Hiroshima: Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome

At 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb exploded over central Hiroshima — the first used in war. Peace Memorial Park was laid out over what had been one of the city's liveliest districts, and walking through it is the clearest way to understand Hiroshima's history and its place in World War II.

Start at the Atomic Bomb Dome on the riverbank: the gutted shell of a prewar exhibition hall, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1996. It's fenced off, but you can look at it from outside at any time. Then walk south. You'll pass the Children's Peace Monument, completed in 1958 in memory of Sadako Sasaki and hung with paper cranes — about ten million are offered every year — and the Peace Flame. At the Cenotaph, unveiled on August 6, 1952, the flame and the Dome line up exactly through the arch. Its inscription reads: "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." Anyone may lay flowers.

The park is free and open around the clock. Come back in the evening too, when the tour groups and most tourists have gone and the Dome is lit. And don't skip the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims next to the museum: entry is free, it's far calmer, and its survivors' memoirs and video testimony put names and faces to the victims of the bombing, so you learn about the people as well as the past. Every year on August 6 the city holds the Peace Memorial Ceremony in the park, with a minute's silence at 8:15.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: Tickets, Timing and What to Expect

If you only do one thing in Hiroshima, make it this. Admission is ¥200 for adults and ¥100 for high school students, and free for younger children. Since its renewal the main building centers on real artifacts — clothing, notes, photos — and the personal stories of the people they belonged to. You'll learn more here in two hours than from any textbook. Most people leave with a heavy feeling, and that's the point.

Crowds are the real issue: the museum itself says it gets very crowded during the day and recommends buying a web ticket in advance, because same-day ticket lines can be long. A few things to know:

• Hours: 7:30–18:00 from December to February, 7:30–19:00 from March to July and September to November, and to 20:00 in August. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
• Early and late slots are online only: from 7:30 to 8:30 and in the last part of the day (16:30 onward in winter) you can only get in with a web reservation; the ticket counter and machines don't sell those slots.
• Booking: web tickets go on sale 90 days ahead, with a timed entry; overseas visitors book through Klook.
• Closures: December 30–31, and February 15–20, 2027 for exhibit changes.
• Free programs: a guided tour by Hiroshima Peace Volunteers and a daily talk by A-bomb Legacy Successors, who present survivors' testimony — a good way to learn the background before you walk the halls.

Our tip: take the 7:30 slot. You get the quietest rooms of the day and the rest of the morning for the park.

Hiroshima Castle: What You Can Still See After the 2026 Closure

Hiroshima Castle was founded in the late 16th century and destroyed by the atomic bombing. Its keep was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1958 and ran as a history museum for about 68 years — until March 22, 2026, when the city closed it for safety, citing deteriorating concrete and aging equipment. The building is still standing and you can admire it from outside, but you can't go in. A rebuild in wood has been studied, but the city says nothing has been decided.

Still worth the walk? Yes, if you know what to expect. The moats, stone walls and grounds are free to wander, and the reconstructed Ninomaru buildings by the main gate are open, also free (9:00–16:30 from October to March). On weekends and holidays a small wooden boat takes you around the moat in about 20 minutes (¥1,000). Coming later? A new Sannomaru History Museum opens on June 1, 2027, with its main gallery — including objects moved out of the keep — from October 1, 2027. Pair the castle with Shukkeien on one walking loop, and don't pay for a tour that promises the castle interior.

More Things to Do in Hiroshima City

Shukkeien Garden

Shukkeien was laid out in 1620, and its history mirrors the city's: wrecked in 1945, restored afterwards. Today it's a strolling garden of ponds, little bridges and teahouses, a great place to slow down after the museum, and a gentle introduction to Japanese culture if Hiroshima is your first stop in Japan. Entry is ¥350 (free for over-65s with ID), open 9:00–17:00 from mid-September to mid-March, closed December 29–31. A combined ticket with the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum next door costs ¥660.

Orizuru Tower

Right nearby, next to the Atomic Bomb Dome, Orizuru Tower has an open-air rooftop deck looking straight down on the Dome and the park (10:00–18:00, ¥2,200). For ¥100 more you can fold a paper crane and drop it into the "Orizuru Wall" that runs down the building.

Museums, and Mazda for car fans

The Hiroshima Museum of Art, near the castle, is a small museum of mainly French and Japanese modern art; its special exhibition on artists and cafés runs until January 11, 2027 (¥2,200, which also covers the collection). Car fans can tour the Mazda Museum for free, but only by reservation: the English tour leaves the Mazda head-office lobby at 14:15 on weekdays, and bookings open three months ahead. It's closed over New Year (December 26 to the morning of January 5) and from February 8 to 26, 2027.

Okonomiyaki, Oysters and Where to Eat

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is the local food everyone should try, and it's layered, not mixed: a thin crepe, a mountain of cabbage, pork, noodles and egg, all cooked on the griddle in front of you. Okonomimura, near the Hondori arcade, packs 25 independent counters onto three floors of one building. Pick a floor, walk the corridor and sit wherever there's a free stool — it's fun, and easy on your own or with friends. Can't decide on a shop? Check a few more reviews on Google Maps. Every shop sets its own hours, all the seats are counter seats around the griddle, and there's nowhere to leave luggage, so drop your bags first.

Oysters are the other local obsession: Hiroshima grows more than 60% of Japan's farmed oysters, and they're a cold-weather food, grilled on Miyajima's main street or fried and in hot pots across the city. A caution for this winter: last season was hit by heavy oyster die-offs after long spells of high sea temperature, and the Miyajima Oyster Festival in February 2026 was cancelled. No outlook for the 2026–27 season had been published in early October. And try momiji manju, the maple-leaf cakes filled with bean paste that were first made on Miyajima.

Kagura and Evenings Out

Kagura is the region's energetic folk theater, with masks, drums, smoke and lightning-fast costume changes — loud, fun and a real slice of local culture. Each performance is given by a local troupe. Regular evening performances are held at the Hiroshima Prefectural Culture Center every Wednesday from April 1 to December 23, 2026, starting at 19:00 and lasting about 45 minutes. If you're in town on a Wednesday, it's a great way to spend an hour after dinner.

Afterwards, Nagarekawa, the city's main nightlife district, is full of small bars. In winter, Hiroshima Dreamination lights up Peace Boulevard and the city center from December 4, 2026 to January 24, 2027, 17:30–22:30 — later than usual this year. In baseball season, a Hiroshima Carp game with friends is a real taste of local life.

Miyajima Island and Itsukushima Shrine: The Classic Day Trip

Miyajima, officially Itsukushima, is the island everyone pictures when they think of Hiroshima: a vermilion torii gate standing in the sea. Itsukushima Shrine joined the World Heritage list in 1996, the same year as the Dome. The island's highlights fit into one relaxed day, and it's the one place on this list you shouldn't miss; for the full island guide — ferries, tides, the ropeway and a two-day plan — see our Hiroshima and Miyajima guide.

Getting there: train and ferry, or the sea route

From Hiroshima Station, take the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi (about half an hour) and walk to the pier. The JR and Matsudai ferries both take about 10 minutes and cost ¥200 each way, plus the ¥100 Miyajima Visitor Tax, which is added to the fare. The Japan Rail Pass covers the JR ferry. The Hiroden streetcar also runs all the way to Miyajimaguchi for the flat ¥240 fare, but takes over an hour.

Prefer to skip the train? The World Heritage Sea Route boat runs from Peace Memorial Park straight to Miyajima island in about 45 minutes, down the city's rivers and across the bay — a memorable way to get between the two World Heritage sites: ¥2,400 one way or ¥4,400 return, plus the tax. Some sailings can't run at certain tides, so check the timetable.

Itsukushima Shrine: tides, tickets and timing

Shrine admission is ¥300. It opens at 6:30 and closes at 17:00 in December and 17:30 from January 4 to February. At high tide the shrine and torii seem to float; at low tide you can walk across the sand to the base of the gate. The Miyajima Tourist Association publishes the day's best times for both, so check before you pick your ferry. Early mornings are quietest, before the day-trippers from Osaka and Kyoto arrive. One thing you won't see this winter: the island's five-story pagoda is wrapped for restoration until November 2027.

Hike Mount Misen, or ride the ropeway

At 535 meters, Mount Misen is the island's highest point, with wide views over the Seto Inland Sea. Three trails lead up from the town, and the climb takes about one and a half to two hours. Not up for the full hike? The Miyajima Ropeway (¥2,000 return) runs uphill from 9:00 to 16:00, with the last car down at 16:30; from the top station it's about another hour's round trip on foot to the summit. On busy autumn days you need to reserve the ropeway in advance.

Omotesando: oysters, deer and souvenirs

Omotesando, the shopping street a few minutes from the pier, is the island's food street, lined with stalls grilling local oysters and every kind of shop selling momiji manju. Deer wander freely; don't feed them, and keep paper and snacks out of reach. If you can, stay into the evening: once the day-trippers and tour groups leave, you get the lit-up shrine without the crowds, and the ferries run until late in the evening (the last JR boat from Miyajimaguchi leaves at 22:42).

Day Trips From Hiroshima

• Iwakuni and the Kintaikyo Bridge: a five-arched wooden bridge over a clear river. The bridge fee rose to ¥500 on September 1, 2026; the toll booths are staffed from 8:00 (8:30 on the far side) to 17:00.
• Kure and the Yamato Museum: the naval museum is open again after its renovation (¥1,000, closed on Tuesdays), about 30 minutes from Hiroshima by JR rapid train plus a short walk.
• Onomichi: a hillside temple town on the Inland Sea, about 40 minutes by Kodama to Shin-Onomichi plus a 15-minute bus, or about an hour and a half by local train with a change at Mihara.
• Okunoshima: "rabbit island", home to around 600 tame rabbits, a 15-minute boat ride from the mainland.

Hiroshima Prices and Hours at a Glance

One more cost: since April 1, 2026, Hiroshima Prefecture charges an accommodation tax of ¥200 per person per night when the room rate is ¥6,000 or more, paid at your hotel.

Getting to Hiroshima and Getting Around

By shinkansen, Hiroshima is about 3 hours 50 minutes from Tokyo on the fastest Nozomi, about 1 hour 20–25 minutes from Shin-Osaka, about 1 hour 40 minutes from Kyoto and about an hour from Hakata in Fukuoka. From Hiroshima Airport, the limousine bus to the station takes about 50 minutes (¥1,500).

For local transport in town, the Hiroden streetcars charge a flat ¥240 per ride anywhere on the network (you pay when you get off; IC cards such as Suica and ICOCA work), and a one-day pass costs ¥700. Since August 2025 the trams run straight into the Hiroshima Station building, stopping on the second floor level with the JR central ticket gate, which makes the change from the shinkansen easy. The Meipuru-pu sightseeing loop bus (¥240 a ride, ¥600 a day) stops at the castle, the Dome and the Peace Park, and accepts the Japan Rail Pass. Most central sites and attractions are within walking distance of each other once you're there, so take the tram to the Peace Park and explore on foot.

How to Spend Two Days in Hiroshima

• Day 1 — the city: the 7:30 museum slot, then the Peace Park and the Dome, Orizuru Tower or the castle grounds and Shukkeien after lunch, okonomiyaki for dinner, and kagura if it's a Wednesday.
• Day 2 — Miyajima: an early train to Miyajimaguchi and the ferry, the shrine at a good tide, the ropeway and Misen, oysters on Omotesando, and back to Hiroshima in the evening — or the sea route straight back to the Peace Park.

Only one day, coming from Osaka or Kyoto? Stick to two highlights: the Peace Park and museum in the morning, Miyajima in the afternoon. Drop the castle, and start early. From Tokyo, don't try it as a day trip — that's nearly eight hours on trains for a day of sightseeing.

Common mistakes

• Turning up at the museum at midday in a busy season without a ticket. The museum itself warns that the halls get very crowded in the daytime; book a timed slot online.
• Expecting to go inside Hiroshima Castle. The keep is closed.
• Ignoring the tides on Miyajima.
• Missing the last ropeway at 16:30 and walking down at dusk.
• Trusting old fares. Many sites still quote ¥220 for the streetcar and the loop bus, and ¥310 for Kintaikyo.
• Rushing Peace Memorial Park on a tour-bus schedule. Give it time.

Self-Guided Routes With Two Nights in Hiroshima

28 of our self-guided routes stay two nights in Hiroshima — enough for the city and Miyajima — and combine it with Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka or the Inland Sea. Our staff meet you at the airport with your trip documents, the tickets for the legs we book and a loaded IC card, and 24/7 support services come with every self-guided tour. There's no guide walking with you day to day, but a local guide can be arranged as an option if you'd like someone to share the history at the Peace Park. Entry fees and the Miyajima ferry are paid on the spot unless the route says otherwise. Prices are per person and move with the departure date and room type.

Interested in a tour? Click the route name above, or search by route code in the top-right Search bar.

Building a longer trip? Our two-week Japan itinerary and things to do in Kyoto guide pair well with Hiroshima, and Fukuoka is an hour further west.

Interested in adding Hiroshima and Miyajima to your Japan trip? Get in touch through Plan My Trip on our self-guided tours site, and we'll suggest the tours that best fit your dates and plans.

FAQ: Things to Do in Hiroshima