Hiroshima

Getting There

• Shinkansen

  Unless you have a LOT of time on your hands, taking the Shinkansen is the fastest and best way to get to Hiroshima from Mie-ken. Unfortunately, it's not cheap.

  Option 1 - Travel to Nagoya and take the Shinkansen from there. Seat fee and fare will run you around ￥14,000 one-way.

  Option 2 - Travel to Shin-Osaka and take the Shinkansen from there. Seat fee and fare is about ￥10,000 one-way.

• Night Bus

  A more economical yet less timely or comfortable option is the Night Bus. There are several that go to Hiroshima.

  Willer Express Official site offers a night bus that runs to/from Hiroshima Station with stops at KintetsuYokkaichi Station and Nagoya Station. Cost for a one way trip is ￥5800.

Places to Stay

• J-Hoppers Hostel Official site

  This is a great hostel. The staff is very friendly and all speak English. It is about a 20 minute walk from the Peace Park and entertainment district. The rooms are nice, clean, and cheap. The ladies dorm is Japanese style while the co-ed dorms are bunk beds. The atmosphere was very fun and all of the guests hung out in the tv room and cooked dinner together, went drinking together, etc.

  If you are taking an overnight bus to Hiroshima from Nagoya, you should get off at the Hiroshima bus stop and take the tram to the hostel (tram 2,3, or 6 get off at Dobashi). Hiroshima station is actually quite far from the hostel, a 20 minute tram ride.

• Backpacker's Hostel K's House Official site

  This hostel is very well located and affordable for any budget. The staff are all very friendly and speak good English. Rooms are either Japanese style or dorm room style with bunk beds. The atmosphere was very laid back and fun. Many guests hung out in the common room or on the rooftop patio. Also, NO CURFEW!

  The hostel is located 10 minutes by foot from Hiroshima Station (the hostel's website provides a very clear and easy to follow map). It's also within walking distance to Gembaku Domu (A-Bomb Dome), Peace Park, and Hiroshima Castle.

  Helpful Tip: There is a Saty grocery store about 15 minutes down the road where you can pick up food for breakfast or lunch.

Things to do

• Peace Park and Memorial

  The A-Bomb Dome (Gembaku Domu), Museum and Peace Park are all within a few minutes walking distance of each other. Budget about half a day to give each place the time it deserves. Do not plan to go out and have a fun night after doing this as it's a bit of a sobering experience.

  Admission to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is only ￥50.

• Miyajima

  Half or full day trip. One option is to get the pass for ￥840 that includes tram ride there and back, ferry ride, and tram all day. You can also catch the train from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station (25 minutes, ￥400) and then walk to the ferry port (5 minutes). At the port you have the option of taking a JR or Matsudai ferry. They cost the same (￥170 each way) and depart within 10 minutes of each other.

  The ropeway provides some beautiful scenery at a price, ￥1000 one way or ￥1800 return. Alternatively, you can walk up the mountain instead of taking the ropeway but it's a bit of a climb. There are different routes, some more challenging than others. Once you're at the top of the ropeway, if you want to reach the summit of Mt. Misan you will have to make a decent 1 km uphill hike (takes about 30 minutes). The views are worth it though, especially on a clear day.

  Tip: The ropeway closes at 5 PM.

  The main tourist attraction of Miyajima (apart from the fall colours) is the large torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine. If you go in the morning at high tide you can get shots of the gate "floating" in the water. In the afternoon the tide goes out and you can take pictures under the gate or join the Japanese tourists in digging for clams in the sand.

  While you're on Miyajima, try some of the oysters (a local speciality) and momiji manju (maple leaf shaped dough filled with deliciousness).

• Shopping area arcade

  There is a Parco Mall located within the shopping arcade and many, many places to eat.

  The shopping arcade also happens to be within the red light district so be careful after dark

• Hiroshima Castle

  Admission ¥360

  This can be skipped if castles aren't your thing.

  The castle grounds are nice in the spring with the ume blossoms in bloom. The castle tower itself has a so so display inside about different Japanese castles and suits of armour. When we went they had a free interactive exhibit where you could write your name in the ancient Japanese style lettering and then get it laminated. Something cool for the kids, but we had fun doing it too.

  The view from the top of the tower on a clear day is well worth the price of admission.

• World Peace Cathedral

  Catholic Cathedral that was re-built after the A-bomb

Eating and Drinking

Hiroshima is a very international city!

• Okonomiyaki

  They also have their own Japanese speciality -- okonomiyaki with soba or udon (called Hiroshimayaki). There is an area of town that has lots of these shops (check out the map for the Okonomura Village near PARCO).

• Starbucks

  There is a Starbucks in Hiroshima station (third floor), in the shopping arcade, and about a block from the peace park (up an escalator on 2nd floor)

• Get Hiroshima

  Look at this website Get Hiroshima for anything related to drinking and eating. If you are in the mood for something international, search on the website. They also have their own PINK maps that have everything marked plus descriptions.

  Get Hiroshima is also a great guide for bars. We went to Alcoholiday which had a great vibe/music posters but was dead even at 10 pm on a Saturday night. Koba was difficult to find but the bartender is the coolest guy ever and will mix a crazy drink for you (I had a cinnamon apple pie tasting drink). Also try Mac (i believe it is recommended in lonely planet, too). There were a lot of gaijin there, but you can request any cd off the racks and there is a small dancefloor.

• Bacaro Uno

  住所:広島市中区流川町2-17 TEL:082-249-7889

  Small Italian restaurant with great atmosphere in the red light district.

  Staff was great but spoke no English. Food was incredible and decently priced.

  Most patrons sat around the bar, but there was a second floor for larger parties.

• Jamaica

  B1F Apecks Building, 6-3 Tatemachi, Hiroshima, Japan 730-0032

  A basement bar located in Naka-ku. It's always packed on weekends with a younger hip-hop crowd. Tends to be a lot more guys than girls. The music is loud and fun and drinks are cheap. Entry fee will get you 2 drink tickets and fast service.