Hiroshima

Hiroshima (広島) is an industrial city of wide boulevards and criss-crossing rivers along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. Although many only know it for the horrific split-second on August 6, 1945 when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, it is now a modern cosmopolitan city with excellent cuisine and a bustling nightlife.

Understand
Those expecting to step off the Shinkansen into a pile of smoldering rubble will be in for a surprise, as Hiroshima has all the ferroconcrete and blinking neon of any other modern Japanese city. Teenagers stream in and out of the station, where McDonald's and the latest keitai (mobile phones) await; hapless salarymen rush down Aioi-dori to their next meeting, casting a bloodshot eye toward the seedy bars of Nagarekawa as they pass. At first glance, it can be hard to imagine that anything out of the ordinary ever happened here.

Hiroshima was founded in 1589 on the delta formed by the Ota River, flowing out to the Seto Inland Sea. The warlord Mori Terumoto built a castle there, only to lose it eleven years later to Tokugawa Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara, which marked the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate. Control of the area was given to the Asano clan of samurai, who ruled without much incident for the next two and a half centuries. Their descendants embraced the rapid modernization of the Meiji period, and Hiroshima became the seat of government for the region, a major industrial center, and a busy port.

By World War II, Hiroshima was one of the larger cities in Japan, and a natural communications and supply center for the military. Forced laborers from Korea and China were shipped in by the tens of thousands, and local schoolchildren also spent part of their days working in munitions factories. Residents of the city must have felt curiously blessed for the first few years of the war, as Hiroshima had been left largely untouched by American bombing campaigns; that was, however, intended to ensure a more accurate measurement of the atomic bomb's effect on the candidate cities, which had been narrowed down to Hiroshima, Kokura, Kyoto, Nagasaki, and Niigata.

On 6 August 1945 at 08:15 the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb dubbed "Little Boy" on Hiroshima. It is estimated that at least 70,000 people were killed in the explosion and its immediate aftermath. Most of the city was built of wood, and fires raged out of control across nearly, leaving behind a charred plain with a few scattered concrete structures. Corpses lay piled in rivers; medical treatment was virtually non-existent, as most of the city's medical facilities had been located near the hypocenter, and the few doctors left standing had no idea what hit them. That evening, radioactive materials in the atmosphere caused a poisonous "black rain" to fall.

In the days ahead, many survivors began to come down with strange illnesses, such as skin lesions, hair loss, and fatigue. Between 70,000 and 140,000 people would eventually die from radiation-related diseases. Known as hibakusha, the survivors were also subject to severe discrimination from other Japanese, but have since been at the forefront of Japan's post-war pacifism and its campaign against the use of nuclear weapons.

Recovery was slow, given the scale of the devastation, and black markets thrived in the first few years after the war. However, the reconstruction of Hiroshima became a symbol of Japan's post-war pacifism. Today, Hiroshima has a population of more than 1.1 million. Automobiles are a major local industry, with Mazda's corporate headquarters nearby. There are three excellent art museums in the city center, some of Japan's most fanatical sports fans, and a wide range of culinary delights &mdash; most notably the city's towering contribution to bar cuisine, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.

Although many visitors, especially Americans, may feel apprehensive about visiting Hiroshima, it is a friendly, welcoming city, with as much interest in Western, especially American culture as anywhere else in Japan. Tourists are welcomed, and exhibits related to the atomic bomb are not concerned with blame or accusations. Bear in mind, though, that many hibakusha still live in the city, and even most of the young people in Hiroshima have family members who lived through the blast. As such, the average Hiroshima resident isn't likely to relish talking about it, although you needn't shy away from the topic if one of the chatty fellows around the Peace Park brings it up.

Climate
Unfortunately, most travelers experience Hiroshima during the worst weather of the year, in July and August, when days of heavy rain give way to brutal, muggy heat. Don't book accommodation without air conditioning if that's when you're planning to visit. Also note that in the latter half of September, warm and pleasant days are interspersed with typhoons powerful enough to wreck buildings (such as the one that nearly destroyed Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima in 2004) and keep travelers locked up in their hotels.

October and November are ideal, with less rain and cool, refreshing temperatures. The winter months are fine for a visit &mdash; the weather is dry, with very little rain or snow, and the temperatures are rarely cold enough to keep you indoors. As elsewhere in Japan, though, a number of museums are closed from 29 Dec to 1 Jan (or 3 Jan).

April and May also have excellent weather. The cherry blossoms come out in early April, and the parks around Hiroshima Castle turn into a mob scene with hanami parties. For sakura with a bit more solitude, go for a hike on Ushita-yama, overlooking the north exit of JR Hiroshima Station (see Recreation). March is the very beginning of the tourist season, and the plum trees (ume) are in blossom, so if you want to see Hiroshima surrounded by pink flowers but don't want to fight with every tourist on the planet to photograph them, March is a good time to go.

Read and watch

 * Eleanor Coerr's Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes tells the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young bomb victim who was inspired to fold cranes by a Japanese folk tale, which said that anyone who folds over a thousand cranes will have their wish come true. According to some versions of the story, Sadako completed more than a thousand before she died of leukemia at the age of twelve; in Coerr's book, she finished about 640 before she died, and her schoolmates completed the rest in her memory.
 * John Hersey's Hiroshima is a short but gripping book that describes the experiences of six people &mdash; five Japanese citizens and a German priest &mdash; before and after the blast. It was first published as an issue-length article in The New Yorker in August 1946. Almost forty years later, Hersey returned to Hiroshima to write a follow-up article, which continues the survivors' stories in the post-war years, and it is included in new editions of the book.
 * Masuji Ibuse's Black Rain (黒い雨, Kuroi ame)　is a novel about the post-war experiences of a family of hibakusha as they face discrimination in post-war Japanese society for both employment and marriage, and cope with health problems from radiation poisoning, the consequences of which were barely understood by doctors of the time.
 * Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen (はだしのゲン, Hadashi no Gen) is the most popular manga treatment of the atomic bomb story, based loosely on Nakazawa's own experience as a young boy in the days immediately after the blast.
 * Many Japanese people also associate Hiroshima with the yakuza, thanks to the classic 1971 Bunta Sugawara/Kinji Fukasaku gangster film Battles Without Honor and Humanity (仁義なき戦い, Jingi naki tatakai, also known as The Yakuza Papers) and its four sequels, which were set in the city.

Money
There is an international ATM in the lobby of the central post office, which is on your right as you exit the south side of JR Hiroshima Station. English menus should be available. International ATMs with English menus are also available at 7-Eleven convenience stores, which are open 24 hours in plentiful quantities throughout the city.

If you need to change money, the bank across the street from the station &mdash; on the first floor of the Fukuya department store &mdash; can handle transactions to and from most major currencies.

Orientation
Most visitors arrive at JR Hiroshima Station, which is a 25 minute walk from the Peace Park. If you arrive by Shinkansen, you will be at the north side of the station. There is an underground pedestrian walkway leading to the main side of the station (south exit), where all other trains arrive. Take the pedway and head upstairs; you will see the taxis, trams, and buses that lead to the city center. If you continue on the underground walkway, you'll reach an escalator that exits by a major bridge, with the station now behind you; you can walk to the Peace Park from there, branching right on Aioi-dori.

There is a tourist information office on the first floor of the south side of the station, and another on the second floor of the north side. They are open 09:30-17:00 daily.

Other visitors may arrive at the Hiroshima Bus Center (広島バスセンター) on the third floor of the SOGO department store, which is just down the street from the Peace Park. Coin lockers are available at both the Hiroshima Bus Center and JR Hiroshima Station.

Generally speaking, addresses in Minami-ku (Minami Ward) are in the station area, while Naka-ku (Naka Ward) covers the Peace Park and its surroundings.

Tourist Information Site
[https://dive-hiroshima.com/en/ Dive! Hiroshima] is the official multilingual guide site, jointly run by the prefecture's tourism association and the city's government.

By plane
Buses connect the airport to JR Hiroshima Station (45-50 min, ¥1370) and the Hiroshima Bus Center (55 minutes, ¥1370). There are also buses from the airport to Okayama, Onomichi, Iwakuni, Tottori, and other spots in the Chugoku region. The departing frequency varies from 30 minutes to an hour.

By train
is a major station on the JR West Sanyo Shinkansen line. On the fastest Nozomi and Mizuho trains, it is 35 minutes from Okayama (¥6350) and 80–85 minutes from Shin-Osaka (¥10630). Tokyo is around 3 hr 45 min away via Nozomi (¥19440). These prices are for reserved seats; unreserved seats, and seats on slower services such as the Sakura and Kodama, cost slightly less.

If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you cannot use Nozomi and Mizuho trains, unless you pay a surcharge of approx ¥6500 (adult) so if you are traveling from Tokyo or Nagoya you will have to take one of the two hourly Hikari trains and switch at Shin-Osaka (alternatively at Shin-Kobe or Himeji) to the Sakura or another Hikari train on the Sanyo Shinkansen line. With these trains you can travel from Tokyo to Hiroshima in approximately 4 hours 30 minutes. There are a few one-way Hikari departures from Nagoya in the morning that run directly to Hiroshima with no change of trains necessary. There is also a direct one-way morning Hikari service that departs from Shin-Yokohama at 06:00 and reaches Hiroshima in less than four hours.

Traveling overnight by train from Tokyo, you can take the 22:00 Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto train to Okayama, then take a Mizuho train to Hiroshima, arriving just before 07:30. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can book a carpeted floor space on the overnight service at no charge. Otherwise you can travel in a compartment or room by paying the applicable room fee and surcharges. Upon arriving at Okayama, Japan Rail Pass holders can transfer to a Hikari or Sakura at Okayama, arriving in Hiroshima just before 08:00.

Regular train services run through Hiroshima on the Sanyo Main Line (between Kobe and Kitakyushu), along with several local lines.

By bus
Long-distance buses arrive and depart from the north exit of JR Hiroshima Station, where there is a JR Bus counter, and the Hiroshima Bus Center in the city center. There is service to and from cities in Kanto, Kansai, Kyushu, Shikoku, and much of the rest of Japan.

From Kantō
The New Breeze overnight bus, operated by JR Chugoku Bus and Odakyu City Bus, runs between Tokyo and Hiroshima. Pickup and discharge stops in Tokyo are at Tokyo Station and the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal. There is one daily overnight bus, with a second bus added on a seasonal basis. Normally ¥13250 each way, advance discount fares can be purchased for as low as ¥7700.

Other overnight services from Tokyo include those operated by Willer Express, starting at ¥7700 each way. Chugoku Bus operates an overnight service from Yokohama, starting at ¥9600 each way for advance purchase.

From Kansai
JR Bus operates two daytime trips from Kyoto (starting at ¥3500 each way) and one overnight service (starting at ¥3800 each way) using high-density buses seating 4 per row. Trips from Osaka, on the other hand, are operated with the high-density buses as well as standard buses that seat 3 to a row. For the standard services, daytime buses start at ¥3500 each way and the overnight service starts at ¥4500 each way.

Willer Express also operates daytime services from Kyoto and Osaka (starting at ¥4600 each way) and overnight services (starting at ¥4300 each way).

From Chūbu
JR Bus' Hiroshima Dream Nagoya operates a daily overnight service from Nagoya Station and Oasis 21 to Hiroshima, with fares starting at ¥5890 each way.

By ferry
Ferries dock at which also serves as terminus for several tram lines. Ishizaki Kisen operates daily service to and from Matsuyama in Shikoku, with some boats stopping in Kure along the way. The ride (known as "Superjet") takes 70–80 minutes to reach Matsuyama and costs ¥6980 each way. Slower ferries, which also carry motor vehicles, arrive in 2 hr 40 min at a much-reduced cost of ¥3670.

By car
From the San'yo Expressway, take exit 29 for Hiroshima. Heading southwest on National Highway Route 54 will take you to the center of town; Route 2 is the major east/west artery, south of the city center. Confirm in advance that your hotel offers parking &mdash; not all do, and public parking is both expensive and hard to find.





Get around
There is a Visit Hiroshima Tourist Pass that covers either 3-day or 5-day journeys inside the city or the prefecture. It could be obtained from the Information Center on the first floor of the airport, the JR station, the Hiroshima Bus Center, and other tourist locations. It is suitable for travelers seeking to use public transportation frequently during their trip in the city. The tourist pass is available only on the day or on the next day when you request the pass.

By tram
Hiroshima has an extensive tram (streetcar) network, which is operated by Hiroden (広電). It's a slow but reliable way of getting around. The trams themselves are a mix of old rattle-traps and sleek, new "Green Movers" &mdash; although they all run on the same lines for the same fares. There's no difference other than the smoothness of the ride. Because the trams were bought from other cities, you're getting a tour of Japanese transit history &mdash; some have been in service for more than fifty years, and that might be an old Kyoto tram taking you through Hiroshima. Trams 651 and 652, both of which survived the atomic bomb blast, are still sometimes used in regular service.

Most lines originate from JR Hiroshima Station, and run frequently during daytime and evening hours, approximately one tram every 10 minutes per line. Boarding and payment procedures vary by tram; however, the entrance and exit are clearly marked in English. (If in doubt, just follow the locals.) Pay as you exit. Change machines are usually available on board if you don't have exact change &mdash; check near the front or back of the car. Trips within the city are a flat ¥190, save for one line that runs between Hakushima and Hachobori for ¥130; trundling out all the way to Miyajima-guchi (to catch a ferry to Miyajima) will set you back ¥270. One-day passes are available from the tourist office for ¥600 (¥300 children). A day pass which also includes travel on the Matsudai Kisen ferry to Miyajima costs ¥840 (¥420 children).

By bus
Bus lines run through Hiroshima and out to the suburbs. Generally speaking, these serve areas more likely to be used by locals than visitors. Signs include English, and buses depart next to the tram depot in front of JR Hiroshima Station. Japan Rail Pass holders can use a free sightseeing bus, which goes in a loop from and to Hiroshima station via all important sights in the city. There are three meipuru-pu ("Maple + Loop") bus lines operated under Chugoku JR Bus Company that circulates around the city's main tourist spots.

By metro
The modern Astram (アストラムライン) links the city center with the northern suburbs, although there aren't many tourist sights out that way. Trips range from ¥180-470 by distance, with departures every few minutes 06:00-00:00. The underground station at the end of Hon-dōri, near the Peace Park, is the terminus in the city center.

By bike
Hiroshima is a great city for cycling. Most of the sidewalks are fairly wide by Japanese standards; the paths along the branches of the rivers offer a very pleasant ride, and if you're looking to test your legs, head up to the hills around Hijiyama Park. Many hotels will be happy to arrange bike rentals.


 * Tourist information centers in JR Hiroshima station keep a map of associated rent-a-cycle outlets within downtown Hiroshima. Most of the outlets have their rental desks located in the lobbies of major hotels. The price is ¥1000 per day for an electric-assist bike, and the bikes can be rented from and returned to any of the associated outlets.
 * Tourist information centers in JR Hiroshima station keep a map of associated rent-a-cycle outlets within downtown Hiroshima. Most of the outlets have their rental desks located in the lobbies of major hotels. The price is ¥1000 per day for an electric-assist bike, and the bikes can be rented from and returned to any of the associated outlets.
 * Tourist information centers in JR Hiroshima station keep a map of associated rent-a-cycle outlets within downtown Hiroshima. Most of the outlets have their rental desks located in the lobbies of major hotels. The price is ¥1000 per day for an electric-assist bike, and the bikes can be rented from and returned to any of the associated outlets.

Peace Memorial Park
Most of the memorials related to the atomic bomb are in and around the Peace Memorial Park (平和公園 Heiwa-kōen), reachable by tram line 2 or 6 to Genbaku Dome-mae. Coming from JR Hiroshima Station, you'll see the Peace Park on your left just before crossing the T-shaped Aioi Bridge, which is thought to have been the target of the bomb.

Once part of the busy Nakajima merchant district, this area was destroyed almost in its entirety by the bomb. Today, there are more than fifty memorials, statues, and other structures in the Park. Some will be obscure in their meaning; others are immediate and devastating. There is no entry fee, save for the Peace Memorial Museum, and access to the grounds is not restricted at night.






 * Tens of thousands of forced laborers from Korea were working in Hiroshima at the time of the attack. But the was erected outside the Peace Park in 1970, and only moved within its boundaries in 1999. Today, the turtle at the base of the monument &mdash; symbolically carrying the dead to the afterlife &mdash; tends to be draped in his fair share of colorful origami cranes and flowers.
 * The is engraved with a world map, drawn without borders to symbolize unity. The public are welcomed to ring the bell &mdash; not coincidentally, the log is aimed to strike an atomic symbol. (Ring the bell gently, so as not to damage it.)
 * The holds the ashes of 70,000 bomb victims who were unidentified or had no living relatives to claim them. Services are held in their memory on the 6th of every month.
 * The was known as the Taishoya Kimono Shop at the time of the explosion. Only one employee, who was in the basement at the time, survived. However, the reinforced concrete building stayed mostly intact. (The interior has been entirely refurbished, but it is possible to visit the preserved basement with advance request.) Today, it holds a gift shop, some vending machines, a helpful tourist information office, and &mdash; as the name would suggest &mdash; a place to rest.
 * The holds the ashes of 70,000 bomb victims who were unidentified or had no living relatives to claim them. Services are held in their memory on the 6th of every month.
 * The was known as the Taishoya Kimono Shop at the time of the explosion. Only one employee, who was in the basement at the time, survived. However, the reinforced concrete building stayed mostly intact. (The interior has been entirely refurbished, but it is possible to visit the preserved basement with advance request.) Today, it holds a gift shop, some vending machines, a helpful tourist information office, and &mdash; as the name would suggest &mdash; a place to rest.




 * Inside the is a stone chest with a registry that is intended to contain the names of every known person who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality. (Names are added as hibakusha pass away from diseases thought related to the radiation of the bomb.) The Japanese inscription reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for the evil shall not be repeated." Note how the arch frames the A-Bomb Dome in the distance.
 * At the other end of the pond from the Cenotaph is the (平和の灯 heiwa no tomoshibi). It is said that the fire will burn until the last nuclear weapon is gone from the earth.
 * The, completed in 1960 by artist Shin Hongo, is among the most powerful works of art created in response to the atomic bomb. It depicts a woman shielding her child from the black rain. It's in front of the just south of the Peace Memorial Museum.
 * The were installed in 2005 on Heiwa-o-dori, just south of the Peace Park, by a pair of French artists. On the sidewalk and the surface of the gates, the word "peace" is written in 49 languages. The ten gates are meant to represent the nine circles of hell from Dante's Inferno, plus a new one: the hell created by the atomic bombing.
 * The, completed in 1960 by artist Shin Hongo, is among the most powerful works of art created in response to the atomic bomb. It depicts a woman shielding her child from the black rain. It's in front of the just south of the Peace Memorial Museum.
 * The were installed in 2005 on Heiwa-o-dori, just south of the Peace Park, by a pair of French artists. On the sidewalk and the surface of the gates, the word "peace" is written in 49 languages. The ten gates are meant to represent the nine circles of hell from Dante's Inferno, plus a new one: the hell created by the atomic bombing.
 * The were installed in 2005 on Heiwa-o-dori, just south of the Peace Park, by a pair of French artists. On the sidewalk and the surface of the gates, the word "peace" is written in 49 languages. The ten gates are meant to represent the nine circles of hell from Dante's Inferno, plus a new one: the hell created by the atomic bombing.

Outside the Peace Park

 * As you explore the city and outskirts, keep an eye out for maroon-colored marble historical markers such as the one outside the A-Bomb Dome or the one marking the Hypocenter, which have photographs and text in both Japanese and English. You'll come across markers as far as a few miles away from the Peace Park &mdash; which lends perspective to the distance and extent of the damage.
 * Somewhat incongruously, the 1925 at 7-1 Hon-dori, Naka-ku (Hon-dōri tram stop) also survived the blast, and now serves as home of a busy Andersen Bakery. The ground-level renovations and the ceiling of the Hon-dori arcade combine to obscure its age, but there's a historical marker on the corner. Stepping out of Hon-dori to the side street gives a better view of the building &mdash; and how the city rebuilt around it.
 * There is a fascinating, little-known pre-bomb house on the outskirts of Hijiyama Park. Walk up toward the park on the street branching upward from the Hijiyamashita tram stop. You'll see a temple on your left with a historical marker out front. Just past the temple is a set of stone steps, leading up to a small house and explanatory plaque. (Notice the vane at the top of the house, warped from the heat of the bomb.) Please note that while visitors are welcome in the front yard, the rest of the area is private property, including the house itself.
 * From the Shinkansen side of JR Hiroshima Station, you'll see an enigmatic silver tower on Futaba-yama, the mountain ahead. That's the (Busshari-to), built in 1966 in memory of those killed by the atomic bomb. To reach it, simply head uphill on the main street facing away from the station. You'll pass through a quiet, pleasant neighborhood of cafes and hillside houses, climb steps, and eventually reach . Follow the road around the shrine and you'll reach the red lanterns and torii of . Head through the gates and up the steps to reach the Peace Pagoda. It's an even more impressive sight from the top of the mountain; inside the Pagoda are two gifts containing ashes of the Buddha, which were a gift to Hiroshima from India and a group of Mongolian Buddhists, along with thousands of prayer stones. You'll also be able to see the whole jumble of the city below.
 * Somewhat incongruously, the 1925 at 7-1 Hon-dori, Naka-ku (Hon-dōri tram stop) also survived the blast, and now serves as home of a busy Andersen Bakery. The ground-level renovations and the ceiling of the Hon-dori arcade combine to obscure its age, but there's a historical marker on the corner. Stepping out of Hon-dori to the side street gives a better view of the building &mdash; and how the city rebuilt around it.
 * There is a fascinating, little-known pre-bomb house on the outskirts of Hijiyama Park. Walk up toward the park on the street branching upward from the Hijiyamashita tram stop. You'll see a temple on your left with a historical marker out front. Just past the temple is a set of stone steps, leading up to a small house and explanatory plaque. (Notice the vane at the top of the house, warped from the heat of the bomb.) Please note that while visitors are welcome in the front yard, the rest of the area is private property, including the house itself.
 * From the Shinkansen side of JR Hiroshima Station, you'll see an enigmatic silver tower on Futaba-yama, the mountain ahead. That's the (Busshari-to), built in 1966 in memory of those killed by the atomic bomb. To reach it, simply head uphill on the main street facing away from the station. You'll pass through a quiet, pleasant neighborhood of cafes and hillside houses, climb steps, and eventually reach . Follow the road around the shrine and you'll reach the red lanterns and torii of . Head through the gates and up the steps to reach the Peace Pagoda. It's an even more impressive sight from the top of the mountain; inside the Pagoda are two gifts containing ashes of the Buddha, which were a gift to Hiroshima from India and a group of Mongolian Buddhists, along with thousands of prayer stones. You'll also be able to see the whole jumble of the city below.

Other sights




Recreation

 * And if you're on a quest to complete the whole set of Hiroshima professional sports, visit the JT Thunders of the V-League (volleyball), who hold court at the, and the Hiroshima Maple Reds of the Japanese Handball League, Women's Division, who play at the Hirogin no mori Gymnasium.
 * And if you're on a quest to complete the whole set of Hiroshima professional sports, visit the JT Thunders of the V-League (volleyball), who hold court at the, and the Hiroshima Maple Reds of the Japanese Handball League, Women's Division, who play at the Hirogin no mori Gymnasium.
 * And if you're on a quest to complete the whole set of Hiroshima professional sports, visit the JT Thunders of the V-League (volleyball), who hold court at the, and the Hiroshima Maple Reds of the Japanese Handball League, Women's Division, who play at the Hirogin no mori Gymnasium.

Work
Hiroshima features the standard array of English teaching opportunities, with branches of major eikaiwa like Geos, AEON and ECC as well as small, niche language schools. The Hiroshima International Center (see Connect) is a good place to make inquiries, as is a Saturday night at Kemby's (see Drink).

Mazda is largest employer of foreign personnel in the area, due to their manufacturing plants in USA, Mexico, China and Southeast Asian countries. Contract workers from Southeast Asia and the South Pacific are brought in by Hiroshima-based firms for industries such as shipbuilding, notably in the nearby port city of Kure.

Some non-Japanese work illegally &mdash; or under-the-radar &mdash; as bartenders or sell jewelry in Nagarekawa, which motivates occasional visa crackdowns (see Stay safe).

Buy
Shopping in Hiroshima is dominated by a few huge department stores. Hon-dori (本通り), a covered shopping arcade in the city center, is the place to wander with a wallet you'd like to empty.

In terms of souvenirs, Hiroshima Carp memorabilia is the most widely found, although there's some spillover from the super-powered knick-knack engine that is Miyajima.



Eat
Hiroshima is famous for its style of okonomiyaki (お好み焼き), which literally means "cook it as you like it". Often (and somewhat misleadingly) called "Japanese pizza", it is better described as a type of savory pancake made with egg, cabbage, soba noodles, and meat, seafood or cheese. It is grilled in layers on a hot plate in front of you and slathered liberally with okonomiyaki sauce, with optional extras such as mayonnaise, pickled ginger, and seaweed. It sounds and looks like a mess, but is very tasty and filling. To give you a sense of the civic pride involved here, the Hiroshima tourist information office offers a map with a whopping 97 shops serving okonomiyaki within city limits, and reports have several hundred more in the area. Micchan (みっちゃん) is the most famous of the Hiroshima- style okonomiyaki restaurants with long histories. It has a few branches in and around the center of Hiroshima.

Hiroshima style and Osaka style are the two competing types of okonomiyaki, and if you raise the subject of okonomiyaki with a local, be ready to state your preference between the two! Basically, in Hiroshima the ingredients are layered and pressed together while cooking, while in Osaka the batter is mixed together first, and the ingredients do not include noodles. According to local legend, both dishes originate from a cheap snack called issen yōshoku (一銭洋食) or "one-cent Western meal", which consisted of a wheat and water pancake served with scallions and sauce. Representing the other side of the pancake divide, Tokunaga (徳永) is the best-known Kansai-style okonomiyaki restaurant in Hiroshima.

There are Japanese and American chain restaurants clustered near the station, including Starbucks, McDonald's, sushi shops and okonomiyaki shops among many others. Most will serve until 22:00, though McDonalds stays open later.

Hiroshima is also famous for its oysters (available between October and March) and a maple-leaf-shaped pastry called momiji manjū (もみじ饅頭). (Momiji is the leaf of a Japanese maple tree.) Momiji manjū are available with a variety of fillings, including the more traditional anko (あんこ), red bean and matcha (抹茶), or green tea; it's also available in cream cheese, custard, apple and chocolate flavors. Boxes of momiji manjū are considered the quintessential Hiroshima souvenir, but Miyajima is the best place to buy it fresh.

Drink
Nagarekawa has the highest concentration of bars in Hiroshima &mdash; the good, the bad, and the hostess &mdash; but there are a number of good, quiet wine bars on Hakushima-dori, and plenty of foreigner-friendly pubs clustered around the giant PARCO building. Yagenbori-dori is full of bars and clubs that are spread across floors of the various high-rise buildings.

Sake enthusiasts should not miss the chance to visit the breweries of Saijo, particularly during the annual festival in October &mdash; see above.





Budget
For a short night before an early train, the cheapest digs in town will be to nap in the easy chairs at the two Internet cafes outside the south exit of JR Hiroshima Station (see Connect), or possibly a Nagarekawa karaoke box. You won't be the only one doing it, particularly on weekends.



Stay safe
Hiroshima has a rough reputation among Japanese people from other cities, thanks largely to the yakuza movies that were filmed in town. In reality, though, it's much safer than any large Western city. As with most places in Japan, petty theft is virtually non-existent. Nagarekawa, the nightlife district, does have its share of prostitutes, sex clubs, and rip-off hostess bars, but to no greater extent than Tokyo or Osaka.

There have been a few surprise police raids on bars that offer dancing after 01:00, in accordance with a semi-obscure local law about public immorality that Hiroshima occasionally feels compelled to enforce &mdash; probably in order to catch people who are in the country illegally. Japanese citizens are generally allowed to leave right away, but foreigners have been made to stand in line to have their paperwork checked. If you find yourself in one of these situations, just stay calm, show the police your passport, and you'll eventually be allowed to leave without any trouble.

Connect
Public wireless LAN is available at public facilities in Hiroshima City and Miyajima Island, as well as on some ferries. Available locations can be found at official tourist website.



Cope
Hiroshima is a safe and friendly city, accustomed to and eager to receive foreign visitors. The average English level among Hiroshima residents is relatively high for a Japanese city, particularly around the Peace Park. Directions to the major sights are clearly sign-posted in English throughout the city.

The Peace Memorial Park is a very popular school trip destination for Japanese students, and you may be accosted by kids working on school projects, asking you (in halting English) where you're from, what your name is, or whatever else their teacher has assigned them to ask. They travel in packs, so you should be able to see them coming from a distance and avoid (or engage) accordingly.

As mentioned above, visiting the sights related to the atomic bomb can be an intense experience. If you only have one day set aside for Hiroshima, you'll naturally wind up spending most of it at the atomic bomb memorials. For your own peace of mind, though, try to set aside time to relax and reflect in other parts of the city, such as Chuo Park or Shukkeien, both of which are only a short walk from the Peace Park.

Go next

 * Miyajima and its iconic floating torii are an easy day-trip from Hiroshima &mdash; about an hour away by tram or local train to the port of Miyajima-guchi and then a short ferry ride.
 * If WWII history brought you to Hiroshima, nearby Kure has more to see with the Yamato Museum
 * Higashihiroshima is home to Saijō, one of the nation's top three sake districts.
 * Trips from Hiroshima's Ujina Port can be made to other islands in the Seto Inland Sea, such as Ninoshima and its old style Japanese village of Aki no Kofuji.
 * A longer ferry ride from Ujina could take you to Matsuyama for a day at the famed Dogo Onsen hot springs. The ferry company operating this service offers a foreigner discount of ~45% off the normal price. One way ticket price after discount from Hiroshima to Matsuyama is ¥2000 for the slow ferry and ¥3600 for fast one.
 * Iwakuni, about 45 minutes away by train, features the Kintai-kyo samurai bridge and a scenic castle reconstruction.
 * Onomichi, a hillside town of temples and Japanese novelists, is 75 minutes away by train.
 * Okayama is the other major transit hub for the region, about 45 minutes by Shinkansen. Aside from its own attractions, Okayama offers access to the museums and canals of Kurashiki.