Hiroshima is today a modern city with more than a million residents and a thriving arts scene. Monuments and museums stand in memorial to the devastation caused by the dropping of the first atomic bomb here on August 6, 1945. But this resilient city hasn’t let its dark past affect its bright future. Instead, Hiroshima proudly showcases modern skyscrapers, gardens and art museums as well as ancient temples.
Learn about the history of the atomic bomb and its aftermath at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Here, a Memorial Museum contains items pulled from the rubble after the bomb fell as well as historical reports and accounts from witnesses. Tour the structure known as the "Atomic Bomb Dome", a building that survived the blast despite being almost directly beneath the bomb.
Continue on to Memorial Hall, where those that died are remembered in lists of names and photographs. Pay your respects at The Children’s Peace Monument, the Flame of Peace and several other memorials throughout the park. You can learn more about the bomb and its affect on the city at the Honkawa and Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum.
Relax at the beautiful Shukkei-en Gardens with ponds, bridges and carefully designed flowerbeds. Visit one of many nearby restaurants to try a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki for lunch. This savoury pancake is a Japanese specialty.
Experience some traditional Japanese culture in temples. Mitaki Temple is a ninth-century Shingon Buddhist temple. Visit the Fudoin Temple, which survived the atomic blast despite being only a few kilometres from where the bomb fell. Explore the restored Hiroshima Castle and learn about samurai culture at the in-house museum.
See works by both Japanese and Western masters at the Hiroshima Museum of Art. More contemporary works can be found at the Prefectural Art Museum or the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art.
Central Hiroshima is easily explored on foot or by bus. The city is an interesting place to visit year-round. If you can, make the trip during April and May, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom and locals celebrate outdoors with hanami (flower viewing) parties.
