Discover Hiroshima: remembrance, gardens and art

Hiroshima offers moving places of remembrance, as well as a historic garden, art museums and special insights into the city. If you’re looking for a holiday apartment here, you can first consider which experiences you want to shape your stay: engaging with the history of the atomic bombing, art and garden culture, or local cuisine.

Remembrance and peace education

Peace Memorial Park was created to commemorate the victims of the atomic bombing and to pray for lasting world peace. The Atomic Bomb Dome is also one of the city’s principal sites of remembrance; it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in December 1996. Important to know before your visit: the Dome can only be viewed from the outside; visitors cannot enter it.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum opened in 1955. It conveys the reality of the atomic bombing and aims to promote the abolition of nuclear weapons and lasting world peace. The museum offers talks by atomic bombing survivors and also lends materials for peace education. These themes give a visit to the museum both a historical perspective and a focus on mutual understanding.

The Atomic Bomb Relics Exhibition Hall offers a further perspective, displaying remains of houses and paved streets that still bear traces of damage from the atomic bombing. Those who want to learn about the event’s effects can gain another insight here through material traces that have been preserved.

Gardens, art and views of the city

Shukkeien introduces you to another side of Hiroshima. This historic garden was created in 1620 as the garden of a Japanese daimyō and is located in the heart of Hiroshima City. Its long history sets it apart from the sites of remembrance and museums; it offers a distinct focus for anyone interested in traditional garden culture.

The two art museums also offer different perspectives. The Hiroshima Museum of Art displays around 90 works from its own collection in its permanent exhibition, including modern French art, particularly Impressionism. The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum has a collection of around 5,200 works, including art connected with Hiroshima Prefecture and crafts from Japan and Asia. The approximate figures refer to the permanent exhibition at one museum and the collection size at the other.

The rooftop terrace of HIROSHIMA ORIZURU TOWER offers another perspective: on clear days, you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome and Miyajima from there. The tower also has a café serving homemade drinks and sweets made mainly with fruit from Hiroshima.

A ride around the castle moat and local cuisine

The Hiroshima Castle Pleasure Boat offers a sightseeing cruise around the castle moat. On board, you’ll hear about the history and sights of Hiroshima Castle, so you can learn about the castle and its history during a guided ride. For a different kind of city experience, there’s Okonomi-mura, a visitor attraction featuring 23 okonomiyaki restaurants.

For help planning your day: the Hiroshima Meipuru-pu city bus reaches Peace Memorial Park via the Orange Route in about 16 minutes. This travel time applies to this route and destination.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Hiroshima, it can help to consider the mix of experiences you’re looking for: places of remembrance and peace education, gardens and art, a ride around the castle moat, or okonomiyaki. This can help you plan your trip around the experiences that matter most to you.

More destinations

Also discover Miyoshi, Mihara, Onomichi, Higashihiroshima, Sera, Kurogawa, Fuchū and Fukuyama.

For the overview of the wider region, see: Hiroshima Prefecture.