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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Hiroshima
広島
Give Hiroshima one full night: a morning at the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, then the tram and ferry out to Miyajima for the floating torii gate at high tide; it also works as a long day trip from Osaka or Kyoto by Shinkansen if you can't stay.
Hiroshima was rebuilt after the 1945 atomic bombing and now centres on the Peace Memorial Park and Museum beside the preserved Atomic Bomb Dome, both reachable by tram from the Shinkansen station. Itsukushima Shrine on nearby Miyajima island, with its tide-dependent floating torii gate, is a second UNESCO World Heritage Site a short train-and-ferry ride away, and the city's own layered Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is worth a stop between the two.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 広島
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov (mild, cherry blossom or autumn colour)
- Avoid
- Jun–Jul (rainy season, tsuyu), Aug (heat, and 6 Aug crowds/security for the Peace Memorial Ceremony)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Coast guard 118 · Japan Visitor Hotline 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
Get in
By air
- HIJ · Hiroshima Airport
- About 50 km from the centre by limousine bus; the Shinkansen from Osaka or Kyoto is faster and more practical for most trips than flying in.About 31 mi from the centre by limousine bus; the Shinkansen from Osaka or Kyoto is faster and more practical for most trips than flying in.
Get around
Trams cover the city centre and run out to Miyajimaguchi for the Miyajima ferry; the Peace Park sights themselves are an easy walk from the tram stop. Two ferry operators cross to Miyajima — the JR ferry (covered by a JR Pass) and the private Matsudai line — and both run to the tide, not a fixed clock.
See and do
Known for
- Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- Atomic Bomb Dome
- Miyajima and the floating torii gate
- Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (layered with noodles)
- Shukkeien Garden
Sleep
- Hiroshima Station area
- Shinkansen and tram access; convenient if you're moving on the next day.
- Around Hondori and Peace Park
- Walkable to the museum, the Dome and the main shopping arcade.
Language
Japanese everywhere; English on rail signs, ticket machines and in large hotels, thin elsewhere. Menus with photos and translation apps close most gaps.
- Write addresses in Japanese for taxi drivers; the hotel card works.
- A camera translation app reads menus and machine labels.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The Peace Memorial Museum is emotionally heavy and busy with school groups by mid-morning: go at opening for a quieter visit.
- The floating torii gate is only fully surrounded by water at high tide; check the tide table before you go, or you'll find it standing on mud flats.
- 6 August, the anniversary of the bombing, draws large crowds and tighter security around Peace Park for the memorial ceremony.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hiroshima yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Peace Memorial Park and Museum
- Atomic Bomb Dome
- Miyajima and the floating torii gate
- Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki (layered with noodles)
- Shukkeien Garden
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Hiroshima official travel guide: visithiroshima.net/
- Wikivoyage — Hiroshima: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hiroshima
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Hiroshima広島
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Coast guard118
- Japan Visitor Hotline050-3816-2787
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/hiroshima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.