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Japan Tourist Guide
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Hiroshima, the city of water and peace, is a modern and culture-rich city. Over 1.1 million people live in the city and over 73,000 people enter and leave the city per day by train.
The city is built on the Ota River delta in one of the most sheltered harbors on the Seto Inland Sea. The city enjoys the mild climate provided by its position in the Seto Inland Climate Zone and is sheltered by the Chugoku Mountains in the north and the Shikoku Mountains in the west from the worst of late summer and winter storms. The average temperature for January is 5.9C and August's is 28.1C.
Oysters from the Hiroshima region have been renowned for their flavor through out Japan for over 400 years. Miyajima is host to an oyster festival every February 11. Hiroshima is also famous for its style of Okinomiyaki.
This historic city is much more than its Peace Memorial Park and a stepping stone to Miyajima. It has much to offer year-round for any kind of tourist. World-class museums, gardens, temples, professional baseball, shopping and more are all to be found in Hiroshima City.
See Also: Hiroshima's History, Hiroshima Event Calendar
Tourism
Hondori Street is Hiroshima's main covered shopping avenue. The busiest and most stylish shopping area in the city starts from just east of the Peace Memorial Park and runs two blocks south of Aiodori Avenue until it reaches the Parco Shopping Mall.
Hiyajima Park (Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art)
The Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art is located in Hiyajima Park which has always served as a cool and refreshing area in the city. The museum contains a wide-ranging collection of notable contemporary artists from Japan and all over the world. There is also a library which contains only manga (Japanese comic books) in the park.
Mitaki is the section of the city to the northwest of Yokogawa Station. Mitaki Temple, a relaxing forest retreat, is located there. Two hiking trails up Mount Mitaki which is the best location to look out over the city also start at the temple. Popular for leaf viewing in late November.
Mazda
Memorial Cathedral of World Peace
Memorial Cathedral of World Peace, one of the largest Roman Catholic cathedrals in Asia, was built in 1954. Father Hugo Lassalle's appeal for a place to pray for peace were answered with world-wide support. Its main tower is 46 meters tall.
The castle was originally constructed in 1589 by Terumoto Mori who ruled most of western Honshu. He built this representative flatland castle on an area called Koi-no-ura (Carp Inlet) which gave it the nickname "Carp Castle" or Rijo in Japanese. The current castle was rebuilt in 1958 after the war and houses artifacts from Hiroshima's past.
Hanbe Gardens is hidden gem in eastern Hiroshima City. More than a garden, Hanbe Gardens is a Japanese-style resort. Ordering their traditional multi-course Japanese dinner is a luxurious way to spend an evening.
Baseball - Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Annual Festivals and Events
See event calendar: Hiroshima Events
City Transportation
Astram Line
The Astram Line is a local rapid transit commuter train line which terminates in Hiroshima's underground Shareo shopping mall and in Hiroshima's north-west suburbs. It was built to help relieve traffic from Hiroshima's suburbs into the city and opened August 20th, 1994. For the most part, it uses an elevated track that resembles a monorail but the first three stations at Hondori (Shareo) and the city offices are underground. The Asa Zoo, Hiroshima Regional Park, Big Arch Stadium (J-League Soccer) and several universities are located close to this train line. Trains run every few minutes from 6 am to midnight.
Hiroden Streetcars
The streetcars (Hiroden - Japanese) are a popular and cheap way to get around Hiroshima City. It costs a flat fare of 150 yen in the city to ride and day passes can be bought. Bus cards can be used in the streetcars as well as on buses and the Astram Line. The #2 streetcar line extends all the way to Miyajimaguchi from the station (270 yen).
Hiroshima Bus Center
The Hiroshima Bus Center (HBC - Japanese) is located on 3rd floor of the Sogo Department store near Kamiya-cho which is east of the peace park on Aoidori. This station serves is the hub for all bus traffic coming and going from Hiroshima but many highway buses also stop at Hiroshima Station's Shinkansen entrance as well.
The easiest way to move between the bus center and the station is by streetcar.
Hiroshima Station
JR Hiroshima Station (JR West - Japanese) is the located east of the city center. It is the largest and busiest station in Hiroshima Prefecture. Local and Shinkansen (Bullet trains) leave and arrive constantly as over 73,000 passengers use the station per day. A brisk 15 minute walk or 5 minute city streetcar ride will get you into the heart of the city.
Getting There
Hiroshima Station is a hub for both local and Shinkansen (Bullet) trains. Hiroshima Airport (Ext. Link) is a lengthy 50 minute (1,300 yen) bus ride away from the city in the east. The much smaller Hiroshima Nishi-Airport (Japanese) which is located in the south west portion of the city has flights to and from Kagoshima and Miyazaki.
Submitted by mbystedt on Mon, 04/04/2011 - 23:53
