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 ? which lends perspective to the distance and extent of the damage.
Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum (本川小学校平和資料館), 1-5-39 Honkawa-cho, Naka-ku (Genbaku Dome-mae tram stop), ☎ +81 082-291−3396, . Open during school hours. Of the more than 400 students and teachers who were in the school when the bomb exploded, only one student and one teacher survived. After a new school was built, this section of the original structure was kept as a museum, housing a small collection of photos and artifacts.Free. �
Fukuro-machi Elementary School Museum (袋町小学校平和資料館), 6-36 Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku (Fukuro-machi tram stop), ☎ +81 082-541-5345, . 9AM-5PM daily. Like Honkawa, part of the original school building that remained standing after the atomic bomb has been converted into a museum. In the days after the explosion, survivors used the school's chalk to leave messages for lost friends and family members on its blackened walls.Free. �
After the A-Bomb Dome, the former Bank of Japan at 5-16 Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku (Fukuro-machi tram stop) is the best-known pre-bomb structure in Hiroshima. Built in 1936, the city's main branch of the Nippon Ginko was only 380 meters from the hypocenter; although its exterior remained intact, all 42 people inside the bank were killed by the heat of the blast. Remarkably, the bank was back in service only two days after the bomb and continued operation until 1992, when it was acquired by the city. Occasional art exhibitions are now held there. Hours of access are irregular, but it's worth stopping by to check.
Somewhat incongruously, the 1925 Hiroshima Mitsui Bank at 7-1 Hon-dori, Naka-ku (Hon-dori 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 ? 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 Peace Pagoda (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 Toshogu Shrine. Follow the road around the shrine and you'll reach the red lanterns and torii of Kinko Inari Shrine. 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.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Hiroshima
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Hiroshima - updated May 2024
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Hiroshima Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
