9 Best Things to Do in Hiroshima

When planning our Japan itinerary, we focused on three of its largest islands, only to confirm that Japan’s allure extends far beyond the usual bucket-list stops like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. After an unforgettable adventure through Kyushu, we arrived in Hiroshima City, located on Honshu, Japan’s largest island. Though globally known for its tragic past, Hiroshima has evolved into a powerful symbol of peace and resilience, with plenty of activities, scenic landscapes, and local flavors that make it an essential stop, in our opinion.

We’ve curated the top places to visit in Hiroshima, highlighting the city’s most significant landmarks and best day trips from Hiroshima. We hope these experiences will help you understand the city’s profound message while enjoying some of the most unique Hiroshima tourist attractions including UNESCO-listed shrines, epic hikes, and adorable deer.

Things to Do in Hiroshima

Atomic Bomb Dome

A haunting silhouette dominates Hiroshima's skyline: The Atomic Bomb Dome. This former exhibition hall marks the area where the first atomic bomb was dropped, exploding 600 meters above ground on August 6, 1945. The blast obliterated the city, mostly built out of wood, yet the Dome’s steel skeleton survived, becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare. It’s the starting point for any visit to Hiroshima.

Unlike Nagasaki, where the second atomic bomb was dropped just three days later, and where few ruins remain, Hiroshima made a deliberate choice to preserve the Atomic Bomb Dome in its devastated state, calling for nuclear disarmament. Standing beneath it, we felt the weight of history and took our time studying the plaques around the building.

Peace activists are usually based around here and the Peace Memorial Park, eager to share their knowledge and lend binders full of materials in multiple languages to help you grasp the enormity of what occurred. The plaques encircling the Dome, bridges leading to the park and its contents recount the events on August 6, the devastation that followed, and Hiroshima’s journey to rebuild. This site is one of the most moving places to visit in Hiroshima, sending a profound message that left an indelible impression on us.

Peace Memorial Park & Museum

Across the river from the Atomic Bomb Dome lies the Peace Memorial Park established in 1954, when Hiroshima was declared the “City of Peace.” The park is dedicated to lives lost on August 6. Surrounded by garlands of colorful cranes stands the Children’s Peace Monument. Inspired by young Sadako Sasaki, who survived the blast but died of leukemia having folded over a thousand cranes in her hospital bed wishing to recover, the cranes are a poignant reminder of innocence lost and a wish for a future free from such horrors.

The Flame of Peace, two concrete hands cradling an eternal flame established in 1964, burns with a promise – it will only be extinguished when the world is free of nuclear weapons. Nearby, the National Peace Memorial Hall honors each victim individually. But touring the Peace Memorial Museum is the most emotional experience. The museum goes beyond historical facts, painting a visceral picture of August 6, and the suffering that followed. The exhibits display personal items of the victims and heart-wrenching accounts from survivors. Thirst was a recurring theme in these testimonies and the reason you see so many water features throughout the park, dedicated to quenching the thirst of the departed.

Orizuru Tower

After learning about the history of Hiroshima, seeing the city skyline from above is even more powerful. Head to Orizuru Tower just behind the Atomic Bomb Dome, named after the Japanese tradition of folding paper cranes (orizuru). It’s a tower that uniquely combines history, symbolism, and modernity.

While ascending on foot, you get to enjoy exhibits that explore Hiroshima post-war. Don’t let the 12-floor climb deter you, the combination of stairs and slopes makes it a breeze. At the top, you are greeted with an open-air observation deck that offers sweeping views of Hiroshima. From this vantage point, you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, and the city beyond, rebuilt and thriving. There are old photos, historical information to help you put things into perspective, and interactive games for some entertainment. If you want to linger around, Hiroshima Hills is a rooftop made of locally sourced wood with inviting steps from where to take in the view with a drink from the adjacent bar.

To get back down, amuse your inner child by taking the tower’s “cool-cool-cool” slide, a playful feature that injects some lightheartedness into the experience. A little reminder that while the past is heavy, the future is bright and full of life.

The orizuru symbolism is laid on thick with a glass wall stretching 164 feet along the side of the tower and gradually being filled with paper cranes. According to Japanese belief, folding a thousand paper cranes grants a wish. At Orizuru, every visitor is encouraged to fold their own and drop it into the glass display to contribute to the mountain of others, all wishing for the same thing – peace around the world.

Fun Fact: Orizuru Tower was built by Matsuda Tetsuya, CEO of Mazda, a company calling Hiroshima home. Car aficionados will love touring the Mazda Museum, full of antique cars and Hiroshima’s industrial heritage. Be sure to book three months in advance.

Hiroshima Castle

Overlooking the city, the five-story Hiroshima Castle is unmissable. Originally built in the late 1500s, the castle survived demolitions of the Meiji Period only to be destroyed by the atomic bomb. What we see today is a replica that doubles as a museum constructed in 1958 in an area next to the original foundation to honor the memory. Despite the odds, three trees around the castle survived the blast and regenerated, symbolizing Hiroshima’s ability to flourish after devastating events. If only they could speak, they would have plenty of stories to share. The castle grounds, surrounded by a moat, are stunning, particularly during cherry blossom season, when it becomes one of the busiest Hiroshima tourist attractions.

Shukkeien Garden

Dating back to 1620, Shukkeien Garden is a peaceful oasis amidst the city, with a history as a refuge for bomb survivors. Stroll through the labyrinth of paths and admire the meticulously designed landscape, which features miniature valleys, mountains, and forests surrounding a central pond. We recommend taking some time to soak in the atmosphere from one of the gazebos or visiting a tea house located by the pond.

Okonomimura

One of the best things to do in Hiroshima is eat okonomiyaki – a savory pancake stuffed with many ingredients. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is renowned for an added layer of noodles. The best place to sample it is Okonomimura, or Okonomiyaki Village, a building packed with over 20 okonomiyaki restaurants. It’s often referred to as a food theme park, which is fitting because the preparation process of these loaded pancakes is theatrical, and watching the chefs is part of the experience. Venture in, pick a spot right in front of the griddle and observe ingredients get mounted, flattened, glazed, torched, flipped, and finally, placed before you to devour with your own mini-spatula. Note that portions are hearty so you may want to split one okonomiyaki and order a serving of grilled oysters and anago meshi (grilled conger eel), the other local specialties.

Day Trips from Hiroshima

Mitaki-Dera Temple & Mount Sokayama

For a quick hiking day trip from Hiroshima, Mitaki-Dera Temple is a great starting point, leading to scenic trails up Mount Sokayama with stunning views over the city. Founded in 809, Mitaki-Dera temple, along with its striking orange pagoda – relocated from Wakayama in 1951 to honor the victims of the atomic bomb – is nestled among serene waterfalls. These waterfalls hold special significance, with their sacred waters used during the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony. As one of the lesser-known places to visit in Hiroshima, you have a good chance of enjoying nature one-on-one.

Miyajima Island

An hour ferry ride away, Miyajima Island is the most popular day trip from Hiroshima full of activities worthy of your Japan bucket list. The island is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Itsukushima Shrine, famous for its floating Torii Gate. The Torii Gate, best viewed at sunset, seems to hover above the water at high tide and can be walked up to at low tide. It's one of the most picture-perfect places to visit in Hiroshima and one of Japan’s top three views. If time allows, stay overnight at a traditional ryokan to fully experience the island’s charm after the day-trippers clear out and explore all of the island’s attractions unrushed.

Miyajima has three scenic hikes up Mount Misen, with panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea, but you can also take the ropeway halfway to the top. At the foot of Mount Misen, you’ll come across five hundred Rakan statues, each featuring a unique expression and knitted hats, protecting the Daisho-in temple that dates back to 806. At the top of Mount Misen, you’ll pass Reikado Hall, with an eternal flame that has been burning for over 1,200 years and used to light the Flame of Peace in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park. But for most, the biggest attraction of Miyajima is the deer that roam freely and will accompany you wherever you go as long as you have snacks.

Speaking of snacks, be sure to sample Momiji Manju – a cake pop stuffed with bean paste, matcha, custard, or chocolate in the shape of a maple tree leaf, inspired by the groves of maple trees in Momijidani Park on Miyajima, popular for fall foliage.

Fun Fact: If you are into quirky tourist sights, Miyajima is home to the world’s largest rice paddle weighing a whopping 2.5 tons! Yes, Miyajimans are extremely proud of their invention.

Okunoshima Island

If the thought of cute deer on Miyajima made your heart skip a beat, how about a visit to Rabbit Island? To get there, you’ll first take an hour-long train ride to Tadanoumi, followed by a quick ferry ride to Okunoshima Island, home to over a thousand wild rabbits you can feed and swoon over all day. With no predators and being the stars of the show, these rabbits are certainly living their best life.

Despite its adorable residents, the island has a darker past as a former poison gas-producing site during WWII. It was kept a national secret and was even erased from the map. It’s believed the original rabbits were brought here for testing. Though whether today’s rabbit population is descendants of those ill-fated ancestors remains debated. As you explore the island, you’ll come across eerie factory ruins and the Poison Gas Museum housed in a former lab, which recounts the history while promoting a message of peace.

Are the rabbits just a clever ploy to spread Hiroshima’s message of peace? Maybe, but it’s a cause we can definitely support. One thing’s for sure – Hiroshima deserves a spot on your Japan bucket list.