Hiroshima offers a tranquil take on Japan—and it’s a stone’s throw from the enchanted island of Miyajima. Text and photos by Keiko Sakano.

With Bangok Airways flying there direct, getting to Hiroshima is easy. Now, the real question is why would you want to go? If you’ve never been to Japan and can’t wait to see Tokyo’s neon jungle, we won’t stop you—get it out of your system. But when you’re ready, Hiroshima is there to let you in on a slower, more genuine take on the Land of the Rising sun. Dare to venture beyond the capital, Kyoto or Osaka and you will be rewarded with nature, tradition and—as always in Japan—a solid dose of modernity.

BACKYARD LANDSCAPE

Hiroshima suffered massive destruction from a nuclear bomb in 1945 (see A Tragic Past). As a result, the ancient architecture on show are, in fact, painstakingly reconstructed copies. The original Shukkei-en (2-11 Kaminobori-cho, Naka-ku, 082-221-3620. Open Apr-Sep 9am-6pm, Oct-Mar 9am-5pm. Admission JPY250), a traditional garden, was designed by a famous master of the tea ceremony some 300 years ago. It encapsulates a landscape within a garden, a delicate Japanese art that puts islands, lakes, mountains, bridges and tearooms within a tiny space. Spring brings plums and the famous cherry blossoms.

JAPANESE PIZZA

Hiroshima has its own style of okonomiyaki, a pan-fried battercake, where the ingredients are layered on top of (as opposed to blended into) the batter. People here wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ll easily find lots of restaurants in the city serving this filling staple. If you want to go on an okonomiyaki-rampage, Okonomi-mura (2-4/F, Shintenchi Plaza, Naka-ku) is home to 25 pancake restaurants. Near the building, there is Ganso Henkutsuya (2-8 Shintenchi, Naka-ku, 082-242-8918. Open daily 11-3am). It’s not pretty but they make a wonderful Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki with carefully selected noodles and authentic okonomi sauce. The okonomiyaki soba special will cost you JPY1,050. For those who want their pie with a drink, Benbee (16-2 Hacchobori, Naka-ku, 082-227-2900. Open daily 11am-3pm, 5pm-midnight) has a private room and a long menu of Japanese liquors. The okonomiyaki start from JPY750.

Bag some Booty

OK, you’re not in Tokyo but you still need to shop, right? Naka-ku, the commercial district of Hiroshima City, is home to the Hondori Shopping Arcade’s 200 shops. It is always bustling with locals and tourists and it’s the biggest shopping arcade in Chugoku-Shikoku, the Southwest region of Japan. Hiroshima Yume Plaza (8-28 Hondori, 082-544-1122. Open Thu-Tue 10am-7pm. www.yumeplaza.com) has nice specialties. If you’re not a Japanese food expert, simply taste before you buy, as all shops allow you to do so. Kamiyacho Shareo is the first underground shopping district in Hiroshima, located underneath the Kamiyacho Intersection. From here, you can radiate to all the nearby fashionable shops and stylish cafes. Get ready to max out that credit card!

After dark

Why not spend your evening at an izakaya (a Japanese-style drinking restaurant)? At Nikai no Onegiya Sasaki (7-19 Mikawa-cho Naka-ku, 082-247-3302. Open Mon-Sat 5:30pm-12:30am), try the sashimi moriawase, the chef’s selection of raw fish, served with Japanese sake. Nawanai (12-10-B1 Kanayama-cho Naka-ku, 082-248-0588. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight) is another traditional izakaya, which serves various forms of koiwashi, Japanese anchovy. Yushoku Oiran (1/F Onoki Bldg., 8-5 Hacchobori Naka-ku, 082-221-3843. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight) offers you private rooms that have hori-gotatsu, a table heated from underneath. During winter, enjoy a delicious baba nabe, a hotpot with a deep-sea fish.

One other thing you can’t miss when you are in Japan is a baseball game. Hiroshima City is the home of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, one of the leading professional baseball teams in Japan. Hiroshima Municipal Baseball Stadium (5-25 Moto-machi Naka-ku, 082-228-5291) is located opposite the A-Bomb Dome but will be moving to the east of Hiroshima Station next April.

A Tragic Past

On Aug 6, 1945, the US dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, one on Nagasaki and one on Hiroshima, precipitating the end of World War II on the Pacific front. Most of Hiroshima was vaporized in a few seconds, 80,000 people dying instantly. Today, the city wants to keep the memory of this tragic past alive.

Ground Zero
Ground Zero (1-5-25 Ohte-cho, Naka-ku, at Shima Hospital) is the hypocenter of the A-bomb explosion. The site has been left empty to bear witness to the bomb’s destructive power.

A-Bomb Dome
The A-Bomb Dome was the closest structure to Ground Zero to remain standing. Today, it is the most well known building in Hiroshima City and is registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It can be viewed from the northeast of the Peace Memorial Park.

Peace Memorial Park
A beautiful huge park surrounded by rivers, the Peace Memorial Park (1-2 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku) was constructed to house 57 monuments to mourn the A-bomb victims and to promote world peace.

Essentials

Exchange Rate

JPY3.3 = B1

Country Code

Dial: 81

How to Get There

Bangkok Airways (02-265-5678, www.bangkokair.com) is the only airline that offers direct Bangkok-Hiroshima flights. It flies twice a week on Mon and Fri. A roundtrip ticket costs you around B22,000, exclusive of taxes and surcharges.

You can fly Thai Airways (02-356-1111, www.thaiair.com) to Osaka for around B21,000 for a roundtrip, exclusive of taxes and surcharges. Then you have to take the highway bus or a train. For buses, go to Osaka Station. It takes 7 hours and costs JPY6,160. For the train, go from Kansai Airport Station to Shin-Osaka Station and then zip to Hiroshima Station. It takes just 3 hours and costs JPY12,030.

Getting Around

Airport limousines run between Hiroshima Airport and Hiroshima city (JPY1,300 one-way). In Hiroshima city, hiroden streetcars are the cheapest (JPY150/trip) and most convenient transportation option but make sure you get a good map!

Where to Stay

Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima (23-1, Motoujina-machi Minami-ku, 082-256-1111, www.princehotelsjapan.com/GrandPrinceHotelHiroshima) is one of the best hotels in the city, located near the Peace Memorial Park. Rooms start from JPY 7,000.

For budget accommodation, try Hiroshima Youth Hostel (1-13-6 Ushitashin-machi Higashi-ku, 082-221-5343, www.ttec.co.jp/~hyh). It might be 4km north of the downtown, but it does give you a good glimpse of Japanese daily life. Rate is JPY1,930 for a bed in a dorm.

Magic Miyajima

Less than an hour by ferry from Hiroshima’s Peace Park, Miyajima is another UNESCO World Heritage site that offers serene shrines and spectacular hikes.

PRECIOUS HERITAGE
Walk along the coast from Miyajima Pier, and you will spot the most elegant shrine on the island, Itsukushima Shrine (1-1 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi City, 0829-44-2020. Open daily Mar-Oct 14 6:30am-6pm, Oct 15-Nov 6:30am-5:30pm, Dec 6:30am-5pm, Jan-Feb 8:30am-4pm. Admission JPY300). Wander through this 840-year-old vermilion shrine and feel the elegance of ancient court culture. Just a three-minute walk from here, you can discover the Senjokaku (admission JPY100), an uncompleted hall that was used for chanting sutras 420 years ago.

Untouched Nature
Misen, the highest mountain on the island, is an awe-inspiring site for nature lovers. There are two ways to the top: trekking or the Miyajima Ropeway (an aerial lift). For hardened trekkers, there are three major routes; the most popular course is Momijidani (“Maple Valley”), that passes Momijidani park, a small dam and waterfall and takes about an hour. The wonderful view offered by the ropeway is worth the JPY1,800 (one-way) and certainly saves you a lot of energy. Still, we suggest you do at least one-way on foot, to observe the sacred temples along the way and take in the beautiful landscape.

The Sea’s Bounty
Don’t miss the oysters, here. Yakigaki no Hayashi (505-1 Miyajima-cho, 0829-44-0335. Open Thu-Tue 10:30am-4:30pm) is a popular restaurant where you can taste mouth-watering oyster dishes throughout the year—but come in winter for the best taste. Raw oysters are JPY1,300. Anago-meshi, rice topped with a grilled conger eel dipped in a sweet soy sauce, is another well-known Miyajima treat. Before you get on the ferry to the island, grab a bowl of this specialty at Ueno (1-5-11 Miyajimaguchi, 0829-56-0006. Open Thu-Tue 10am-7pm) or a boxed anago-meshi at JPY1,470. Here, the rice is cooked with a soup extracted from the eels’ bones. Need some sweets? Momiji manju is a maple-shaped cake filled with sweet red bean paste or even cheese, custard or chocolate. Try deep-fried momiji manju for JPY150 at Momijido Nibanya (512-2 Miyajima-cho, 0829-44-1623. Open 10am-6pm), which is the originator of this unique sweet.

WHERE TO STAY
Miyajima Grand Hotel Arimoto (364 Minami-machi, Miyajima-cho, 0829-44-2411. www.miyajima-arimoto.co.jp) has traditional sukiya-zukuri architecture and serves kaiseki, a traditional multi-course dinner. Its surrounded by the beautiful sea and mountains. It also has a rotten-buro, an open-air hot spring, as well as daiyokujyou, a large public bath. A Japanese-style room costs you JPY13,000 for one person.

Benten no Yado Itsukushima (634 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi-shi, 0829-44-2121, www.bentennoyado.com) has modern Japanese style rooms. It offers various kinds of onsen, hot spring baths, and Japanese traditional dinners with fresh fish from Seto Island. Rates start at JPY24,990 including breakfast and dinner.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND
Get the “2-day Trip Card” with which you can ride streetcars, ferry boats and ropeways for two days (JPY 2,000). The best option is to take the ferry from Hiroshima Peace Park (55 minutes, 3-9 roundtrips per day). In a hurry? Trains from Hiroshima Station take only 25 minutes to reach Miyajimaguchi Station (JPY400).