Things to Do in Hiroshima

The skeletal remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, preserved exactly as it stood after the 1945 atomic bombing. A UNESCO World Heritage site and free to view from the street.

🕐 Always visible from the street

💡 Visit in late afternoon for the best light on the dome's steel frame. There's no need to queue—just stand by the riverside for the iconic shot.

A large, riverside park built around the Atomic Bomb Dome. Includes the Peace Memorial Museum (paid) but the park itself is open to all, with memorials, a cenotaph, and the eternal flame.

🕐 Park: 24 hours

💡 Go early to avoid crowds. The best views of the A-Bomb Dome are from the bridge at the park's northern edge, especially just after sunrise.

A monument inspired by Sadako Sasaki, a girl who folded paper cranes after the bomb. The park around it is free, and you'll see thousands of colourful origami cranes left by school groups.

🕐 Park: 24 hours

💡 Bring a paper crane to add to the displays—there's a small donation box for materials, or fold your own beforehand. Quietest around 8am.

Reconstructed five-tiered castle surrounded by a moat and park. Entering the castle keep costs 370 yen, but walking the grounds, moat, and outer walls is free. Good photo spot east of the Peace Park.

🕐 Grounds: always open

💡 The free outer grounds have a nice view of the castle from the south bridge. The modern art museum inside the park is also free on the first Sunday of the month.

A 17th-century Japanese landscape garden, designed to represent miniature versions of famous scenic spots. Entry is cheap (260 yen for adults) and the garden is a calm escape from the city centre.

🕐 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)

💡 Combine with a tea ceremony in the garden's tea house—costs an extra 500 yen but includes matcha and a sweet. Tickets are sold at the gate.