10 Best Things to Do
Hiroshima combines a moving encounter with modern history and easy access to the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. Spend time at the Peace Memorial Museum and Park, then explore Shukkeien Garden and the city’s art museums. Across the water, Miyajima offers Itsukushima Shrine, wooded mountain paths and traditional inns. Stay several nights to include the island without rushing, and reserve ahead for the city’s small sushi counters and French restaurants.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park
Nakajimacho, Hiroshima, Japan
The Peace Memorial Museum tells the story of the atomic bombing through personal possessions, photographs and the experiences of those who lived through it. Give the galleries time, then walk through the surrounding park to the memorials and Atomic Bomb Dome. The material can be deeply affecting, so leave space afterwards rather than planning a tightly packed morning. Together, the museum and park provide essential context for understanding Hiroshima and its commitment to peace.
Understanding Hiroshima's history
Itsukushima Shrine
Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Japan
Itsukushima's vermilion corridors stand above the shore, with the sea changing their setting as the tide rises and falls. Walk through the shrine rather than stopping only for a photograph of its famous torii gate. The buildings preserve the graceful forms of courtly Japanese architecture, with open views across the bay. Check the tide before your visit if you want to see water around the shrine, and leave time to explore Miyajima's nearby streets.
Miyajima's shrine and tidal scenery
Mount Misen
Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Japan
Mount Misen rises above Miyajima's shoreline, with woodland trails and rocky viewpoints looking across the Seto Inland Sea. Walk up if you have the time and fitness, or use the ropeway for part of the ascent. The upper station is a starting point for further walking, so wear suitable shoes even if you plan to ride. Choose a clear day for the views and allow enough time to return before the final descent.
Woodland walks and Inland Sea views
Daishoin Temple
Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Japan
Daishoin introduces another side of Miyajima, beyond the shoreline shrine and shopping streets. This Shingon Buddhist temple has long been closely connected with Itsukushima Shrine and the island's religious life. Spend time with its halls and devotional images rather than treating the grounds simply as a route towards the mountain. It makes a thoughtful companion to a shrine visit, especially if you want to understand how Buddhist and Shinto traditions have shaped the island together.
Miyajima's Buddhist heritage
Shukkeien Garden
Kaminoboricho, Hiroshima, Japan
Shukkeien compresses hills, valleys and waterside scenery into a garden you can explore on foot. Paths circle the central pond, crossing bridges and revealing small islands and carefully arranged views. Created for Hiroshima's feudal lord in 1620, it was later restored after the atomic bombing. The changing flowers and foliage make it worth visiting in different seasons. Come for a gentle break from the city, with the Prefectural Art Museum conveniently next door.
A quiet garden walk
Hiroshima Museum of Art
Motomachi, Hiroshima, Japan
This central museum brings French modern painting into conversation with Japanese art. Its collection includes works by Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso, alongside Japanese painters working in both Western and traditional styles. Displays change, so look at the current selection before visiting if there is a particular artist you hope to see. The location beside the greenery of Central Park makes it an easy cultural stop, with a café for a pause afterwards.
French and Japanese painting
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Hijiyama Park, Hiroshima, Japan
Hiroshima's contemporary art museum stands among the trees of Hijiyama Park in a building designed by Kisho Kurokawa. Its collection explores art since the Second World War, including work connected with Hiroshima, while temporary exhibitions bring changing perspectives. Take time to notice the architecture as well as the galleries, then continue into the surrounding park. This is a rewarding choice for visitors who want to explore the city's cultural life beyond its best-known historic sites.
Contemporary art and architecture
Simose Art Museum
Otake, Japan
Shigeru Ban's movable galleries give Simose an unusual relationship with the coastal landscape. The museum's holdings range from Japanese dolls to Émile Gallé glass and modern painting, with changing exhibitions deciding what is on view. After the galleries, explore the garden inspired by Gallé's favourite plants and look across the Setouchi seascape from the terrace. Make the journey to Otake part of a slower coastal day, rather than trying to squeeze it into central Hiroshima sightseeing.
Art, architecture and coastal views
Hiroshima Orizuru Tower
Otemachi, Hiroshima, Japan
Orizuru Tower offers a different perspective on central Hiroshima from its wooden rooftop observation space. Below, interactive exhibits and the paper-crane wall connect the visit with the city's message of peace. You can fold your own crane and, with the appropriate ticket, add it to the wall. The spiral slope provides another way to move through the building. Pair the visit with time around the nearby Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park.
City views and paper cranes
Mazda Museum
Fuchu, Hiroshima, Japan
Mazda's museum follows the company's history through its cars, engineering and ideas for the future. A guided visit also takes you into the world of vehicle production, with the assembly-line section offering a view of how cars come together when the plant is operating. You meet at the company's headquarters before travelling to the museum with the tour. Book ahead and make this a planned half-day outing, especially if you want an English-language visit.
Car design and manufacturing