Half-Day Hiroshima Highlights Tour

Hiroshima is a beautiful city and the perfect mix of bustling metropolis and relaxed countryside. Within the city center, one has the opportunity to not only explore the historical relevance of Hiroshima, but also appreciate its beauty and culture. This half-day tour has been specially designed so you may learn about Hiroshima city’s origins as a castle town during the Sengoku Period, its importance as Japan unified and developed, and the impact and legacy of the Atomic Bomb. Gain a deeper understanding of how this city first formed and how it was able to become the symbol of peace that it is today by taking part in this walking-tour around the Hiroshima city center.

Highlights

• Take a relaxing stroll within the Shukkei-en garden, appreciating not only its beauty, but also how it has changed and evolved since the Edo Period
• Admire Hiroshima Castle and discover the role it played in the development of the city and Chūgoku region *this tour does not include a stop inside the castle tower*
• Visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and its most relevant monuments such as the Atomic Bomb Dome, Children’s Peace Monument, and the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb
• Learn how to fold an origami paper crane and make an offering at the Children’s Peace Monument
• Tour the Peace Memorial Museum and reflect upon the realities of nuclear warfare and the legacy of Hiroshima

*For those looking to join the tour from Kyoto/Osaka, please see the FAQ section.

Description

This tour is offered both in the morning and afternoon. It will begin at Hiroshima Station at either 9:00 AM, or 14:30 PM. Your guide will meet you by the Shinkansen Gates under the Tourist Information sign. There are coin lockers available at the station if you wish to leave any belongings behind, but we ask that you show up a bit earlier to the meet-up spot if this is the case.

Your guide will lead you out of Hiroshima Station and provide some brief information about the city as you make your way to the first destination of the day, Shukkei-en Garden.

Within the garden, you will take a leisurely stroll around the main pond, admiring the tea houses, bridges, and hills, while stopping at the best photo spots. Your guide will also give a thorough explanation of Japanese gardens and their main design principles. As you walk, you will learn about the construction of Shukkei-en during the Edo period, its concept as a “miniaturized landscape,” and its different restorations in the past 400 years. Lastly, your guide will explain the role of the garden as an evacuation site during World War II, and what it symbolizes today to the people of Hiroshima. 

After finishing the tour of the garden, we will walk to our next location, the Hiroshima Castle Ruins. Your guide will take you to the main locations within the ruins and explain their history, purpose, and significance. These locations include the Castle Tower, Ninomaru enclosure, and Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine. By using Hiroshima Castle as “case study,” you will gain a better understanding of Japanese history and the development of castle towns. As you walk through the ruins, your guide will help you picture what life would have been like during the Edo Period in a flourishing city of Japan.

Our next stop will be the Atomic Bomb Dome located within the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This building was inaugurated in 1915, with the purpose of exhibiting and selling products from Hiroshima Prefecture and it was the only structure left standing near the explosion’s hypocenter. As you walk to this next location, your guide will provide historical context about World War II and the events leading up to the bombing. As you observe the ruins you will be asked to consider the purpose of their preservation and what message the Atomic Bomb Dome is aiming to convey.

Your guide will then take you for a brief stroll around the park in order to visit and explain some of its most relevant monuments. As you walk, you will hear about Kenzō Tange, the architect who designed both the park and the museum, thereby gaining a better understanding of the layout of the park and the intention behind it.

We will stop at the Children’s Peace Monument and learn about the story of Sadako Sasaki and the other children who perished as a result of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima. You will then have the opportunity to make an offering of an orizuru (paper crane) at the monument. Your guide will teach you how to fold a paper crane while explaining the meaning and symbolism of this origami design. Around 10 million cranes are offered every year at this monument, and it is not uncommon to see school groups making said offerings throughout any given day of the year.

Next, we will visit the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb, in which lies a registry of the names of all of those who perished as a consequence of the bombing. By standing in front of this monument, you can observe the “Flame of Peace,” and Atomic Bomb Dome in perfect alignment. You may choose to approach the cenotaph and offer a prayer for the victims of the bombing, or to reflect on the impact of such a tragic event.

Our last stop of the tour will be the Peace Memorial Museum. Within, you will be able to observe the personal belongings left behind by the victims of the atomic bombing. The exhibits will walk you through the events of August 6^th, the many hardships and trauma that followed in the years after, and the ultimate reconstruction of the city.  Your tour guide will offer some context before entering the different exhibition rooms, but for the most part, this will serve as an opportunity to quietly learn about and reflect on this historical event.  

From here, there will be an option to finalize the tour in front of the Museum or at Hiroshima Station. If you wish to return to Hiroshima Station, your guide will take you there via a Hiroshima public transit bus. Feel free to ask the guide for dinner recommendations or instructions back to your hotel.

TOUR MEETUP POINT

HIROSHIMA STATION @ 9:00 A.M OR 14:30 P.M.

The meetup point is under the Tourist Information sign outside of the Shinkansen gates. 

If you are arriving via Shinkansen, the sign will be located directly to your left as you exit the gates.

If you are arriving via a JR line, please look for signs directing you towards the Shinkansen gates. It is located on the same floor as the JR lines gates.

For those coming from outside the station via bus, your first task will be to find an Underground Passage and then following the signs directing you to Hiroshima Station. These underground passages are usually located very close to bus stops. Once you have made it to Hiroshima Station, follow the signs directing you to the Shinkansen gates.

For those coming from outside the station via Streetcar, Hiroshima Station will be right next to you. Follow the signs directing you to the Shinkansen gates.

Lastly, if you wish to arrive via taxi, please ask the driver to drop you off at the Shinkansen Entrance (also known as North Entrance). After arriving, please look for signs directing you to the Shinkansen gates.

When you arrive, be sure to look for the guide holding a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour sign. We highly recommend arriving early as Hiroshima Station is currently under heavy construction and can be quite disorienting.   

NOTES

Included

• English speaking guide
• Origami paper for paper cranes
• Entry fees at all tour locations
• Transportation between activities

Excluded

• Lunch
• Accommodation
• Transportation to meet-up point

Other Information

• This tour involves several hours of walking outdoors. We recommend that you wear shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or raincoat if necessary.
• In the summer, temperature highs are around 32 °C (90 °F) and above with extreme humidity. We recommend wearing something light and airy while minding sunburn and heatstroke. A parasol, sunblock, and water are highly encouraged.
• Winter temperatures in Hiroshima average between 1°C-10°C. (34°F-50°F). Please wear warm clothing and footwear appropriate for cold conditions.