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Located in Western Honshu, the largest island of Japan, Hiroshima has the sad history of being the first ever city to be targeted by a nuclear weapon. Since that day, Hiroshima has risen from the ashes to become a shining reminder of the destruction capable of war. The Hiroshima Peace memorial park and Genbaku Dome stand as reminders and offer a humbling experience to visitors of this beautiful city.

Hiroshima makes a fantastic day trip from Osaka. The bullet train or ‘Shinkansen’ will get you there in about 90 minutes. Visiting as a day trip saves you from transporting your luggage again to another city and to new accommodation, something I like to do as little as possible.

Alongside the sites of the Peace Memorial Park and Genbaku Dome, other popular attractions in Hiroshima include;

• Miyajima
• Itsukushima Shrine
• Hiroshima Castle
• Shukkei-en Garden
• Peace Memorial Museum
• Hiroshimagokoku Shrine

The island of Miyajima is a particular highlight. With its beautiful untouched forest, full of wild deer. The island is also host to the Itsukushima Shrine, an impressive UNESCO world heritage site. You can also take a cable car to the peak of Mt Misen, offering panoramic views of the island and surrounding harbour. Simply walking through the forests can be a very peaceful experience, with flowing streams and small waterfalls adding to the atmosphere. I found myself alone wandering the picturesque pathways which wound through the trees and clearings, before returning in a loop to the ferry harbour and heading back to the mainland.

Combining the sights of Miyajima with the memorial sites of Hiroshima make up an excellent full day and is a very popular tour option. As a booked tour, included private transport and lunch make it very simple and saves time easily wasted by using slower public transport. This leaves as much time as possible to experience what Hiroshima has to offer.

Thanks for reading,

Henry