What to do in Hiroshima
So… We were back from Hiroshima less than a month ago! Our latest wanderlust took us to the city which encountered the world’s first ever nuclear destruction. Nonetheless, what we encountered during this trip was anything but terror in this modernized, beautiful city!
PS: Good news to share for those who like to fly via SilkAir – from the 30th Oct there will be flights from Singapore to Hiroshima and vice versa!
In our opinion, here are some of the must-visit places:
1) Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum & A-Bomb Dome
It is one of the UNESCO Heritage Sites in Hiroshima and knowing James will never give UNESCO site in any country a miss! If you planning to go to this site, I would recommend spending a good one day there to learn of the destructive power of an Atomic Bomb & immense in the history of Hiroshima.
We stayed at ANA Crowne Plaza which is just a 5 mins walk away.
More importantly, we were there on the 6th August too! Make a guess what’s the significance of this date? It is the fateful day which the Atomic Bomb ‘Little Boy’ was dropped and to be exact, 8.15am in the morning.
Apparently, this is the only structure that survived the bomb blast and still standing till this very day. It stood there to consistently remind the future generation that nuclear power should never be used as a form of deterrence.
You won’t see much laughter or merry-making around this place even among the tourists. The mood is mainly sombre around this vicinity; It is as though the tragedy just happened the day before.
Nonetheless, we did not hesitate to break our first smile when we saw these beautiful paper cranes near the site. Folding paper crane is a form of respect and culture near the site! Be sure to fold one when you are there in memory of the victims.
We did our part and learnt how to fold paper cranes at the Orizuru Tower nearby. Best time to go to the tower would be close to evening time as you also get to enjoy the entire Hiroshima city landscape.
2) Miyajima Island (Itsukushima Shrine & the Iconic O-Torii Gate)
Ever seen the famous O-Torii Gate floating in the middle of a sea?
This is exactly where we decided to spend our second day! One can never miss out Itsukushima Shrine when they are at Hiroshima Prefecture. Take a 30-minutes boat ride near the A-Bomb Dome site to Miyajima Island!
You can take some nice photos at the back of the boat. Be sure not to miss this instagram-worthy moment!
The first impression you will get of Miyajima Island is that of Nara Park because of the wild deers roaming around freely. Sadly, the only difference is you are not allowed to feed the deers here 🙁
Be sure not to walk around freely with a paper in your hand. In fact, that was what happened to my map as one of the deers ripped it apart thinking it was food!
Well, the deers stole my map but did not have the chance to steal the limelight from….the iconic O-Torii Gate in front of the Itsukushima Shrine!
The are so many interesting cultural practices e.g. Praying, Ward of Bad luck, Reading your luck etc within Itsukushima Shrine. So be sure not to miss exploring every part of it!
3) Kin-taikyo Bridge
A very iconic Bridge which is broken into three sections. It was said that they made it this way to reinforce against the strong tides of tsunami/flood.
It is so long we only manage to capture one section of the whole bridge. But, you got the idea right?
4) Shimanami-Kaido Bridge
If you are a cycling enthusiasts, do a day trip out of Hiroshima for this! Just to share the distance we cycled that day; from one end of the bridge to the other.
It is approximately 6-7km. The good thing is you can return the bike at the station situated on the other end of the bridge.
Just look at how much we are sweating! I would say it is not so much from our exertion on the bike but instead the weather! The summer in Japan is definitely no joke! I would say even the hottest day in Singapore couldn’t be compared to the heat there!
4) Hondori Shopping Street
This is the biggest shopping street in Hiroshima! To be truthful, don’t expect to shop heartily here. I feel the shopping scene in Dontoburi is far more vibrant compared to this one! Nonetheless, it is still worth a visit if it is your first time there.
Well at least for retail pleasure, they have our favourite Uniqlo and GU there! If you are thinking of getting some LifeWear, you know where to head to.
Oh! Do not miss out the super famous I-chiran Ramen there too! You have to queue for it in Tokyo and Osaka, but I promise that there is no queue here! It was so good we had it for supper on two consecutive nights!
5) Sera-kogen Farm (aka The Land of Sunflowers)
You will surely smile at this place if you missed smiling at A-Bomb Dome site! Just look at this picture which is a small subset of the whole sunflower farm!
Unfortunately, due to a tight schedule, we did not get to spend much time there. I shall leave you guys to explore this place on your end and take multiple pictures!
Some other places that you may want to include in your itinerary includes Ota House, Iwakuni (Yamaguchi Prefecture) & Kikko Park (Samurai Living quarters on one end of the Kin-taikyo Bridge).
