Miyajima

island in Hiroshima, Japan

19km

Ōkunoshima

island

60km

Matsuyama

city in Japan

61km

Takamatsu

city in Japan

177km

Yakushima

island in Kagoshima, Japan

434km

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

This heart-wrenching museum documents the atomic bomb and its aftermath, from scale models of the city "before" and "after" to melted tricycles and other displays and artifacts related to the blast. Some are extremely graphic, evocative, and quite disturbing. The rest of the museum describes the post-war struggles of the hibakusha and an appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world today. Be warned: a visit here, while absolutely worthwhile, will ruin your day. Allow plenty of time afterward to decompress.

693m

Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum

Like Honkawa, part of the original school building that remained standing after the atomic bomb has been converted into a museum. In the days after the explosion, survivors used the school's chalk to leave messages for lost friends and family members on its blackened walls.

706m

Children's Peace Monument

Lerennially draped in thousands of origami paper cranes folded by schoolchildren across Japan in the memory of the young bomb victim Sadako Sasaki (see Literature).

859m

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Its skeletal remains of the are the most recognizable symbol of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. In another lifetime, the building was one of the city's best-known sights for an entirely different reason; designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel in 1915, the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall (and its fanciful green dome) had a bold European style in a grimy, crowded city with few modern flourishes. Because the explosion took place almost directly above the building, the walls remained largely intact, even as the dome shattered and the people inside were killed by the heat of the blast. Initially, as the city rebuilt, it was left alone simply because it was more difficult to demolish than other remains in the area; gradually, the A-Bomb Dome became the symbol it is today. The "Hiroshima Peace Memorial" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996 amid some controversy — the United States and China both voted against the nomination for reasons related to the war. Today, the benches around the Dome are a favorite spot for Hiroshima natives to read, eat lunch, or simply relax.

961m

Aioi Bridge

bridge in Hiroshima, Japan

1.1km

Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum

Of the more than 400 students and teachers who were in the school when the bomb exploded, only one student and one teacher survived. After a new school was built, this section of the original structure was kept as a museum, housing a small collection of photos and artifacts.

1.1km

Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine

Located on the castle grounds, this concrete shrine has great significance to locals, having been rebuilt after the atomic blast and now the center for most annual Shinto traditions in the city. But other than a historical marker, there's not much to see for travelers, other than festivals (especially New Year's Eve).

1.5km

Hiroshima Castle

The original Carp Castle (Rijō) was built in the 1590s by Hideyoshi's warlord Terumoto Mōri, predating the city itself. It was destroyed by the atomic bomb, by which time it was serving as a military headquarters, and reconstructed in 1958. Some of the original stone foundations can still be seen. Today, the castle grounds are a nice place for a walk, and definitely Hiroshima's favorite place for hanami (cherry blossom parties), with more than 350 sakura trees. The five-story castle museum is an attractive reconstruction of the 16th century donjon, with interesting relics and armor to see (and try on), as well as some informative displays about the history of the castle and the city. The view from the top is worth the entrance fee all by itself. No elevators are available - visitors will be walking the five stories by stairs.

1.7km

Shukkei-en

While it's not one of Japan's Top 3, this compact and beautifully landscaped Japanese garden is well worth a visit, and an ideal place to decompress from the atomic bomb sites. Despite more and more high-rises peeping over the trees recently, Shukkeien can feel like an entirely different world, with little paths crossing ponds on bridges and winding their way around graceful teahouses and waterfalls. Visitors can feed the fish and turtles occasionally swimming near the paths. It's directly behind the Prefectural Art Museum, and combined admission tickets are available.

1.9km

Mazda

automotive brand manufacturer

5.1km

Momijidani Park

16km

Mount Misen

mountain in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan

18km

Ōkunoshima poison gases museum

Manufacturing poison gases in Hiroshima Prefecture from 1929 to 1944/1945 by the Imperial Japanese Army

60km

Dōgo Onsen

hot spring in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Japan

61km

Uwajima Castle

building in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, Japan

108km

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

World Heritage Site in Japan

116km

Matsue

city in Japan

118km

Matsue Castle

castle

119km

Shikoku

smallest of the four main islands of Japan

130km

Marugame Castle

park

149km