34.39°N 132.46°E
Most people see Hiroshima in a day. Here is the second one.
The Peace Park and Miyajima take one morning and one afternoon. Everything on this page sits within an hour of Hiroshima Station and almost none of it is written about in English. Pick how much time you have left.
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8 experiences
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Close enough to read the hull numbers
A half-hour boat loop through a working naval port, past submarines and destroyers tied up at the pier. The guide is a retired officer who served on them.
40 min by train¥1,500Daily
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Inside a submarine that was still in service in 2004
The Akishio was lifted out of the water and set down beside the road. You walk through the control room and put your eye to the periscope. Entry is free.
40 min by trainFreeClosed Tue
How to visit
A brewery that doesn’t open to the public
Saijotsuru runs one small tour, on Saturdays, by reservation. The brewmaster walks you through the rooms he is actually working in, then pours.
35 min by train¥3,000Sat only
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Seven breweries, one station, two hours
Saijo is one of Japan’s three great sake towns and all seven of its breweries are within walking distance of the platform. An English-speaking guide takes you through each, with a tasting at every stop.
35 min by train¥5,000English guide
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Open an oyster with your own hands, in the water it grew in
Hiroshima grows more oysters than anywhere in Japan. On the rafts you shuck them yourself and eat them over the side. Winter only.
45 min by ferry¥6,000Nov–Mar
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The side of Miyajima the ferries don’t go to
A beach on the western shore, reachable only by boat, with a paddleboard and nobody else on it. The day-trip crowd is three kilometres away on the other side of the mountain.
50 min + boat¥10,000Apr–Oct
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The naval academy, then the coast road
The Imperial Navy trained its officers on this island, and the red-brick halls are still standing. Afterwards there is a cycling route that runs the whole way round the water.
60 min by ferry¥7,000Year round
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A private logging road and a hot spring at the bottom
An electric mountain bike carries you up a road the owner opened for this ride only. Ten minutes on foot from where it ends, the Inland Sea opens out below you. The onsen is next to the finish.
60 min by car¥12,000Min. height 157cm
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Kure, from the 9:12 train to the last ferry back
- 09:12Hiroshima Station to Kure on the Kure Line40 min
- 10:00Naval harbour cruise past the submarine pier¥1,500
- 10:45Inside the Akishio, then the Yamato Museum across the road¥500
- 13:00Navy curry on the waterfront, the way the fleet still eats it¥1,200
- 14:30Ferry across to Etajima and the old naval academy¥7,000
- 18:40Back into Hiroshima in time for dinner40 min
One train line, one harbour, and the whole history the Peace Park is the end of. Roughly ¥10,200 per person including transport.