Hiroshima Travel Guide

Hiroshima (広島) is an industrial city of wide boulevards and criss-crossing rivers along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea. Although many only know it for the horrific split-second on August 6, 1945 when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, it is now a modern cosmopolitan city with excellent cuisine and a bustling nightlife.

Buses connect the airport to JR Hiroshima Station (45-50 min, ¥1370) and the Hiroshima Bus Center (55 minutes, ¥1370). There are also buses from the airport toOkayama,Onomichi,Iwakuni,Tottori, and other spots in theChugokuregion. The departing frequency varies from 30 minutes to an hour.

There is aVisit Hiroshima Tourist Passthat covers either 1-3 days of unlimited journeys inside the city or the prefecture. It can be obtained from the Information Center on the first floor of the airport, the JR station, the Hiroshima Bus Center, and other tourist locations. Digital passes are also availableonlineand are suitable for travelers seeking to use public transportation frequently during their trip in the city.

Hiroshima has a rough reputation among Japanese people from other cities, thanks largely to theyakuzamovies that were filmed in town. In reality, though, it's much safer than any large Western city. As with most places in Japan, petty theft is virtually non-existent. Nagarekawa, the nightlife district, does have its share of prostitutes, sex clubs, and rip-off hostess bars, but to no greater extent thanTokyoorOsaka.

For a short night before an early train, the cheapest digs in town will be to nap in the easy chairs at the two Internet cafes outside the south exit of JR Hiroshima Station (seeConnect), or possibly a Nagarekawa karaoke box. You won't be the only one doing it, particularly on weekends.