welcome to Hiroshima Japan if you're planning a trip to Japan in 2018 and
haven't penciled in a visit now might be the time to reevaluate your plans in
this video I'll take you around the city and give you 15 things you may want to
add to your itinerary from learning more about the history of Hiroshima at the
atomic bomb dome and peace park heading out of the city to visit world heritage
sites such as miyajima and Okunoshima as well as showing you some local food
and what to expect at particular times of year namely during Christmas and
cherry blossom in April I hope you enjoy my Hiroshima travel guide the atomic bomb
dome the atomic bomb dome has to be first on your list of things to do in
hiroshima the former product exhibition hall was the only building able to
withstand the force of the first atomic bomb to be used in war on the 6th of
August 1945 8:15 a.m. initially planned for demolition the skeletal remains of
the building were instead preserved to serve as a monument to remind future
generations of the horror of what occurred on that fateful day the
building became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996
the Hiroshima peace park surrounding the dome is the Hiroshima
peace park a large area encompassing many points of interest from the
children's memorial dedicated to Sadako Sasaki a child who died as a result of
the atomic bombing the peace flame which will burn until the production and use
of nuclear weapons are banned worldwide the peace Bell which symbolizes the
sound of peace the Hiroshima peace memorial and home and the museum which
is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the atomic bombing and
subsequent events
meet a survivor a museum can only tell you so much to learn more head to social
book cafe on the 6th of each month to speak to survivors from the atomic
bombing meet takaki Morikawa an 80 year old man who gives a fascinating account
of his experience and his life after the bomb here his father story as he battled
to save survivors and the nearby national broadcasting station
cats cafe now for something completely different
Japan wouldn't mean Japan without a visit to a cat cafe located close to the
Peace Park for just 700 yen you can spend half an hour relaxing surrounded
by numerous gorgeous cats I must for any cat fan
Miyajima the number one trip out of her Oshima is to itsukushima otherwise known
as miyajima island another unesco world heritage site Miyajima is well known for
its ancient shrines temples pagodas and wild deer the manger is the great torii
gate at the entrance to itsukushima shrine built in the 12th century and
easily accessible at low tide the Vermillion color of the torii gate and
shrine is designed to keep evil spirits away visit on new year's eve for a fire
festival desire to protect the island from fire
okonomiyaki yes it's time for some food economy aqui roughly translated as what
you like and grilled is Hiroshima's signature dish
although imitated in cities such as osaka hiroshima okonomiyaki remains
traditional basically a savory pancake okonomiyaki comes in a number of
varieties including soba and udon a pancake consisting of batter vegetables
such as cabbage seaweed green onions and bean sprouts egg pork and best of all
okonomi sauce okonomiyaki is an absolute must in hiroshima
Okunoshima head out of Hiroshima once more by visiting Okunoshima
affectionately named bunny island located a couple of hours from hiroshima
Okunoshima isn't just for rabbit lovers it holds a dark past formerly used
during world war ii to manufacture poisonous gases such as tear gas you're
able to visit the original power plant used in the production process and a
number of other historic sites located around the island rabbits were
originally used as test subjects nowadays over 700 of them roam the
island freely a truly unique day out from Hiroshima
little mermaid point number eight maybe slightly mainstream but there's nothing
like visiting a Japanese bakery you can fill yourself up with some
awesome food at Little Mermaid located at Hiroshima's station curry pan
vegetable croquettes cheesy bread hot dogs hot food and sweet items like
Donuts will most likely leave you unable to move but your leave safe in the
knowledge you probably won't need to eat for the rest of the day
Takahara another small town located close to
Okunoshima, Takahara is often referred to as the mini kyoto with small quiet
streets dating back to the edo period in the 15th century
in addition Takahara also has a number of impressive shrines and temples and is
known as an ideal location for trying premium sake
cherry blossom April is the busiest time in Hiroshima largely due to the
beginning of spring and the mind-blowing Sakura or cherry blossom in the area be
prepared for crowds bring a picnic and enjoy the gorgeous cherry blossom at the
peace park one of the best places in Japan to experience Sakura
but time your trip well as Sakura generally only lasts a couple of weeks
onomichi another day trip out of her Oshima
onomichi is a small town located about two hours from the city best experience
in the summer Onomichi is another opportunity to visit shrines
and temples on the temple walk with awesome views over the Seto Inland Sea
climb up to the top of Mount st. hoji or catch the ropeway and walk down
Christmas Day the festive season is another great time to visit her Oshima
despite generally not being celebrated in Japan you can experience the slightly
odd tradition of eating KFC on Christmas Day eat some Christmas cakes generally
involving strawberries in some form or another and check out the lights close
to the don quixote store
nagarakawa
an area of Hiroshima well known for its nightlife nagarakawa is located roughly
a 10-minute walk from the peace park full of clubs bars novelty fancy dress
stores okay sex shops office cafes and restaurants nog Arakawa provides an
impression of her Oshima you would normally expect from areas of Tokyo a
definite must do
the Mazda Museum yes there's even more to do in Hiroshima Karl fans will enjoy
a trip to the Mazda Museum just two stops from Hiroshima station hiroshima
is Japan's base for Mazda with a rich history of car production dating back to
the 1930s on a free guided tour you can visit the museum with a huge collection
of vehicles including the first-ever Mazda Road car from 1960
in addition learn more about the rotary engine and have a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to visit the production line a heavily automated workspace full of
futuristic robots which help you understand just how Mazda became a force
to be reckoned with in the automobile industry
hiroshima castle
finally a visit to any city in Japan would not be complete without visiting a
Japanese castle Hiroshima Castle is located reasonably close to the peace
park built in 1590 destroyed by the atomic bomb and subsequently
reconstructed in 1958 hiroshima castle also serves as a museum allowing you to
learn more about Hiroshima's immense history you can even check out samurai
weapons and warrior clothing
that concludes my 15 things to do in Hiroshima thank you for watching and I
hope you found this useful in planning your Japan trip if you like
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out more detailed videos on each of these 15 points emerge upon playlists
have a great trip