Getting Around Hiroshima
Hiroshima is a compact, visitor-friendly city, and most of the places a tourist wants to see are connected by a dense network of trams, buses, and a short metro line. The city centre is also very walkable, and cycling is a genuinely pleasant option thanks to wide pavements and riverside paths. Before you start moving, it is worth knowing about the Visit Hiroshima Tourist Pass, which covers either one to three days of unlimited journeys inside the city or the wider prefecture. It is available from the Information Center on the first floor of the airport, at JR Hiroshima Station, at the Hiroshima Bus Center, and at other tourist locations. Digital passes can also be bought online, which suits travellers who expect to use public transport frequently.
Trams (Hiroden)
Hiroshima's extensive tram, or streetcar, network is operated by Hiroden and is the most convenient way for visitors to get around. It is slow but reliable. The fleet is a mix of older cars and sleek new "Green Movers", though they all run on the same lines for the same fares — the only difference is the smoothness of the ride. Because many trams were bought second-hand from other Japanese cities, riding them is a small tour of transit history; some have been in service for more than fifty years, and you may find yourself on an old Kyoto tram. Two cars that survived the atomic bomb blast are still sometimes used in regular service.
- Most lines originate from JR Hiroshima Station and run frequently during the day and evening.
- Boarding and payment procedures vary by tram, but entrances and exits are clearly marked in English — if in doubt, follow the locals.
- You pay as you exit. Change machines are usually available on board if you don't have exact change; check near the front or back of the car.
- Fares are a flat rate, with a reduced rate for children. One-day passes are sold at the tourist office, and a combined day pass also covers the Matsudai Kisen ferry to Miyajima.
- Digital passes are available online, including 8-hour and 24-hour versions and off-peak weekday and weekend passes.
Buses
Bus lines run through Hiroshima and out into the suburbs. Generally speaking, these serve areas more likely to be used by locals than by visitors, but signs include English and buses depart next to the tram depot in front of JR Hiroshima Station. Japan Rail Pass holders can use a free sightseeing bus that loops from and back to Hiroshima Station via all the important sights in the city. Three "meipuru-pu" ("Maple + Loop") bus lines, operated under Chugoku JR Bus Company, circulate around the city's main tourist spots.
Metro (Astram)
The modern Astram line links the city centre with the northern suburbs, although there are not many tourist sights out that way. Fares are distance-based, and departures run every few minutes from early morning until midnight. The underground station at the end of Hon-dōri, near the Peace Park, is the terminus in the city centre.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material for this guide does not describe taxi or ride-hailing services in Hiroshima, so no specific guidance on them can be given here. Visitors who prefer not to use public transport should plan to rely on the tram, bus, and Astram network, or on walking and cycling, all of which are well covered above.
Walking and Cycling
Hiroshima is a great city for cycling. Most of the sidewalks are fairly wide by Japanese standards, the paths along the branches of the rivers offer a very pleasant ride, and if you want to test your legs you can head up to the hills around Hijiyama Park. Many hotels will happily arrange bike rentals.
- Nippon Rent-a-Car in Minami-ku rents bicycles as well as cars, with rates by the hour or by the day.
- Hiroshima Navigator, maintained by the Hiroshima Convention & Visitors Bureau, keeps a list of bicycle rental outlets around the city.
- Tourist information centres at JR Hiroshima Station keep a map of associated rent-a-cycle outlets in downtown Hiroshima. Most of these outlets have their rental desks in the lobbies of major hotels, and bikes can be rented from and returned to any of the associated outlets.
Getting Into the City from the Airport
Hiroshima Airport (HIJ) connects to domestic destinations in Japan — ANA and JAL fly from Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo Chitose, and ANA also serves Narita, Sendai, and Okinawa — as well as direct international flights from Dalian, Guam, Shanghai, Seoul, Hong Kong, and Taipei.
From the airport, buses connect to JR Hiroshima Station and to the Hiroshima Bus Center. There are also buses from the airport to Okayama, Onomichi, Iwakuni, Tottori, and other spots in the Chugoku region. Departing frequency varies from every 30 minutes to every hour.
Arriving by Train, Bus, Ferry, or Car
JR Hiroshima Station is a major stop on the JR West Sanyo Shinkansen line, and regular trains also run through the city on the Sanyo Main Line between Kobe and Kitakyushu, along with several local lines. Japan Rail Pass holders should note that the pass does not cover Nozomi and Mizuho trains unless a surcharge is paid, so travellers from Tokyo or Nagoya typically take a Hikari train and change at Shin-Osaka (or alternatively at Shin-Kobe or Himeji) onto the Sanyo Shinkansen. A few one-way morning Hikari services run directly to Hiroshima without a change of trains. Overnight, the Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto runs from Tokyo to Okayama, where you can connect onward to Hiroshima; Japan Rail Pass holders can book a carpeted floor space on the overnight service at no charge, or pay the applicable room fee and surcharges for a compartment.
Long-distance buses arrive and depart from the north exit of JR Hiroshima Station, where there is a JR Bus counter, and from the Hiroshima Bus Center in the city centre, with service to and from cities in Kanto, Kansai, Kyushu, Shikoku, and much of the rest of Japan. Overnight and daytime services connect Hiroshima with Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagoya, among other places, and advance discount fares are often available.
Ferries dock at the Hiroshima Port Ujina Passenger Terminal, which also serves as the terminus for several tram lines. Ishizaki Kisen operates daily service to and from Matsuyama in Shikoku, with some boats stopping in Kure along the way; faster "Superjet" services and slower vehicle-carrying ferries are both available.
If you arrive by car, take the Hiroshima exit from the San'yo Expressway. Heading southwest on National Highway Route 54 will bring you to the centre of town, while Route 2 is the major east–west artery south of the city centre. Confirm in advance that your hotel offers parking — not all do, and public parking is both expensive and hard to find.