Hiroshima and Miyajima

Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima are best seen together over two or three days, on the Shinkansen (Japan's high-speed rail) line between Osaka and Kyushu: the city for its Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome, the island for Itsukushima Shrine, built over the sea, and Mount Misen. Less than an hour of train and ferry separates the two, so you can sleep on the island and spend a day in Hiroshima, or the other way round.

Hiroshima, the city of 6 August 1945

The Atomic Bomb Dome

The Genbaku Dome, or Atomic Bomb Dome, was the Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. Czech architect Jan Letzel designed it and it opened in 1915. Left standing near the hypocentre of the bomb of 6 August 1945, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It stands in Peace Memorial Park.

The Peace Memorial Museum

The Peace Memorial Museum, in the same park, is devoted to the bomb and its victims. It opens at 7.30 am and closes at 7 pm from March to July and from September to November, at 8 pm in August and at 6 pm from December to February. Admission is 200 ¥ (about 2 €).

Two rules to know before you go:

• to enter between 7.30 and 8.30 am, and during the hour before last evening admission, you must book online;
• the museum is closed on 30 and 31 December, and from 15 to 20 February 2027.

Allow half a day for the museum and the park.

Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine

A shrine standing in the sea

Itsukushima Shrine was founded in 593, according to tradition. Its present buildings were raised on piles over the sea in 1168 by Taira no Kiyomori. Like the Dome, it has been a World Heritage Site since 1996. Its Great Torii, the gateway that marks the entrance to a Shinto shrine, rises from the water in front of the corridors.

The shrine opens at 6.30 am. It closes at 6 pm from 1 March to 14 October, at 5.30 pm from 15 October to 30 November and from 4 January to the end of February, and at 5 pm in December. Admission is 300 ¥ (about 2 €), or 500 ¥ (about 3 €) with the Treasure Hall.

Tatami are the woven rice-straw mats that cover the floors of Japanese rooms and serve to measure their size: the Senjokaku's name describes the size of the hall.

Mount Misen

Mount Misen rises above the island. Two ropeways climb it from the Momijidani valley: about 10 minutes to the middle station, then 4 minutes up to Shishiiwa. Ascents run from 9 am to 4 pm and the last descent is at 4.30 pm; a return ticket costs 2,000 ¥ (about 12 €). From Shishiiwa, the summit is about an hour's walk there and back. On some busy days, online booking for the ropeway is required.

In the evening

Those who sleep on the island or across the water see the shrine lit up. A 30-minute night cruise passes the illuminated shrine and Great Torii, leaving from Miyajima Pier 3, for 2,000 ¥ (about 12 €) per person; book at least two hours ahead.

Getting to Hiroshima and Miyajima

JR stands for Japan Railways, the group of national railway companies; our guide to trains and the Japan Rail Pass explains which trains the pass covers. From Kyoto, the Shinkansen runs through Osaka, which adds a little to the journey: Kyoto and Osaka are the usual starting points.

The direct boat from Peace Memorial Park saves going back to the station: in 45 minutes it links the two sites most people see on the same day.

Visitor tax. Since 1 October 2023, the city of Hatsukaichi has charged 100 ¥ (about 1 €) per person per visit to Miyajima, collected with the boat ticket. An annual pass costs 500 ¥ (about 3 €); pre-school children are exempt.

When to go

The 1991-2020 normals of the JMA (Japan Meteorological Agency) for Hiroshima give average highs of 19.8 °C in April, 24.4 °C in May, 23.7 °C in October and 17.7 °C in November. Summer is hot: 30.9 °C in July and 32.8 °C in August. In January the average high drops to 9.9 °C. Spring and autumn remain the most pleasant seasons for walking in the park and climbing Mount Misen; our guide to seasons and cherry blossom gives flowering dates.

Where to stay: two ryokan in our selection

A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, where you sleep on futons (mattresses laid on the tatami) and dinner is often kaiseki, a seasonal meal of many courses. Both addresses in Umika's selection have an onsen, a hot-spring bath; our onsen guide covers the etiquette.

Iwaso, on the island

Iwaso was founded in 1854 at the mouth of the Momijidani valley, 300 m and a three-minute walk from the shrine. Its 38 Japanese rooms are spread between the wooden main building, a 1981 annex with a lift, and four wooden pavilions (hanare) built between 1924 and 1952 beside the stream. The Wakamiya onsen has, on both the women's and the men's side, an indoor pool and an open-air bath facing the forest, open from 3 pm to midnight and from 6 to 9.30 am. The kaiseki dinner follows the seasons: Miyajima oysters in winter, conger eel. A free shuttle meets guests at the pier, on request by phone, from 8 am to 8 pm.

KAI Miyajima, facing the island

KAI Miyajima, a 54-room ryokan from the Hoshino Resorts group, opened on 23 July 2026 on the Miyajimaguchi shore. Every room looks out to the island. On the top floor, the onsen's open-air bath seems to run into the sea; four suites of about 100 m² have their own open-air bath. Each evening, a shirabyoshi dance from the Heian period accompanies the story of the shrine, at no extra charge. A boat leaves for Miyajima from the pier next to the hotel, on reservation.

How long to stay

A day is enough for Hiroshima and half a day for the shrine; you need a night on the spot to see the island in the evening and ride up Mount Misen in the morning. Two nights cover both without hurrying. Our idea Kyoto, Miyajima and the art islands in 10 days spends two nights at Iwaso, then goes on to Setoda and Naoshima on the Seto Inland Sea. The Japan page covers all the regions.