Making the most of Hiroshima
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
The new cruise-ship dock is in an industrial area about 3km from the city centre. "Kaigan Dori", the nearest Street Car station, is roughly a 15-minute walk away.
Taxis are readily available, inexpensive and metered, with drivers who are invariably honest.
Take a printable map and directions with you.
Hiroshima is an industrial city with broad boulevards, intersecting rivers and a dense centre, on the Seto Inland Sea coast in Japan's western Chugoku region. Many know it for the horrific split second on August 6, 1945, when the world's first atomic bomb attack took place there; today it is a modern, cosmopolitan city with excellent food and nightlife.
Getting around
Hiroshima is Japan's last major city with an extensive tram, or streetcar, network. Though slow, it is reliable. Older rattle-traps and newer "Green Movers" use the same lines and fares, the only difference being ride smoothness. Take line 1 or 3 to Hondori for the city centre, or line 3 to Genbaku Dome-Mae for Peace Park; a scenic ferry also serves the park.
Sightseeing buses leave JR Hiroshima Station for several major sights at 9am, 10am and 1pm. Bus stops and route maps are on the shinkansen side of the station near Hotel Granvia.
On boarding a taxi, remember that the driver remotely opens and closes the vehicle's left rear door, so passengers should not operate it themselves. Taxi drivers are not tipped because service is included in the fare.
If you do not speak Japanese, or are heading somewhere not well known, give the driver the precise address on paper or, better still, indicate it on a map; even local taxi drivers can find the Japanese address system confusing.
Nearby places
For Itsukushima Shrine on Miyashima Island, one of Japan's top attractions, choose either a short tram journey from the city centre to Hiroshima's Ujina port followed by a 20-minute high-speed ferry, or a longer tram ride to Hiroden-Miyajime-guchi by the ferry pier and a 10-minute water trip. Set aside at least three to four hours for the island visit.
Food and shopping
Okonomiyaki is a traditional Japanese savoury dish, sometimes called "Japanese Pancake" or "Japanese Pizza", though it is closer to an omelette or frittata than a pancake. It combines okonomiyaki flour, eggs, cabbage, pork (bacon), shrimp or other seafood, then is topped with condiments including sweet sauce (Okonomi Sauce), mayonnaise, dried seaweed and dried fish flakes.
Money
Japan's currency is the yen, with ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 notes and ¥500, ¥100, ¥50, ¥10, ¥5 and ¥1 coins.
ATMs in Japan are increasingly useful and most allow withdrawals from overseas accounts; post offices have ATMs too. Major credit cards work at most urban stores and restaurants, but carry enough cash for rural areas. Japan remains strongly cash-based, and some stores, hotels and restaurants refuse cards regardless of location.
Do not tip: it is considered rude.
Staying connected
Customer WiFi cafes are appearing throughout the country. Costs differ: some coffee shops provide free Wi-Fi, while others charge hourly for cable-enabled PCs.
Opening Hours and
Japanese shops and department stores generally open every day, including national holidays except New Year's, from 10:00 or 10:30am until 7:30 or 8:00pm. Some specialist shops close Sundays and national holidays. Department stores may close irregularly one day a week, but because each store has different closing days, open shops can always be found.
Japan's public holidays.