Hiroshima – 広島

Visit on the Taste of Japan Tour

October 22–24, 2026

City of Peace

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Culture & Local Life

Hiroshima carries its history with a dignity that silences most visitors. The Peace Memorial Park and Museum deserve genuine time — not a rushed visit — and the city has made an extraordinary case for reconstruction as act of hope.

Beyond the peace sites, Hiroshima is a surprisingly lively, locally proud city with a fierce regional food culture and, in Saijo (just 30 minutes east), one of Japan’s three great sake brewing regions.

The Ekinishi district — a network of alleyways beneath the train station — offers some of the most authentic after-dark dining in western Japan.

Culinary Specialties

一 Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki お好み焼き · Savoury layered pancake

Fundamentally different from Osaka’s version — rather than mixing ingredients into batter, Hiroshima-style is layered: crepe, cabbage mountain, bean sprouts, pork belly, yakisoba noodles, egg. Built up like a construction project and cooked flat. The Okosta building houses 25 vendors across two floors.

二 Hiroshima Oysters 広島牡蠣 · Japan’s oyster capital

Hiroshima produces 60% of Japan’s oysters, farmed in the mineral-rich Seto Inland Sea. October to March is peak season — the oysters are larger, creamier, and more intensely flavoured than summer. The oyster huts at Peace Park are ramshackle and perfect: charcoal-grilled and eaten with lemon and ponzu.

三 Saijo Sake 西条酒 · Soft-water brewed sake

Saijo’s sake is shaped by its exceptionally soft underground water, producing elegant, delicate sake quite different from the richer Nada style. Eight breweries within walking distance offer tastings; the toji (master brewers) are often available for conversation in October, between batches.

Off The Beaten Path

一 Miyajima Island at low tide

The famous floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine reveals its barnacled base at low tide — check the schedule and walk out to it. The island also has freely wandering deer and, in October, a crimson maple corridor behind Daisho-in Temple almost nobody photographs.

二 Onomichi by train

A 40-minute run east brings you to one of Japan’s most cinematic small cities — a hillside port town of narrow temple paths, cats, and an artist community that has colonised its many abandoned houses. The local ramen (with a distinct soy-seafood broth) is worth the trip alone.

三 Ekinishi midnight ramen

The warren of alleyways directly under and around Hiroshima Station operates primarily after 10pm. Half a dozen tiny ramen and yakitori counters serve the after-work crowd. Cash only, standing room sometimes, entirely unforgettable.