Hiroshima

Hiroshima

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園, Hiroshima heiwa kinen kōen)

  The must visit place to visit in Hiroshima. This park includes the A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム, Genbaku Dōmu), where the Americans dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. There is a beautiful park to see, and an amazing museum with many relics from when the bomb killed up to 200,000 people.

• No no budō (野の葡萄)

  One of the best natural food buffets you are likely to find in Japan. Cost ¥1,500 - ¥2,000 depending on the time you go. Homepage

Higashi Hiroshima

• Unmonosato (雲母の里)

  A super sento (スーパー銭湯) with many baths and two rotemburos! Also includes an electric bath (電気風呂). Located in Kurose. Homepage.

• Tamatsubaki no Yu (玉椿の湯)

  Another super sento with various baths, rotemburos, sauna, ganban'yoku, and 2 other types of hot rooms where you lay down in your yukata (岩塩房 and 黄土房).　Homepage.

Kure City

• Kure Beer (呉ビール)

  The local beer in Kure. This is the nicest beer in Japan!! It has a very short shelf life. From bottling it has a 21 day life. They do deliver to Tohoku! Homepage

Onomichi(尾道)

• Onomichi Sea-road(尾道海道)

  Ever wanted to bike from Hiroshima to Shikoku? Here's your excuse. This biking path starts in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, Honshu and takes you over 6 islands and crosses over into Imabari, Ehime prefecture, Shikoku. You cross the islands over a series of bridges. Total biking distance is 70km. It's possible to do this as a day trip, biking about half way and then taking the ferry back to Hiroshima, or to turn it into a multi-day trip and take in the sights on some of the islands. Bike and scooter rentals are available. All the info you'll need to make this most-excellent adventure, is available on the city's home page

• Onomichi Pirates Castle

  TEL:0848-24-0936
  This castle was once home to the Murakami Pirates that raided the area between the Muromachi era and Sengoku era. Lots of pirate relics to be seen inside. If your're a real pirate freak you love this next one.

• Onomichi Pirate Festival

  A 3 part festival consisting of boat races, fireworks, parades, and something to do with groups of people holding enormous burning torches. Part 1(Island festival) happens in the end of July and parts 2(Fire Festival) and 3(Ocean Festival) are held in the end of August.

• Onomichi ramen

  This ramen is supposed to be "famous," but every shop seems to have a different take on it, so it's tough to nail down which one is the "famous" one. Unless of course its famous for being widely varied, in which case Onomichi just blew my mind.

See also

• Hiroshima JET newsletter