Green, friendly and truly at peace: Why Hiroshima is so much more than its tragic past

“What’s it like to live in Hiroshima?”

It’s a question we’re often asked. Many people, aware of the city’s tragic past, imagine it’s a grim, grey place. However, as the heads of state attending this year’s G7 Summit (19-21 May) will have discovered, Hiroshima is a bright, friendly city, full of delightful surprises.

Sandwiched between the Chugoku Mountains and the Seto Inland Sea, Hiroshima is called the City of Water for the seven rivers which run through it, carving the city into a series of islands (Hiroshima means “wide island”). These multiple waterways give Hiroshima a spacious, uncluttered feel, with miles of green riverbanks for jogging, cycling or just contemplating the world from a riverside café.

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Hiroshima is also known as the City of Peace. After the atom bomb obliterated it on 6 August 1945, Hiroshima wasn’t simply rebuilt. Under the 1949 Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law, it was reimagined as a Peace Memorial City, “to symbolise the… sincere pursuit of genuine and lasting peace.” It’s an ideal that’s still very close to the hearts of Hiroshima’s residents, and a major factor in the Japanese government’s choice of Hiroshima as G7 venue.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, or A-Bomb Dome, is Hiroshima’s most visited monument, and one of the city’s two World Heritage Sites. The dome, on the banks of the Motoyasu River in downtown Hiroshima, is all that remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Exhibition Hall. Its ruins have been preserved as an expression of hope for the eradication of nuclear weapons.

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On the opposite bank lies Peace Memorial Park, a 120,000sqm parkland with over 60 peace-related monuments and facilities, most notably Peace Memorial Museum, which graphically conveys the devastation caused by nuclear weapons; a must-see for any visitor.

Hiroshima’s other Heritage Site is Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, a five-minute ferry ride from Hiroshima. It’s one of Japan’s Top Three Beautiful Views. The whole island is sacred, which is why the iconic 16-metre-tall torii gate rises from the sea in front of the shrine, marking the boundary between the sacred and secular worlds. Miyajima is known as the island where deities and people dwell together.

Away from the shrine, most of Miyajima is primeval forest, home to macaques and deer. Hike up Mt Misen, or take the ropeway, for spectacular views of the Inland Sea’s misty maze of islands.

Despite the ever-present throng of tourists led by flag-waving guides, Miyajima never loses its magical air. Just be careful with the deer that loll around the streets: very cute, but they’ll snatch your bag before you can say “selfie.” To savour the stillness of Miyajima after everyone has left, stay at one of the ryokan (traditional inns). Particularly peaceful is the Iwaso, set in the heart of the Momiji Dani maple forest near the shrine.

Locals also love Miyajima for its scrumptious food. (The restaurants all have window displays featuring realistic reproductions of their dishes, so don’t worry if you don’t know your kaki-don from your yakisoba.) Miyajima’s main specialty is oysters. Hiroshima has been farming them since the 1500s and produces 25,000-30,000 tons of oysters a year, a staggering 70 per cent of Japan’s total production. Near the shrine, along the Omotesando street, crammed with restaurants and souvenir shops, the air is filled with the smoky tang of the succulent grilled molluscs.

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Another local delicacy is anago (conger eel). The Yasokoi restaurant, along the seafront path parallel to Omotesando, serves Hiroshima’s signature dish of okonomiyaki topped with anago, ideal fuel for a hard day’s sightseeing.

Miyajima’s sweet treat is momiji-manju: maple-leaf shaped cakes filled with chocolate, custard or azuki bean paste. In the Daikon-ya shop, see them being made on the automated conveyor belt, then munch your manju at the rear of the store while contemplating a tiny traditional Japanese garden, complete with bonsai, koi pond, stone lanterns and waterfall.

Many visitors don’t get beyond the A-bomb dome and Miyajima, which is a shame. Hiroshima has plenty more surprises. Like the two temples at Mitaki and Fudoin, historic buildings that were protected from the bombing by the hilly terrain. At Mitaki, stroll past a 16th-century pagoda, up the hill through dense woodland, past three waterfalls (Mitaki means Three Falls) to the 9th-century temple at the top. Stop for macha and cake at the little teahouse built on stilts over a koi pond, half-hidden in the maple forest. Beyond the temple lies a shady forest of towering bamboo; and it’s just two stops from Hiroshima Station.

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As for Fudoin, its ornate main gate dates from 1594. Older still are the two fearsome-looking Nio guardians standing either side of the gate, nearly three metres tall and carved in cypress. The temple’s main hall, the largest surviving one of its kind in Japan, is a National Treasure and dates from 1540.

Elsewhere, get in touch with your inner Zen at Shukkeien Garden, a sublime downtown refuge in the shade of the skyscrapers. It was built in 1620 by Ueda Soko, a samurai warrior turned Buddhist monk, tea-master and landscape gardener. Monthly tea ceremonies celebrate the seasonal flowers and foliage, while the adjacent Prefectural Art Museum is also worth a visit.

A few minutes’ walk from Shukkeien stands Hiroshima Castle. At the end of the 16th century, it was the heart of Hiroshima castle town. The reconstructed version is still cherished by local people as a symbol of the city’s resurgence. Stroll around the ample gardens and carp-filled moat as you admire the castle’s imposing design, then climb to the top and enjoy the view.

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For an unforgettable daytrip, cycle across the sea and discover life in the slow lane on Japan’s rural islands. The Shimanami Kaido (literally “Island-Wave-Sea Way”) is a stunning 40-mile road-and-bridge route that links the main islands of Honshu and Shikoku. It traverses six smaller islands, with cycle and pedestrian lanes all the way. It starts 56 miles east of Hiroshima in the historic port town of Onomichi.

With all this on offer and G7 putting it back in the spotlight, don’t be surprised if 2023 is the year when people finally discover the real Hiroshima.

ANA and JAL fly to Hiroshima from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (80 minutes), or take the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo (four hours) or Osaka (90 minutes).

In the heart of Hiroshima, the elegant RIHGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima lies just a few minutes’ walk from Peace Park, Hiroshima Castle and the bustling Hondori shopping arcade, and has outstanding views of the city and the Inland Sea.

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