How to get from the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle! Detailed information with photos and maps

Many people who travel to Hiroshima probably go to Peace Memorial Park first.

After seeing Peace Memorial Museum, the Cenotaph, and the Atomic Bomb Dome, many people may think, “Hiroshima Castle seems to be close by, so let’s go there.

This article explains how to get to Hiroshima Castle from the Atomic Bomb Dome in an easy-to-understand manner.

Hiroshima Castle is only 1 km away in a straight line, and we hope you will visit Hiroshima Castle as well as the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park. We hope you will visit Hiroshima Castle as well as the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, and feel the country of Aki during the reign of Terumoto Mori.

As we will explain in more detail later, you can basically walk from the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle, but you can also choose to take a bus from Hiroshima Castle to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park.

First of all, please see the map below.

First, a map from the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle

Please take a look at the map I made for the area I will mainly explain in this article. (The text may be difficult to read on a smartphone, but we hope you can enlarge it.)

Hiroshima Castle is located to the north of the Atomic Bomb Dome, about 1,000 meters from the Dome to the Omotegomon Gate, about a 15-minute walk. It is a 3 or 4 minute walk to the castle tower after passing through the Omote-gomon gate, so you should expect a total walk of about 20 minutes.

What is the access from the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle?

Unfortunately, there is no direct bus or train line from the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle.

It is about 1 km, so basically walking is the best choice unless you have a limp. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, you can reach the castle tower in 20 minutes at an average speed.

However, there is another way to get there by train, although it is a longer way, so I will tell you about that too. You can also take a cab.

So, here is the process,

There are four ways to get to Hiroshima Castle on foot.
(4) If you want to go from Hiroshima Castle to the Atomic Bomb Dome, you can use a bus called Meiplup, which is a round trip bus for tourists.

From the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle 1 : How to go on foot

I think this is the most usual route.

I will show you how to get there with photos.

1 Cross the pedestrian crossing from the Atomic Bomb Dome to the north side

Start from the Atomic Bomb Dome.

If you turn 180 degrees from the location in the photo above, it looks like this. Go left and cross the main street (Aioi-dori).

There is a pedestrian crossing right after you cross the street (at the “Atomic Bomb Dome-mae” tram stop). Cross there.

After crossing the street, walk right (east direction) along the street.

2 Walk along Aioi-dori to the Kamiyacho intersection.

Walk straight along the street (called “Aioi-dori”) for about 300 meters. After walking for a while, the streetcar will come to the “Kamiyacho Nishi” stop, and beyond that you will see two large EDION buildings.

You will hit a large intersection. This is the Kamiyacho intersection. (There is no pedestrian crossing here. (There are no pedestrian crossings here; all crossings are underground). Sogo Hiroshima is on the left corner of this intersection.

Turn left at the corner of Sogo Hiroshima.

3 Walk along Koijo Dori to the underpass in front of Hiroshima Castle.

Turn left at the corner of Sogo and walk straight past “Hiroshima Bus Center (Aqua Hiroshima Center-gai)” and “Paseira”. (This north-south street is Koijo Dori)

After walking for a while, you will come to a large traffic light, cross it.

Beyond that, there is an underpass to Hiroshima Castle.

This is the underpass. It is about 400 meters from the corner of Sogo to here.

4 Go left on the underpass to the Omotegomon gate of Hiroshima Castle.

At the end of the underpass is a T-shape, and you can go to the castle either left or right.

The information board says Hiroshima Castle is on the left.

So, let’s go left. (I will also tell you the pattern of going right later.)

Turn left and exit the underpass. After leaving the underpass, walk a little to the right, and you will see a bridge to cross.

This is a photo taken from another angle. The entrance to the underpass is not in the picture, but you can see the whole picture better this way.

After crossing the bridge, you will enter the Omote-gomon gate and then the Ninomaru area.

5 From Ninomaru, pass in front of Gokoku Shrine to the castle tower.

After this, you may go left or right, but if you follow the path, you will naturally come to the vicinity of Gokoku Shrine.

You will see a shrine on your left. This is the Hiroshima Gokoku-jinja Shrine.

You will pass in front of Hiroshima Gokoku-jinja Shrine. Of course, it would be wonderful to visit Hiroshima Castle after praying here!

There is a store selling drinks, etc., and to the right of the store is a staircase.

At the top of the stairs is a large park-like area. The castle keep can be seen on the left (circled by a square), although it may be difficult to see between the trees.

The castle tower is now clearly visible. Go up the stairs and you will arrive at the park. The building on the left is a restroom. Please use this building.

You will arrive at the castle after climbing 20 or so stairs! (*^o^*)

When you enter the building, there is a reception desk for visitors. At this time, there were about 10 visitors, including foreigners.

I walked this route and took a video. Please enjoy it if you like. (7 minutes and 40 seconds in real time)

I said at the beginning that “the right side is Jonan Street”, but of course it was a mistake to say “the left side”. I am embarrassed…( _ )
I’m sorry for the noise, but there was construction work going on under the castle tower at the time of the interview.

Walking to the right through the underground passageway

In the previous explanation, we went left at the end of the underground passage, but you can also go right to the castle. Here is a brief explanation of how to get there.

First, go to the right at the end of the underpass.

You can also go to the right after exiting the underpass and continue on the main street (Jonan Dori), buthere I will describe the way to go straight and follow the path by the moat.This is a shorter route than via the main street, and the scenery is also better.

So, go straight and turn left at the end of the street and take the path by the moat.

Follow the path with the moat on your left.

Monument to the remains of the 11th Infantry Regiment (on the back side)

Statue of former Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda, a native of Hiroshima Prefecture (also on the back side of the path)

You will come out behind the large torii gate of Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine. In front is the headquarters of RCC Chugoku Broadcasting Co. Turn left here to go to the castle tower.

Turn left.

Go straight ahead and up the stone steps.

It is easier to get to the castle tower from here than to go left along the underpass.

As soon as you go up the stone steps, you will see the castle tower in front of you on your right through the trees. (It is a little difficult to see in the photo, but you can see it in the area circled by a square.)

Continue walking and you will come to this spot below the castle keep.

I took a video of this route. Please enjoy it if you like.

I said at the beginning that it takes about 5 minutes to arrive at the castle, but I meant to say up to the back gate. The video is about 9 minutes and 30 seconds in total because I connected the rest of the route to the castle keep.

The route to the right through the underpass is like that.

The time in the video is shorter going left on the underground passage, but I don’t think the time required to get to the castle keep is much different when you actually walk, whether you go left or right on the underground passage.

If you go left, you will pass by the gate and Ninomaru, which gives you a sense of the castle, and if you go left, you will pass by the moat, where you can see the beautiful scenery reflected in the water.

From the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle 2: By streetcar

If you take a streetcar, the stop for the tram is “Atomic Bomb Dome-mae.

One way to get on the tram is to get off at the next stop, “Kamiyacho Nishi”, and walk from there. The distance you walk is a little less, but it is about 250 meters between the two stops, so I don’t think it makes much sense.

The other way is a very long way,

Take a train bound for Hiroshima Station at “Genbaku Dome-mae” and get off at “Hatchobori”, the second stop
→ Move to “Hatchobori” of Hakushima line and take a train bound for Hakushima and get off at “Shukkeien-mae”, the second stop
→ Walk from Shukkeien-mae to the back gate

This is the pattern.

I drew a diagram. It looks like this.

When you get off the train at Hatchobori, tell the driver or conductor that you want to transfer to the Shiroshima Line, and they will give you a special card.

If you transfer to the Shiroshima Line, it will take about 30 minutes in total, including the waiting time, but the walking time will be much shorter.

From the Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle 3: Taking a cab

You can take a cab near the A-bomb Dome, but it is a little too close to the A-bomb Dome to take a cab.

There is no fixed cab stand near the A-bomb Dome. (There is a cab stand in front of Pasera, but it is not worth it…)

I guess you could call a cab company and ask them to come to you. Here is a list of cab companies in the city that you can call to request a taxi.

Carp Taxi TEL (082) 255-3111
Hiroshima Daiichi Kotsu TEL (082) 278-5511
Johoku Taxi TEL (082) 239-1295
Tsurumi Daiichi Kotsu TEL (082) 284-1111
Kyodo Kyokai Taxi Center TEL (082) 255-0050
Heiwa Daiichi Kotsu Corporation TEL (082) 941-0632

Reverse route, Hiroshima Castle to Atomic Bomb Dome: By bus

Fourth, I would like to mention a reverse route, “Hiroshima Castle to Atomic Bomb Dome.

The “Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle” was almost exclusively a walking route. In addition to walking, you can also use the “Meiplup” bus to go around theA-Bomb Dome. Here is a summary of those options.

1. On foot

On foot, you simply go in the reverse direction of the previous section, but I’ll write it down just in case.

• From the front or back gate, go to the underground passage in the reverse direction of how you came.
• Through the underpass, you will come to Koijo-dori (north-south street).
• Walk toward the Kamiyacho intersection, and when you reach the intersection, walk right for about 6 minutes to the A-bomb Dome-mae stop.
• Cross the pedestrian crossing and you will see the A-bomb Dome immediately on your right. Peace Park is just beyond.

2. by “Meipulu~pu

Meipuru-Pu, a city sightseeing bus operated by JR Chugoku Bus, has a stop at the back gate of Hiroshima Castle, near the Otorii Gate.

Meipuru-Pu has three routes, and two of them stop here: the lemon route and the orange route.

Both are circular routes and can be used for “Hiroshima Castle to Atomic Bomb Dome ” as they go from Hiroshima Station through Hiroshima Castle toward the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Park.

The stops are as follows: “Hiroshima Castle (in front of Gokoku Shrine)” → “Hiroshima Museum of Art (in front of Shimin Hospital)” → “Kamiya-cho” → “Atomic Bomb Dome Mae” → “Peace Park (in front of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum)”.

Meiplup does not go to Miyajima, but it can take you to other sightseeing spots in the center of Hiroshima City. 220 yen (adult) per ride is the same as other city buses, but 400 yen (adult) allows unlimited rides for one day, so it is a good value.

Other facilities and stores you can enjoy in this area

Here is a brief introduction of facilities where you can enjoy eating, shopping, and learning in the area mentioned in this article.

Orizuru Tower

This facility is located just east of the Atomic Bomb Dome. On the first floor, there is a café and a variety of Hiroshima products for sale.
Hours: 10:00-18:00, Observation Deck and Product Center

Pasela

A commercial facility located inside Motomachi Credo, which is owned by NTT. There are fashion and interior stores, fitness studios, etc., as well as a very extensive restaurant area.
Business hours: 10:00-20:00 for merchandise stores and 11:00-22:00 for restaurants (basic hours vary from store to store)

Hiroshima Museum of Art

The Hiroshima Museum of Art is located in the Central Park and opened in the fall of 1978. It houses and holds exhibitions of French Impressionists, Van Gogh, Picasso, and modern Japanese Western-style paintings.
Hours : 9:00-17:00 Closed: No holidays
Adults: 1000 yen, University and high school students: 500 yen, Elementary and junior high school students: 200 yen

Sogo Hiroshima Store

Sogo Hiroshima Store is a historic department store that opened in 1974. Unfortunately, the new building will be closed at the end of August. The main building will also be remodeled and downsized in the future.
Hours of operation: 10:00-19:30
B2F, B1F and 1st floor of the main building until 20:00
Restaurant area on the 10th floor of the main building 11:00-22:00 *Last orders and hours of operation vary by store.

EDION Hiroshima Main Store (Main Building and New Building)

The Hiroshima main store of electronics retailer EDION is located near the Kamiyacho intersection.
Hours: Monday-Friday (10:00-20:00), Saturday, Sunday, and holidays (10:00-20:00)

Hiroshima Gate Park

The site where the Hiroshima Municipal Baseball Stadium, home of the Hiroshima Carp, once stood has been redeveloped into a civic park called “Hiroshima Gate Park” in the spring of 2023. It is expected to be used for various events, exhibitions, exchanges, etc. in the future.

Hondori Shopping Street

This arcade stretches approximately 600 meters from east to west across the Hondori streetcar stop. It is a pedestrian-only shopping street in the center of Hiroshima, lined with fashion stores, restaurants, cafes, karaoke rooms, and many other stores.

Summary

I have written about how to get to Hiroshima Castle from the Atomic Bomb Dome.

Basically, it is on foot, but if you go along the main street, the way is easy to find.

If you have a limp, it is better to go from Hiroshima Castle to Atomic Bomb Dome than from Atomic Bomb Dome to Hiroshima Castle, and use “Meipulu~pu”.