The most famous places in Hiroshima are Miyajima, Peace Memorial Park, and the Mazda Stadium of the Hiroshima Carp…. Hiroshima Castle is the most popular place in Hiroshima. It always attracts many tourists, especially on Saturdays and Sundays.
Hiroshima Castle was built by Terumoto Mori, a warlord of the Warring States period, and although the present castle was rebuilt after the war due to the atomic bombing, it evokes the atmosphere of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods.
You can go up to the castle tower and Ninomaru, and there are various special exhibitions, which are especially enjoyable for history buffs and castle lovers.
This area has a lot of greenery and a large moat, making it a very nice environment. Many people enjoy walking or running around the castle. Yet, it is close to the city center, so it can be enjoyed in combination with dining and shopping.
MacckeyOn a personal note, I lived about 10 minutes from here for about 20 years. I love this area!
I recently went there for the first time in a long time and took some photos, so I would like to show you those and also give you a summary and detailed information about transportation access from JR Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle, as well as access to Hiroshima Castle from other major points.
Where is Hiroshima Castle located? What is the nearest station?
First of all, Hiroshima Castle is located in the center of Hiroshima City, slightly north of the center of Naka Ward.
Please see the map below for a rough access map centered on Hiroshima Castle. (Entrance A [Omote-gomon] and B [Ura-gomon] will be explained later.
When I say “nearest station,” I have a few ideas.
- JR Hiroshima Station
- JR Shin-Hakushima Station
- Hiroshima Electric Railway “Kamiyacho Nishi” or “Kamiyacho Higashi” on Hiroshima City Tram
- Hiroshima Electric Railway Hakushima Line “Shukkeien-mae” (Shukkeien-mae)
- Hiroshima Castle (Gokoku-jinja-mae) Circulation Bus
- Hiroshima City Bus “Shimin Byoin Mae” or “Kencho Mae
Hiroshima Prefectural Government Office
Detailed individual directions are given in the next section, but here is a brief overview of each access method, the time required, and the fees.
The order is what I think is the most common way to get there.
It takes 4 to 5 minutes from Omote-gomon and Ura-gomon to the castle tower. The time from the alighting station to the castle tower is listed.
*Prices are current as of September 2023.
- 1 ) Take the streetcar to “Kamiyacho Nishi” and walk
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From Hiroshima Station on the Hiroshima Electric Railway, take the streetcar to the “Kamiyacho Nishi” stop in 15 minutes. It is a 14 or 5 minute walk north to the keep. (Fare: Adults 220 yen, Children 110 yen)
- ( 2 ) Take the streetcar to “Hatchobori” and transfer to the Hakushima Line to get off at “Shukkeien-mae” stop and walk
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From Hiroshima Station, take the Hiroshima Electric Railway tram to the Hacchobori stop (9 minutes), transfer to the Hakushima Line and get off at the second stop, Sh ukkeien-mae (3 minutes), and walk west for about 8 minutes to the castle tower. (Fare: 220 yen for adults, 110 yen for children *When you first get off the bus at Hatchobori, tell the crew that you are transferring to the Shirajima Line.)
- (3) From the North Exit of the station, take the “Meipuru-Pu “ circular bus.
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From the North Exit of Hiroshima Station, take the orange route or the lemon route of the “Meipuru-Pu” bus circulation system to “Hiroshima Castle (Gokoku Jinja-mae)” (6 minutes). From there, it is a 5-minute walk to the castle tower. (Fare: Adults 240 yen, Children 120 yen)
- (4) By city bus from the bus terminal at the south exit of the station
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You can also take the city bus from the bus terminal at the south exit of Hiroshima Station. There are many buses, but they stop at “Kencho-mae” and other locations, which are slightly farther away than Meipulu~pu (15 minutes by bus, 9 minutes on foot). (15 minutes by bus, 9 minutes on foot) (Fare: Adults 240 yen, Children 120 yen)
- (5) Go to the JR Shin-Hakushima Station next door. Get off the bus and walk
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From JR Hiroshima Station, take the Sanyo Main Line to Shin-Shirashima, one stop west of the station, for 3 minutes. From there it is a 12 or 3 minute walk south. The course takes you through a quiet residential area and out behind Hiroshima Castle. There is nothing special about this place, but I like it very much. (Fare: JR, 150 yen for adults, 80 yen for children)
- (6) Take a cab to Hiroshima Castle (North or South Exit)
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Go directly from the cab stand at the North or South Exit of Hiroshima Station. The ride will take 6-7 minutes. (Fare: about 900 yen)
- (7) On foot from Hiroshima Bus Center, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Peace Memorial Park
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It is often the case that you want to go from the Hiroshima Bus Center, the Atomic Bomb Dome or Peace Memorial Park. It depends on where you are walking from, but if you are going from the Atomic Bomb Dome, it will take about 15 to 20 minutes on foot. The Hiroshima Bus Center is on the way, and from there it is only a 5-6 minute walk to the entrance of Hiroshima Castle.
- (8) All on foot
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If you like walking, you may want to walk from JR Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle. It takes about 25 to 30 minutes on foot (about 1.5 km).
Let me explain in the following order.
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 1 Take a streetcar to “Kamiyacho Nishi” and walk
The easiest way to get to Hiroshima Castle from JR Hiroshima Station is to take the Hiroshima Electric Railway streetcar and get off at “Kamiyacho Nishi” and walk around.
However, as of September 2023, a large-scale urban development project is underway at the south exit of Hiroshima Station, and the train platform is located on a temporary walkway.
This is a little confusing, so I will start from there. (If you already know this, please skip this section.)
*Everything is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2025.
When you get off the Shinkansen, there are two exit gates. One is the Shinkansen exit (North Exit) straight and slightly to the left, and the other is the Central Exit ticket gate by turning to the right on the way , passing through the “JR Line Transfer Exit” and through the station. The city trains are located at the South Exit, so take the latter route to the Central Exit.
This is a shot of the Shinkansen concourse in the direction of the exit. If you go to the right on the way out, you will find the JR line transfer exit.
Go out the central exit through the transfer exit.
Where do I get on the train? Where do I get off?
To get to Hiroshima Castle by this access method, “Kamiyacho Nishi” is the most convenient stop. (Incidentally, the next stop, “Atomic Bomb Dome-mae” is closer to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park.)
) Of the streetcars leaving Hiroshima Station, only two go to “Kamiyacho Nishi”: (2) the Hiroden bound for Miyajima-guchi or Nishi Hiroshima, and (6) the Hirodenbound for Eba.
The streetcar bound for Hiroshima Port also passes nearby, but in this case you will have to get off at “Kamiyacho Higashi” one stop earlier and cross the underpass to the west.
Do not take the bus bound for Hiroshima Port via Hijiyama (the route is completely different).
Summary.
Take the bus bound for Miyajima-guchi or Nishi Hiroshima (2) or Eba (6) and get off at Kamiyacho Nishi (…… ).
○ “Bound for Ujina (1)” …… Get off at “Kamiyacho Higashi” and go west through the underpass.
×x “Ujina bound via Hijiyama (5)” → No.
*The number is a system number. It is written on the front of the train.
How to Ride the City Trains
- Only the trains to Miyajima-guchi are double-carriages with a conductor, but the others are one-man cars, and you get on at the back and get off at the front.
- The fare is 240 yen for adults and 120 yen for children (6 to 12 years old), and up to 3 children under 6 years old ride free with one accompanying adult. (However, the fare between Hatchobori and Hakushima is extra.)
- For cash fare, please put the fare into the fare box when you get off the bus, and for IC card fare, please touch it when you get on and off the bus. IC card holders can get off at any exit where there is a machine. (You can use Hiroshima Electric Railway’s MOBIRY DAYS, ICOCA, and other transportation system IC cards, etc.)
- For tourists, Hiroshima Electric Railway offers “one-day boarding tickets” and “one-day train tickets”. These are convenient for sightseeing.
One-day boat ticket
Adults 1,000 yen, children 550 yen *No discounts for disabled persons, etc.
Unlimited rides on all Hiroden trains and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen (Miyajima-guchi to Miyajima route) for the day of purchase.
Hiroden Train One-Day Pass
Adults ¥700, Children ¥350 *No discounts for disabled persons, etc.
Unlimited rides on all Hiroden trains for the day of purchase.
Common benefits
Discount on the Miyajima Ropeway (usually 2,000 yen round trip for adults, 1,500 yen for children, and 1,000 yen round trip for children, 750 yen)
These tickets are sold by the driver or conductor on the train.
For more information about one-day passes, please visit ⇒Hiroshima Electric Railway Co.
It takes about 15 minutes from Hiroden “Hiroshima Station” to “Kamiyacho Nishi”. Please get off the train here.
In terms of the direction of train travel, there is a pedestrian crossing at the very front, so it is better to cross here (although you can also get there from the underground mall).
IC card holders can get off at any of the nearest exits. If you have a cash card, please pay at the driver’s or conductor’s station and get off the train (as of July 2025, 240 yen for adults and 120 yen for children).
At a large intersection (Kamiyacho Crossing), the building on the corner is Sogo Hiroshima Store. Turn left there and walk north.
Walk along the street with the Hiroshima Bus Center (Aqua Hiroshima Center-gai) and Pasera on your left.
After walking for a while, cross the street at the traffic light.
Walk a little further, keeping the Hiroshima Museum of Art on your left. The moat can be seen in front of you from this area.
At the end of the street is a T-junction, and pedestrians will take the underpass here. The entrance is easy to find.
After exiting the underpass, turn left (you can also go right, but left is slightly closer).
Go up the underground walkway and go outside to the immediate right.
You will soon come to a road and a gate to enter Hiroshima Castle. This is the entrance (A) on the access map (Omote-gomon). After passing through this gate, you will reach Ninomaru (second castle) and the castle tower via a flight of stone steps. It is a 7-8 minute walk from the Kamiyacho Nishi stop to the Omotegomon gate, and from there it is about a 5 minute walk to the castle tower.
Entering through the Omote-gomon gate, the ruins of the former Hiroshima Castle are turned into a large park, a place of recreation and relaxation for the citizens.
After passing Ninomaru, a short walk brings you to this view. Turning to the left, you will find the Hiroshima Gokoku-jinja Shrine.
Just past the Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine, there are stone steps. Go up these steps and Hiroshima Castle is located at the far left side of the upper plaza.
There are many trees in this area, so it is difficult to see the castle, but there are stairs on the left, and when you reach the top of the stairs, the castle stands tall before your eyes.
You can also climb up to the castle tower for a fee. Please enter the castle to see the exhibits and enjoy the castle from the inside.
*There are also two ways to enter the building: by going out the underpass to the right and proceeding along the side of the moat and entering through the back gate, or from the “Kamiyacho Higashi” stop, passing in front of the Hiroshima Municipal Hospital and entering through entrance in the access map.
We have made a video of the two ways to get to the castle tower: “From the underground passage to the left, go through the Omote-gomon gate to the castle tower” and “From the underground passage to the right, go along the path beside the moat, and go through the Uragomon gate to the castle tower. Please take a look if you like.
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 2 Take streetcar to “Hatchobori”, transfer to Shirashima line, get off at “Shukkeien-mae”, walk
Another route from Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle via streetcar is to take the Hakushima Line to “Shukkeien-mae”.
The first step is to get on the tram at Hiroshima Station, which is the same as (1), so it will be omitted.
Get off the train at “Hacchobori” on the way to Kamiyacho. At this point, tell the driver or conductor that you would like to transfer to the Hakushima Line. They will lend you a transfer card, and if you use it, you only need to pay 240 yen, including the Shirashima Line fare. (If you don’t use it, you will be charged 240 yen plus the 240 yen fare for the Shirashima Line!)
Take the second train on the Hakushima Line bound for Hakushima, get off at Shukkeien-mae, walk west for about 5 minutes to the Uramon gate, and from there it is 4 minutes to the castle tower.
This is the Shukkeien-mae stop. The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum is right in front.
Go straight across the crosswalk to the west. The large buildings of the East Tax Office and the District Court will be lined up on your right.
After walking for about 4 minutes, you will reach this traffic light. You will see a large white torii gate of Gokoku Shrine on your right.
Straight ahead through the torii gate is the moat and back gate of Hiroshima Castle, and further straight ahead is the castle tower.
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 3 Take the Meipuru-Pu circular bus from the North Exit of the station.
The “Meiplup” circular bus from JR Hiroshima Station is also recommended.
There are three routes: the Orange Route, the Green Route, and the Lemon Route.
All of them go to Kamiyacho, but the “Orange Route” and “Lemon Route” are recommended since they stay near Hiroshima Castle.
| Orange Route (via Peace Park and Art Museum) | Hiroshima Station Shinkansen Exit ⇒ Prefectural Art Museum (in front of Shukkeien) ⇒ Hiroshima Castle (in front of Gokoku Shrine) ⇒ Hiroshima Museum of Art (in front of Shimin Hospital) ⇒ Kamiyacho ⇒ A-Bomb Dome ⇒ Peace Park (in front of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum) ⇒ Hatchobori 9 Contemporary Art Museum (Manga Library) |
| Green Route (via Peace Park/Shintenchi) | Hiroshima Station Shinkansen Exit ⇒ Hatchobori (Nagaregawa Entrance) ⇒ Kamiyacho ⇒ A-bomb Dome Mae ⇒ Peace Park (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum) ⇒ Namiki Dori Entrance 15 Shintenchi ⇒ Prefectural Art Museum Mae (Shukkeien Mae) ⇒ Futaba no Sato Historical Walkway ⇒ Hiroshima Toshogu Mae |
| Lemon Route (via Peace Park) | Hiroshima Station Shinkansen Exit ⇒ In front of Prefectural Museum of Art (in front of Shukkeien) ⇒ Hiroshima Castle (in front of Gokoku Shrine) ⇒ In front of Hiroshima Museum of Art (in front of Shimin Hospital) ⇒ Kamiya-cho ⇒ In front of Atomic Bomb Dome ⇒ In front of Peace Park (in front of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum) ⇒ Namiki Dori entrance |
| Fare | 240 yen (120 yen for children) for one ride or 600 yen (300 yen for children) for a free one-day ride |
| Boarding point | North Exit of JR Hiroshima Station. The bus terminal is located on the first floor of the North Exit. The bus departs and arrives at the area closest to the station, slightly to the left, behind the cab stand. |
| Hours | Every 30 minutes from 9:00 a.m. to 10 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle. |
If you purchase a one-day pass, it is very convenient to get around major sightseeing spots and facilities in the city, such as Peace Park, Hatchobori, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, without having to change buses.
Click here for the official website of Chugoku JR Bus ⇒ ” Meipu Lupu Official Website
The bus stop at Hiroshima Station is located in front of the bus rotary on the 1st floor after exiting the North Exit (Shinkansen Exit).
The “Hiroshima Castle (Gokoku Jinja-mae)” stop is located at the traffic light at the torii gate of Gokoku Jinja, a short distance back along the road toward the Shirashima Line.
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 4 Take the city bus from the south exit terminal of the station
From the Hiroshima Station South Exit Bus Terminal (in front of Minamore on the 1st floor), you can take Hiroshima Dentetsu, Hiroshima Bus, or Hiroshima Kotsu city buses to the Kamiyacho area, but the closest bus stops to Hiroshima Castle are “Shimin Byoin Mae” or “Kencho Mae”.
Hiroshima Bus 22-1 bound for Oshiba-machi (get off at “Shimin Byoin-mae” stop)
Hiroshima Dentetsu Bus Line 2 bound for Kencho-mae (“Kencho-mae” stop)
Hiroshima Dentetsu Bus Line 4 bound for Kencho-mae (“Kencho-mae” alighting)
The following buses may be convenient.
Fare: 240 yen (120 yen for children)
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 5 Take the JR train one stop to Shinshirashima. Get off the train and walk
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, you can also take the Sanyo Main Line and get off at Shin-Shirashima Station, next to Hiroshima Station, and walk.
It is not too far to walk to Hiroshima Castle from here (although it takes 12 or 3 minutes). (Although it does take 12 or 3 minutes…).
Board a downbound Sanyo Honsen train (e.g., bound for Iwakuni) at platform 1 of Hiroshima Station’s conventional train line. Shin Hakushima is right next and takes about 3 minutes.
Fare: 150 yen (70 yen for children)
After getting off at Shin Hakushima Station, walk straight south. Walking along the main street is the easiest way to find it. It will be from the opposite direction from coming from Kamiyacho.
After walking for 5 or 6 minutes, you will see the moat and the castle. The entrance is just a few steps away.
Walking along the moat with the castle on your left, you will find the entrance to the underground walkway. Enter here and walk to the left along the underground walkway to the place mentioned in 1) above.
The walk may be a little long, but it is a good way to take a walk.
If you do not want to walk too much, you can change to the Astram Line at JR Shin-Hakushima Station and get off at the next station “Johoku” or the next station “Kencho-mae”, which is more or less closer, but then I think “from Kamiyacho Nishi by streetcar” is better.
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 6 By Taxi (North and South Exits)
Of course, you can take a cab to get there easily (laugh). It takes about 10 minutes to get there.
Cabs can be taken from either the Shinkansen exit (North Exit) or the conventional train exit (South Exit), but it is better to take a cab from the North Exit because it is closer to Hiroshima Castle and the South Exit is currently (as of July 2023) undergoing large-scale construction and there are few cars there.
The photo below shows the cab stand at the North Exit. When you exit the North Exit on the first floor, the cab stand is on your left, in front of the Hotel Granvia.
Fare: Approximately 1,000 yen.
This photo shows the cab stand at the south exit of the station, which was built before the opening of the minamoa station building at the south exit in March of this year. It is a little confusing, but the boarding area is on the right side of the photo.
From Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle 7 All on foot
You can of course walk to Hiroshima Castle from JR Hiroshima Station, although this will be limited to those who are confident on their feet.
I actually tried it the other day, and it took me 25 minutes to walk from the Central Gate of JR Hiroshima Station to the castle keep on my own feet.
I think this route is not so bad, since there are also the famous sightseeing spots such as “Shukkei-en Garden” and the Prefectural Museum of Art along the way.
We are working on a separate article on this, which will be linked from here when it is completed.
From Hiroshima Bus Center, Atomic Bomb Dome, or Peace Memorial Park?
Lastly, how do I get there from Hiroshima Bus Center, Atomic Bomb Dome, or Peace Memorial Park?
We have included a partial excerpt from the map at the beginning of this article. The location of each point of interest and Hiroshima Castle is shown on this map.
The Hiroshima Bus Center is located just southwest of Hiroshima Castle, and the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park are further southwest.
The tram stop “Atomic Bomb Dome-mae” can be seen on the left of the pedestrian crossing. Cross there and turn right (east).
Turn left at the corner of Sogo Hiroshima Store (Kamiya-cho intersection) toward Hiroshima Castle. The rest of the way will be the same as (1).
Please refer to this article for a detailed explanation of how to get to Hiroshima Castle from the Atomic Bomb Dome.
History of Hiroshima Castle
Last but not least, I would like to briefly touch on the history of Hiroshima Castle.
Hiroshima Castle was built in 1589 (Tensho 17) during the Azuchi-Momoyama period by Terumoto Mori, grandson of the famous war lord Motonari Mori. Later, in the Edo period (1603-1867), Fukushima Masanori replaced Mori, and later the lord of the castle was transferred to Asano Nagaakira, and the Asano family has flourished as the lord of the castle ever since.
During World War II, most of the castle was destroyed by an atomic bomb. The present one was built in 1958 to recreate the shape of the old days.
The current castle site park is inside the former inner moat, and the castle actually had a large site outside of it.
The path around the moat is good for walking and jogging. Hiroshima Castle is very beautiful from here.
We encourage you to walk here as well.
The official website of Hiroshima Castle is here.
Closing of Hiroshima Castle Keep
As reported on the official website and in the news, the keep of Hiroshima Castle will be closed next year on March 22, 2026 (Sunday).
The original castle tower, built in the Azuchi-Momoyama period, was destroyed by the atomic bombing in 1945, and the current tower was restored in 1958. Since then, it has been a symbol of Hiroshima City’s reconstruction and has been loved by many tourists from Japan and abroad as well as local residents.
However, nearly 70 years have passed since its restoration, and the castle has become dilapidated and earthquake-proof, so it was decided to close the castle.
They are aiming to dismantle it and restore it in its original wooden structure. We have no idea when that will be, but we look forward to seeing it again someday.
Various events are being planned at the keep before it closes. Also, the materials currently on display in the keep will be moved to the history museum currently under construction in the San-no-maru area. We hope you will visit the keep before March 22, 2026!
How to get to Peace Park and Miyajima from Hiroshima Castle
As an added bonus, here is a brief description of how to get from Hiroshima Castle to Peace Memorial Park and from Hiroshima Castle to Miyajima.
From Hiroshima Castle to Peace Memorial Park
To go to Peace Memorial Park from Hiroshima Castle is the reverse of 1).
Go south on the main street to the Kamiya-cho intersection. One stop west of the Kamiyacho Nishi stop is the A-Bomb Dome-mae stop.
It is not far, so we recommend that you continue walking. It is about a 15-minute walk from Hiroshima Castle to the Atomic Bomb Dome. Peace Memorial Park extends south from there.
From Hiroshima Castle to Miyajima
This is also the easiest way to get to Miyajima by returning to Kamiyacho Nishi and taking the “Miyajima-guchi” city train from here.
It takes about 50 minutes from Kamiyacho Nishi to Miyajima-guchi without changing trains. Once you get off at the last stop, Miyajimaguchi, the ferry crossing to Miyajima is just a short walk away.
There is also a direct route to Miyajima from near the A-bomb Dome. Please refer to this article if you would like to know more.
Hiroshima Castle is just a short walk from Kamiya-cho in the center of Hiroshima. You can also visit Gokoku Shrine at the same location, admire art at the Hiroshima Museum of Art, and enjoy shopping at Pasela and Hondori. Please visit us for a day off. (*^▽^*)
MacckeyPlease enjoy the town of Hiroshima!
Here is a list of Hiroshima-related articles in this blog. You can jump to each article from here, including sightseeing spots in Hiroshima, if you like.
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