From the ticket gate at Hiroshima Station, head to Ekie Dining! Here’re photos of how to get there

Okonomiyaki, oyster dishes, fish dishes from the Seto Inland Sea, soup-less noodles…etc. There are many local gourmet delicacies here in Hiroshima.

For those who come to Hiroshima City on business or on vacation, eating such local delicacies is a great pleasure.

If you go to Hacchobori or Shintenchi in the center of Hiroshima City, you can find many long-established restaurants and classic recommendations, but sometimes you may want to eat at Hiroshima Station because you don’t have time due to connections. However, there may be times when you want to eat at Hiroshima Station because you don’t have time to make a connection.

In that case, ekie, a commercial facility directly connected to the North Exit of Hiroshima Station, is the best choice!

EKIE has various areas for souvenirs, general merchandise, side dishes, etc., but there are 16 restaurants including snacks in the “Ajisai Dori” and “Ekie Bar” areas on the second floor, and 24 restaurantsin the “Ekie Dining” and “Ekie Dining Terrace” areas on the first floor.

This picture shows the main entrance to Ekie Dining on the first floor, which can be reached from the Shinkansen (North) or Chuo Exit ticket gates of JR Hiroshima Station in less than two minutes if you do not get lost.

However, I wrote “if you don’t get lost” because the location of the ticket gate and the stairs to Ekie Dining may be a little confusing for first-time visitors.

So, in this article, we will tell you how to get to Ekie Dining on the 1st floor after getting off the Shinkansen as clearly as possible. (I will also mention Ekie Bar on the 2nd floor, though it will be a sub-point.)

How to get to Ekie Dining on the 1st floor of EKIE after getting off the Shinkansen at Hiroshima Station.

First of all, please see a simple diagram of Hiroshima Station and EKIE.

The Shinkansen concourse is on the second floor (upper left of the diagram, in blue).

EKIE is right across the North-South Free Passage and has three entrances. For the purpose of this article, we will use “Entrance 1” and “Entrance 2” from the south exit side, and “Entrance 3” from the north exit side.

Ekie Dining and Ekie Dining Terrace are on the first floor of EKIE, so you have to go downstairs or down the escalator. Ekie Bar is on the 2nd floor of EKIE (same floor as the free passageway).

Below are three ways to get there (1), (2), and (3).

【① in the diagram
Go out from the Shinkansen ticket gate and take the stairs on the right to the 1st floor to the entrance of Ekie Dining.

Assuming you are coming by Shinkansen. This is the concourse of Shinkansen Hiroshima Station. Go straight and slightly to the left is the ticket gate of the Shinkansen exit (North Exit).

And if you look at the front of the station right after exiting the Shinkansen ticket gate, you will see something like this. The entrance to the left of the pillar is the entrance to EKIE (“Entrance 3” in the figure).

This is a picture looking slightly to the right from the same location. It is a little hard to see, but the area circled in red is the stairway down to the Ekie dining room on the first floor.

If you get a little closer to the stairs, you can see it like this. It is a little difficult to see from the Shinkansen ticket gate, and first-time visitors may wonder “Where are the stairs to the first floor? If you are a first time visitor, it is easy to become “Where is the stairway to the first floor?

The diagram is like this.

Then, go down the stairs to the first floor.

After you go down, you will see the word “EKIE” on the right side. This is the main entrance to Ekie Dining.

(② in the illustration).
Go out the “Central Exit” via the “Conventional Line Transfer Ticket” and godown thestairs through the North-South Free Passage.

Using the stairs is the same as (1), but I will explain how to get there from the Central Exit ticket gate. You may have a meeting with your friend at the Central Gate.

First, as before, go to the concourse, but instead of going straight, turn right on the way to the “Conventional Line Transfer”. There is an intermediate ticket gate right away, and only express tickets are collected, but go straight through the station to the “central exit ticket gate”.

This is the central ticket gate. You can collect your ticket here.

This is a shot of the front of the station. It is a free passage connecting the north and south sides of the station, and the entrance to ekie is directly in front of it (“Entrance 1” in the figure). The Shinkansen ticket gate is located at the end of this corridor with EKIE on the right.)

This is what it looks like in the diagram.

After this, it is the same as [1] in the figure. There is a staircase, go down it and the main entrance of Ekie Dining is on your right.

(3) in the figure below.
From the Shinkansen or Chuo Exit, enter the 2nd floor of EKIE and take the escalator down.

You can also enter the 2nd floor of EKIE and take the escalator down to the 1st floor. Since the museum is crowded, especially on weekends, I tend to use the stairs, but this is also easy to find and it may be fun to walk around looking at souvenirs.

The diagram is like this. You can go from either “Entrance 2” or “Entrance 3.

Here is a picture of the “Entrance 3” entrance.

This is what it looks like when you exit the ticket gate of the Shinkansen Exit. You can see “Entrance 3” a little left in front of you.

This is “Entrance 3. You will see a sign that says “Souvenir Museum”.

Go straight toward the back.

After a while, you will come to a slightly wider atrium space. This area is called “Ekieval”. The escalator is diagonally to the right.

Take the escalator down.

This is what it looks like when you get off the escalator. There is a floor guide panel, and “Hiroshima Buchuma Dori” is nearby, where you can find many local gourmet restaurants including 4 okonomiyaki restaurants. (Hiroshima’s local cuisine can be found outside of this street)

About EKIE DINING / EKIE DINING TERRACE

Here is a floor plan of EKIE Dining. There are 24 restaurants in total, including 3 restaurants (EKIE DINING TERRACE) located just outside the door. (as of July 2, 2023)

*Opening hours differ for each.

Restaurants and cafes on the 2nd floor of ekie (Ajisai Dori and Ekie Bar)

Finally, I would like to mention the restaurants and cafes on the 2nd floor of EKIE.

As mentioned earlier in the explanation of the escalators, there are a total of 16 restaurants and cafes on the 2nd floor of ekie, located in an area around the escalators called “Ekieval ” and in an area to the left of the entrance called “Ajisai-dori,” offering a variety of international cuisine.

*Opening hours differ for each.

At the end

I wrote about how to get to “ekie dining/ekie dining terrace” and “Ajisai-dori/ekie bar”, the restaurant area directly connected to JR Hiroshima Station.

The access is of course excellent, and you can eat in a short gap of time, such as when transferring from one station to another.

We hope you enjoy your meal right at Hiroshima Station.

Incidentally, the south exit of Hiroshima Station is currently (July 2023) undergoing a major construction project based on urban planning, so there is nothing there. The south exit of the station, including the south exit station building, is scheduled to be completed in 2025. I know it is a bit far away, but I am looking forward to it.

It is really convenient to be able to eat delicious food at Hiroshima Station. I hope you will enjoy it according to your schedule!

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