Hiroshima with Kids: What to Do and Itinerary
Last Updated on July 8, 2025 by Kay
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Hiroshima may be a city known for its tragic past, but it offers so much more and should be visited at least once when traveling in western Japan. Located along the Seto Inland Sea, it’s a prefecture that’s both rich in nature and culture, as well as undoubtedly resilient.
For me, Hiroshima holds a very special place in my heart for several reasons. My husband is originally from a small town in Hiroshima Prefecture, and I used to live nearby, which is why we visit several times a year. This is also the main reason why we moved from Tokyo to Osaka a few years ago.
I think it’s taken a while for me to write about Hiroshima because it’s so personal, but I figured it’s about time to share my knowledge, as well as my husband’s, as a local.
In this article, I’ll cover what we did on a recent trip to Hiroshima, as well as kid-friendly things to do.
Table of Contents
How to Get to Hiroshima
Hiroshima is located in the Chugoku Region of Japan, southwest of Osaka.
You can either fly or take the bullet train to Hiroshima. When we lived in Tokyo, we used to fly into Hiroshima Airport (HIJ), which would take about 1.5 hours one-way from Haneda Airport (Tokyo).
If you’re traveling from Osaka or Kyoto, I recommend taking the bullet train (Shinkansen) to Hiroshima Station. This is just under 1.5 hours from Shin-Osaka Station and an extra fifteen minutes from Kyoto Station.
Do I think the JR Pass is worth it if you’re going to be adding Hiroshima to your Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka trip?
No, not really.
A one-way trip to Hiroshima from Kyoto or Osaka costs around 11,000 yen. Meanwhile, a one-way trip from Tokyo to Osaka costs 14,520 yen. So, if you’re traveling from Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station, Shin-Osaka Station to Hiroshima Station, and then Hiroshima Station to Tokyo Station (20,000 yen), it’ll cost you around 45,500 yen in total, which is around 5000 yen less than the cost of a 7-day JR Pass.
When to Visit Hiroshima with Kids
Hiroshima is beautiful in any season. However, since Hiroshima is famous for momiji (maple leaves), I think the best season is autumn (late November to early December), so you can see the warm seasonal foliage.
Personally, I would recommend avoiding summer (June to September) because it will be very hot. When we visit Hiroshima during the summer, we stay at my in-laws’ air-conditioned house because it’s too hot and humid outside!
Hiroshima with Kids Itinerary
Here’s what we did on a recent family trip to Hiroshima. These activities in Hiroshima are great for all ages — I’ve taken family and friends from abroad to Hiroshima several times, and we generally visit the same spots (except for one, which you’ll see soon).
Everything in this itinerary is interchangeable, so just go with the flow! After all, with kids, we never know what’s going to happen.
Day 1
After spending the night on Miyajima Island, my family took the Hiroden (Hiroshima Electric Railway) from Hiroden-Miyajimaguchi Station straight to Genbaku Dome-Mae Station so we could go to the Peace Memorial Park.
As the name implies, the Peace Memorial Park is a reminder of the tragedies of the Second World War, but it’s absolutely not a scary place to take kids. For our family, it’s both beautiful and educational. Just be aware that, depending on your child’s age, you will need to explain what happened here. So if you’re not comfortable addressing this, I don’t recommend going.
At age five, this was my daughter’s first time going to the Peace Memorial Park.
I first took her to the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome), the only remaining structure that was close to ground zero when the atomic bomb exploded.
I explained to my daughter that there was a war a long time ago and a big bomb destroyed this building, as well as took many lives. She was somber and understood what happened, asking me many questions as we walked throughout the park.
We made our way to the Children’s Peace Monument, which features a statue of Sadako on top, a young girl who died following the bombing. I told my daughter about how Sadako tried to fold 1000 paper cranes so her wish would come true, but unfortunately, she went to heaven.
The monument has glass cases filled with paper cranes from children across Japan, which my daughter liked looking at. She also wrote a message, which would be shared on the Hiroshima city website.
We decided not to go to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum because my husband was against it. Since he went to school in Hiroshima, he grew up hearing about the atomic bombing and felt our daughter was too young at age five to visit the museum. The museum does have some very graphic displays of what happened to victims, so I agreed with him.
However, my daughter’s friend, who’s also five years old, visited when she was four, and she was completely fine. She’s been interested in politics and war from a young age (I am not making this up, I think she’s a reincarnation of someone who experienced war), which is why her parents took her.
So when it comes to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, it’s up to you as a parent when you feel your child is ready to visit.
Instead of going to the museum, we explored the rest of the park, including the following spots.
Memorial Tower for students who were mobilized during the war for labor.
The Bell of Peace, which was built in 1964 as a symbol of Hiroshima’s dream to rid the world of nuclear weapons. (And yes, feel free to let your kids ring this!)
Although it’s a park and educational, Peace Memorial Park is admittedly not very fun for kids. In fact, it can be very sad and bring up some unpleasant emotions for some kids. This is why I made sure to take my daughter somewhere fun nearby — the 5-Days Children’s Cultural Science Museum.
This science museum is open every day except Mondays from 9 AM to 5 PM. There are plenty of places for kids to play both outdoors and indoors here. The outdoor playground is quite small, though.
There’s a steam engine train here, too!
Although the 5-Days Children’s Cultural Science Museum is a little old, my daughter absolutely loved her time exploring its four floors.
She learned about the stars, physics, and even trains through the various interactive displays. There’s a planetarium as well, but my daughter didn’t want to go.
Best of all, it’s completely free!
After the science museum, we walked to Hondori, Hiroshima’s main shopping street, to get dinner. We decided to eat at みっちゃん (Micchan), which is a famous okonomiyaki restaurant chain.
For those who might not know, Hiroshima’s most famous dish is okonomiyaki, which is like a savory Japanese-style pancake. What makes their okonomiyaki different from Osaka’s is that they build the dish in layers and use noodles, whereas Osaka’s mainly uses cabbage and mixes all the ingredients together before frying it, which is why I prefer Hiroshima style over Osaka.
Personally, I like Okonomimura better, which is a building filled with several floors of small okonomiyaki restaurants. However, we went there once with our daughter when she was three and didn’t find it the best for small kids. The only seats are stools, which can be difficult for little kids to sit on, and it’s a little worrying having them sit so close to the grill.
Okonomimura is also very busy in the evening, and the restaurants don’t have many seats, meaning you might end up having to wait to eat.
If you’re wondering if okonomiyaki is a kid-friendly dish, I think that will depend on your child. My daughter has been eating it since she was two years old and she loves it, but at the same time, she was born and raised in Japan. The good news is that okonomiyaki restaurants sell other dishes as well, so you have options.
For instance, my husband ordered grilled pork innards with cabbage (not my thing, personally, but my kid liked it). There are also dishes like grilled sausages and oysters.
(Make sure you ask for a plate for your child and do not give them anything directly from the grill because it is hot.)
Wondering what else to try in the city? Read my article for Japan Food Guide about what to eat in Hiroshima!
After we stuffed ourselves, we headed to SOGO, a department store in Hiroshima, so our daughter could check out the Pokémon Center. Shortly after we visited, though, the center moved to Hiroshima Station!
Would I still suggest visiting SOGO although the Pokemon Center is no longer there? There are some fancy kids’ clothing shops you might want to check out, so it’s worth popping in and taking a look if you want to shop. For kids, though, it might be boring.
The Pokémon Center that used to be in SOGO (but recently moved to Hiroshima Station) is smaller than the ones in Osaka, but it was far less crowded.
(Now that it’s attached to Hiroshima Station, though, I feel like it’ll be quite busy!)
One thing that’s a must-buy from here are Pokémon momiji manju! These are little cake-like treats with a sweet filling. The shape is the same as regular momiji manju so you’re really only buying it for the box, but that didn’t stop my daughter from wanting it. We now use the box for her small toys. We also bought a box for our neighbor’s son.
The Pokémon momiji manju comes in five different flavors (smooth red bean paste, mashed red bean paste, cream cheese, sweet potato, and chocolate). Make sure you check the expiry date before you purchase them because they expire within a week or so.
After we finished at SOGO, we went to Hondori’s main shopping street. If the weather isn’t great, I suggest cutting through the underground mall called Shareo (シャレオ). You’ll see the entrance/exit looks like this:
There are lots of shops and I could easily spend hours here, but it’s not very exciting for kids.
I used to spend a lot of time in Hondori when I was young because I was obsessed with shopping (my favorite place to go was PARCO), so I like to always revisit for nostalgia’s sake.
Recently, I’ve found that this shopping street is constantly changing — now there’s a JUMP Shop!
Hondori also boasts the first ANDERSON bakery in Japan, so make sure to give it a visit if you want to try some delicious bread.
When we were done, we went to our hotel for the night, LAZULI Hiroshima.
My husband and I were really impressed with this hotel! It’s a newly renovated apartment, so it felt like a home away from home. I’ll talk more about this accommodation later in the article.
Day 2
On our second day in Hiroshima, we decided to get breakfast at the ANDERSON in Hiroshima Station. Since Hiroshima is famous for Setouchi Lemon, I got a Setouchi Lemon Danish (delicious!), my daughter got a melon pan (always her go-to), and my husband got a curry pan.
When we were done, we took the bus from Hiroshima Station to Hiroshima Castle. Hiroshima’s city center mainly relies on buses or streetcars instead of trains, so keep this in mind when you’re traveling! You can use Japan Rail Passes or IC Cards to board.
The best way to see the city by bus is by using the Sightseeing Loop Bus. Here’s where you should board the bus.
When you get off the bus at the stop for Hiroshima Castle, you’ll notice that you need to pass through a large torii gate called the Great Torii of Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine:
From here, you’ll make your way through the castle grounds until you reach Hiroshima Castle. It shouldn’t take more than around 5 minutes or so. On your way there, you’ll see some ruins from the Second World War.
Hiroshima Castle is small but it’s one of my favorites (next to Himeji). It’s not very crowded, especially in the early morning, and has lots of cultural relics inside.
My daughter really liked the Hiroshima Castle mascot, Shirou Nya. The name is a play on the Japanese word for castle, shiro, and the color white, which is also shiro. Nya is the sound a cat makes in Japanese.
Best of all, you can hold a real katana here! (It’s heavier than I thought!)
Of course, the view from the top of the castle is stunning as well.
After we saw Hiroshima Castle, we went to Gokoku Shrine, which was destroyed in WW2 and then rebuilt on the castle grounds.
You’ll notice two large carp statues here. The one on the right is meant to help you achieve your goals if you rub it, while the one on the left is for maintaining a good relationship with your partner.
When we were done, we decided to get lunch at an okonomiyaki restaurant nearby called Masuhiro Hamihatchobori.
So remember when I said I prefer okonomiyaki at Okonomimura? I do, if you’re close to Hondori. But when it comes to the best Hiroshima okonomiyaki I’ve had in the fifteen years I’ve lived in Japan, it’s Masuhiro Hamihatchobori. Even my husband, born and raised in Hiroshima, absolutely loves this place.
This restaurant fills up fast, so make sure to go right when it opens. As far as I know, they don’t have an English menu, but you can use Google Translate if you need it.
I like spicy food, so I got the 赤い悪魔 (Red Devil) okonomiyaki. The cook checked in with me and said it’s super spicy, so I asked him to omit the spicy sauce. This was a good decision because the noodles had enough spice in them so it was perfect for me, not too spicy.
Meanwhile, my husband and daughter shared a regular okonomiyaki with some aburi (seared) mayonnaise.
After lunch, we went to Shukkeien Garden, a very beautiful Japanese garden dating back to 1620. The garden was destroyed by the atomic bomb and then used as a refuge. Remains from the war victims are buried in the garden, but you won’t see them.
It’s a very beautiful place to take photos and explore nature in the heart of the city. My daughter loved the carp fish, too. There’s a little vending machine where you can get food for the fish, so we bought some and spent some time feeding the carp that were hungry.
In total, we spent an hour in the garden.
They offer free guided tours in English from 10 AM to 3 PM, and there’s also a tea house called Sensuitei where you can enjoy Japanese tea and sweets or an udon noodle set.
When we were done, we headed back home.
What Else to Do in Hiroshima with Kids
Pure Heart Kids Land
This is an indoor playground that my husband’s cousin takes her kids when it’s raining. It’s about 10 minutes by train from Hiroshima Station to Shin-Inokuchi Station and then an 8 minute walk. They have a ball pit, a few playgrounds (including one for babies), toys, a sand pit, and an area where kids can dress up.
Round 1
This is another place to kill time when it’s raining. They have lots of different arcade and crane games, as well as bowling. I think this is best for older kids; my five-year-old daughter is personally not a fan of this location because it’s boring for her.
Round 1 is located right in Hondori.
AEON Mall Fuchu
Located a short train ride from Hiroshima Station, this mall is another great rainy day option. They have a Babies R Us/Toys R Us, and if the weather is nice, kids can play on the terrace.
Where to Stay in Hiroshima with Kids
As mentioned earlier, we stayed two nights at LAZULI Hiroshima. At 17 minutes, this is a little bit of a walk from Hiroshima Station, but we didn’t mind because we liked the scenery along the way.
The hotel is very affordable and spacious, with a living room-like seating area where we could relax and unwind.
We also got to try local Hiroshima sake for free from the comfort of our room! They also provided a glass of local apple juice for our daughter.
The hotel came with amenities such as pajamas for the whole family.
And look at how cute the amenities for kids are! I loved the bear slippers and body sponge so much that I just took them home, haha.
You can borrow board games from the lobby if you want, although we were pretty tired, so we decided against it.
I’m also a big fan of their spacious bathroom, which is just like in a typical modern Japanese home, and the toilet is in its own room.
One more great thing about LAZULI Hiroshima is that there’s a playground right across the street from it! So if your child wakes up early and has lots of energy, this is a good place to burn it off.
Another place we have stayed in the past is Hotel Granvia Hiroshima, which is right next to Hiroshima Station. It’s a luxurious and beautiful hotel with excellent service, not to mention a great view from the room. I think my only complaint is that the toilet is in the same room as the shower!
As you might have noticed, we tend to stay near Hiroshima Station. We find it very convenient because there are lots of shops nearby, it’s close to public transport, and safe.
Hondori can be a bit of a party area at night. Most of all, anything close to the river near the Atomic Bomb Dome (Motoyasu River) makes my husband uncomfortable because many people died there during World War II, including his grandparents’ siblings.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about visiting Hiroshima with kids and my answers, which will hopefully be helpful for you.
Can Hiroshima be done as a day trip with kids?
Yes, you can absolutely see everything in Hiroshima in a day when traveling with kids from Kyoto or Osaka. However, I recommend spending two days in Hiroshima so you can spend one day in Miyajima.
As you can see by the photo below, it is an absolutely magical place! My family visits every year, so you can be sure that my article on Miyajima is packed with helpful advice for your trip.
If you only have one day to see Hiroshima city, you might want to consider doing a quick tour with a local guide.
Wrap-up: Exploring Hiroshima with Kids
I hope this look at how my family enjoys Hiroshima has been helpful for you. Hiroshima is a small and quiet city, but I’m sure you and your kids will fall in love with it as I did when I first visited many years ago.