Things to do in  Hiroshima Prefecture

Miyajima Island (officially named Itsukushima) has been a Shinto holy place for centuries and is home to the Itsukushima Shrine, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For travelers, this island off the coast of Hiroshima is best known for the red torii gate rising from the water off the shrine’s shore. However, it’s also home to many other shrines and temples among its forests of maple and cherry trees, as well as plenty of tasty local snacks and oysters.

Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum is part of the larger Peace Memorial Park, which commemorates the events of August 6, 1945. On this day, the USA dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima—leading to the end of World War II—but at the cost of around 80,000 lives in what was the world’s first nuclear bombing.

Itsukushima Shrine provides one of Japan’s most famous picture-perfect views: a red torii (shrine gate with an elegantly curved top seemingly floats on water. Itsukushima Shrine is on Itsukushima Island—commonly referred to as Miyajima Island, meaning ‘shrine island’—which is a short distance from Hiroshima. It’s a popular and worthwhile day-trip destination from that famous city.

The Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima commemorates the atomic bombing of the city at the end of World War II, in August of 1945. The park sits just below the site of the bomb’s mid-air explosion and includes the UNESCO-listed Atomic Bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Museum, and many smaller memorials dedicated to affected groups of people.