Travel packages

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was built to advocate for lasting world peace. There are several monuments at the park dedicated to peace, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum with exhibits showing the devastation in the city when the bomb hit, the Atomic Bomb Dome (which is a World Heritage Site), the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, and the Hiroshima International Conference Center. The sound of the Peace Bell, also located in the park, was selected as one of the 100 most treasured sounds in Japan by the Ministry of the Environment. In spring, the park is a popular spot to enjoy Japan's famed cherry blossoms.

The Atomic Bomb Dome was declared a World Heritage Site in December 1996. Originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, it once held exhibits showcasing local industrial products. Some time after the bombing, it came to be known as the genbaku dome (Atomic Bomb Dome). To the people of Hiroshima and Japan, it symbolizes the desire for lasting world peace and the abolition of nuclear arms everywhere.

Hiroshima Castle was built by Mori Terumoto, known for being one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's council of Five Elders. It is a classic example of a hirajo, or flatlands castle. During the Edo period, it was occupied by Fukushima Masanori, followed by a series of leaders from the Asano clan. The original castle keep was designated a National Treasure in 1931, but it was destroyed by the atomic bomb. The exterior was restored in 1958. Interior refurbishing took place in 1989, on the 400th anniversary of the structure. Today, it is a historical museum dedicated to samurai culture.

Itsukushima Shrine's long history stretches back 1,400 years. Famous for being one of the best shrines in Japan, it features a bold, innovative layout that stretches out into the ocean and a design that captures the exquisite peak of Heian-period palatial architecture. Its lacquered vermillion halls are linked by a network of corridors that make the entire structure appear to be floating during high tide. The rich greenery of Mt. Misen in the background combined with the blue of the Seto Inland Sea stretching out before it creates a beauty that is as magical as Japan's fabled underwater Palace of the Dragon King.

The famed Japanese statesman Hirobumi Ito famously praised the view from Mt. Misen, Miyajima's sacred mountain, by saying that "the true value of the best of Japan’s three most beautiful spots is in the view from the top". The Miyajima Ropeway starts at Momijidani Station, just a twenty-minute walk from Itsukushima Shrine, and is built to take visitors to just near the peak of Mt. Misen. A free shuttle runs from the Iwaso Inn located at the rear of the shrine, making the stunning views from the summit easily accessible to anyone who wishes to see them without a challenging climb.

At around 535 meters in elevation, the sacred Mt. Misen is the highest point on the island of Miyajima. Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai) first declared it a holy site some 1,200 years ago, and is said to have undergone ascetic practices for one hundred days at the main temple hall here. It is a site rich with legend and history, where a holy fire has been kept burning for 1,200 years. Near the summit is the famous kuguri-iwa (duck-under rock) and the banza-seki rock said to enshrine a god. These and other strange and wonderful rocks simply add to the magical and scenic look of this historical place.