Hiroshima Prefecture: Sea, Mountains and Cultural Heritage

Hiroshima Prefecture offers a variety of ways to explore, depending on your travel interests: the Seto Inland Sea, forested mountains and pristine waters are among its natural attractions. Hiking is one of the prefecture’s outdoor activities, alongside cultural heritage, places of remembrance and regional cuisine. When planning your trip, it’s worth first considering which of these themes you’d like to include in your stay.

Landscapes and Nature Experiences

One of the area’s notable landscapes is Sandankyo, an approximately 16-kilometer-long gorge in the West Chugoku Mountains Quasi-National Park. Hiking is also one of the outdoor activities in Hiroshima Prefecture. The Seto Inland Sea, forested mountains and pristine waters add a variety of landscapes to these nature-focused experiences.

Several hundred semi-wild rabbits live on Okunoshima; their numbers may change. The island’s visitor center provides information about its natural environment and history. On Okunoshima, wildlife, nature and island history are distinct themes to explore.

Culture, Remembrance and Craftsmanship

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum displays personal belongings of survivors, as well as photographs and drawings depicting the devastation caused by the atomic bombing. Personal objects sit alongside visual representations of the destruction, exploring the subject through different forms of testimony.

At Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, the buildings are arranged over the sea, with mountains in the background. The reconstructed buildings preserve architectural styles from the late 12th to the early 13th century. The arrangement of the buildings and the historic architecture offer two ways to appreciate the shrine.

Mibu no Hana Taue is inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Eighty percent of Japan’s fude brushes are made in Kumano. These examples represent different cultural themes: an intangible cultural heritage and a craft associated with a specific production figure.

The cuisine has its own distinctive feature: in Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, cabbage, flour, egg and dashi are layered rather than mixed, and the dish is served on fried noodles. This preparation gives you a specific culinary highlight, distinct from the natural and cultural sites.

Activities and Trip Planning

The Shimanami Cycling Road is Japan’s first cycling route designed to cross straits. The cycling route along the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido is approximately 70 kilometers long; it runs between the terminals in Onomichi and Imabari and spans the Hiroshima–Ehime area. The approximate distance helps you consider cycling as a distinct part of your trip alongside hiking and sightseeing.

Bicycle rentals are available along the Shimanami Kaido route. Before your ride, check whether rental services are available for your travel dates, as rental operations may change.

When choosing a hotel, you can use your trip’s focus as a starting point. If landscapes and hiking are your priority, base your search on them; if cultural heritage, the museum, Okunoshima or the cycling route are on your itinerary, those experiences will shape your priorities differently. Consider which places and activities you’d like to include before choosing a hotel as your base.

Discover more destinations: Hiroshima, Hatsukaichi, Fukuyama, Fuchū, Onomichi, Higashihiroshima, Kurogawa, Sera, Miyoshi, Mihara, Kure.

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