• Bus

  • History Through the Arts: A Comprehensive View of Hiroshima Through Culture

  • 6 Areas
  • About 5-8 Hours
  • About 12 km

Using the Hiroshima Maple Loop Sightseeing Bus,(※) this self-guided bus tour takes you to all three of Hiroshima's art museums, as well as important cultural sites like the scenic Shukkeien Garden and Hiroshima Castle, plus memorials to famous poets located in downtown Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and more. ※Other than pro-traffic IC card "PASPY", 10 cards including "ICOCA" are available, too.
We can take bus by showing "JAPAN RAIL PASS" or "JR-WEST RAIL PASS" to driver.
In addition, "JR-WEST RAIL PASS" applies only to ticket which we can use in Hiroshima.

Self-Guided Tour Overview

Tour Route

Experiences

Hiroshima Station (Shinkansen Exit)

めーぷるーぷ

Hiroshima Maple Loop Sightseeing Bus (Meipuru~pu)

One-day tickets with unlimited rides available for only 400 yen! Hop on the best way to visit all the best sights and museums in Hiroshima City. This tour uses the Orange or Lemon Route -- for details, tap the link below!

饒津神社

Nigitsu Shrine (From the bus window)

After departing from Hiroshima Station, you'll see Nigitsu Shrine on your right. The shrine sustained heavy damages in the bombing, and today, a water basin which survived the bombing is still in use inside the shrine complex. For more information, tap the link below.

  • Bus (about 5 minutes)

Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum (Shukkeien Garden)

県立美術館

Shukkeien Garden

Created in 1620 as a villa for the Asano Clan by renowned tea master and high-ranking Asano clan retainer Shigeyasu Ueda, Shukkeien Garden is said to have been modeled after the iconic Xī Hú (lit. West Lake) in China. Although it suffered catastrophic damages in the August 6 bombing, Shukkeien has been restored to the beauty that you see today. Conveniently located next to the Prefectural Art Museum, and near the Sadako Kurihara Monument.

Recommended

  • Walk (about 5 minutes)

Hiroshima Castle

広島城

Hiroshima Castle

Walk through the historic grounds of Hiroshima Castle, built by Lord Mōri Terumoto in 1589. Although the original castle tower and other buildings inside the castle grounds remained into the Meiji Era, they were completely destroyed in the August 6 bombing, and were rebuilt in 1958 as a museum showcasing the history of Hiroshima. Nearby, you can also find the Former Site of the Hiroshima Imperial Military Headquarters, and the Ruins of the Chugoku Regional Military Headquarters Air Defense Room, from which the very first report of what happened in Hiroshima was dispatched by a student via military phone.

Recommended

  • Bus (about 2 minutes)

Hiroshima Museum of Art (Shimin Byōin-mae)

ひろしま美術館

Hiroshima Museum of Art

Built in November 1978 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Hiroshima Bank, their permanent collection is home to roughly 90 pieces of European contemporary art from legendary artists like Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. Nearby, you'll find the Edmund Blunden Monument, dedicated to the British poet and pacifist. Blunden published the poem "A Song for August 6, 1949" and the monument is inscribed with the poem in English and Japanese.

Recommended

  • Bus (about 7 minutes)

Peace Memorial Park (Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum)

The park was constructed under the 1948 Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law to serve as a symbol of everlasting peace and a place of recreation and leisure for the citizens of Hiroshima.

Recommended

  • Bus (about 15 minutes)

Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (Manga Library)

比治山

Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art

Opened in 1989, the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art was the very first public museum dedicated to contemporary art in all of Japan. Designed by renowned architect Kishō Kurokawa, the museum sits atop Hijiyama Hill, offering visitors a beautiful panoramic view of the city among the lush greenery of the hill.

Recommended

  • Bus (about 10 minutes)

Hiroshima Station

広島駅

Hiroshima Station

We've now reached the end of your tour back at the Shinkansen Exit of Hiroshima Station. Here you can find all kinds restaurants and Hiroshima-made craftworks and souvenirs to bring back home and share!