When mentioning Hiroshima, there is always one thing that comes to mind, the Hiroshima bombing. Hiroshima is the capital city of the Hiroshima Prefecture. Though with a dark history, Hiroshima has embraced the past and grew to become a developed city just similar to other big cities in Japan such as Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya. Hiroshima has something for everyone, food, history and even beautiful sceneries.

Airports in Hiroshima

1. Hiroshima Airport (HIJ)

Hiroshima Airport is the largest airport in the Chugoku Region. Located in the city of Mihara, Hiroshima, the airport is approximately 50 km from the city of Hiroshima. The most common way to get to and from Hiroshima airport is via the airport shuttle bus. There are shuttle buses from the airport to many different locations. To get to Hiroshima Station, the bus will take approximately 45 minutes and cost PHP603. Once at Hiroshima Station, travelers can choose to continue further on by train or take a taxi to the destination of choice.

How to Get Cheap Flights to Hiroshima?

Traveloka is a travel search engine that makes it easy for travelers to find the cheapest flights to Hiroshima. All you need to do is key in the information in the search box, and the application will recommend the best trip according to your budget. It compares flight prices across some trusted airlines to help you to get the best possible deal. Use Traveloka’s price alert feature to be notified of flights in your desired price range to get the best flight price to Hiroshima.

When is the Best Time to Fly to Hiroshima?

Hiroshima is beautiful all year round, offering its visitors something different in every season. The best and most well know seasons would be in Autumn (October to November) and Spring (March to April) In Autumn, the maple trees will turn red and brown while the gingko trees will turn to a beautiful yellow. In spring, the cherry blossoms will bloom and fill the trees with pink and white flowers. During the cherry blossom season, most Japanese like to have picnics under the cherry blossom trees and enjoy the flowers.

If you're trying to avoid the peak travel seasons, there are a few periods you should avoid. Amongst them are the New Year Celebration (31st December till the first week of January), Obon festival (13th to 15th August), the Golden week holiday (end of April to early May) and Silver Week (end of September). During these times not only foreign travelers, but locals will also be doing a lot of traveling. Hiroshima experiences all four seasons with a high amount of rain even in the driest months. The average temperature is 14.4 degrees Celsius. Hiroshima receives approximately 1640 mm of rainfall annually.

Hiroshima is not only known for its history and spring foliage. There are many festivals celebrated in Hiroshima that attract many people from across the globe. Ebisuko or the ebisu matsuri happens from November 18th to 20th and is held in honour of the god of commerce, merchants, fisherman and prosperity. During the three day festivals, there will be parades and activities focused at the Ebisu Shrine.

What are the Top 3 Things to Do in Hiroshima?

Hiroshima is not only worth visiting for the history, but also food and nature.

1. Atomic Bomb Dome – The atomic bomb dome is the most associated symbol of Hiroshima. The former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall was the only structure left standing after the bombing on August 6, 1945. The building has been proclaimed as a World Heritage Site and now stands as a symbol of peace.

2. Miyajima Island – The red gate set in the middle of the sea is amongst one of Japans most famous images. That image is of a torii or the gate to Itsukushima Shrine, a world heritage site located on Miyajima Island. Travelers can take a short 10-minute ferry ride to the island. The best time to visit the island would be during autumn as it is known to be amongst the best places in Japan to see the autumn leaves change.

3. Okonomiyaki – The food in Hiroshima is amongst the most well known in Japan, after Osaka. When visiting Hiroshima, visitors should try the okonomiyaki, a savory pancake which usually contains eggs, cabbage, squid, pork, noodles and sauces. The okonomiyaki is cooked on a flat top and served with bonito flakes, mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, seaweed and many different toppings.