Hiroshima Castle
広島城
The castle built by the Mori clan in 1589, destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945, and rebuilt in 1958, with a museum that covers both its feudal history and the destruction that ended it
About Hiroshima Castle
Hiroshima Castle was built in 1589 by Mori Terumoto, one of the five regents appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The five-story keep stood at the center of a large moat system and was the base of the Hiroshima Domain through the Edo period. On August 6, 1945, the castle was approximately 900 meters from the atomic bomb hypocenter. The blast destroyed the keep completely; only sections of the stone foundation walls, the moat, and a few outer gates survived. The current five-story keep is a concrete reconstruction completed in 1958 and houses a museum covering both the castle's feudal history (with authentic armor, weapons, and documents from the Mori and Asano clans) and the role of Hiroshima as a military headquarters and the destruction of the city in 1945. The castle park grounds contain over 200 cherry trees and are free to walk at all times. The contrast between the intact stone walls and moat (original, surviving the bomb) and the reconstructed keep is the most historically significant thing about the site.
Essential Tips
The castle grounds are free and worth a 20-minute walk for the moat and surviving stone foundations even without entering the keep museum
The keep museum (¥370) is worth the entry for the top-floor historical section covering both feudal history and the 1945 bombing
Combine with Peace Memorial Park (1.5 km south) for a complete Hiroshima history morning: do the castle first, then the museum and dome
Cherry blossom season (late March-early April): 200+ trees, free to view from the grounds. Evening illuminations most years during peak bloom
The tram from Hiroshima Station to the castle area (stop: Kamiyacho) and then south to Peace Memorial Park (Genbaku Dome-mae) is the most efficient way to combine both sites
Don't Miss
Museum on the Top Floor
The keep's interior is a museum rather than a historic space, but the top two floors have the most significant content. The permanent collection on Japanese feudal history and the Mori and Asano clan periods is well-curated. The section on Hiroshima's role as a military city (Imperial Japanese Army headquarters from 1894) and the 1945 destruction is concise and factual, with photographs from immediately after the bombing. The castle site photographs from August 1945, showing only the stone foundations and moat walls remaining, are the most visceral way to understand what the blast radius of the bomb meant at 900 meters distance.
Original Stone Foundation Walls
The stone walls around the base of the keep and the inner moat (dobashi, stone bridge and walls) are original construction from the 16th century that survived the atomic bomb. The contrast between the intact rough-cut stonework at ground level and the smooth concrete reconstruction above is physically present at the castle base. Walking the inner moat circuit and looking at the stone walls, which were 900 meters from the hypocenter, gives a material sense of the bomb's blast radius that museum photographs cannot.
Cherry Blossom Season
The castle grounds have over 200 cherry trees and are one of Hiroshima's primary cherry blossom locations. The moat and stone walls with blossoms overhead are a visually striking combination. Evening illuminations during peak bloom (late March-early April) are held most years. The grounds are free and open at all hours.
What to Do Here
Castle and Peace Memorial Park Half Day
Walk the castle moat circuit (free, 20 minutes), visit the keep museum (¥370, 45 minutes). Then take the tram or walk south to Peace Memorial Park (1.5 km, 20 minutes on foot). Visit the A-bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Museum (¥200 adults), and the Cenotaph. Return to Hiroshima Station by tram.
Tips:
- Start at the castle in the morning before the Peace Memorial Museum to give each site proper attention
- The tram between the castle area (Kamiyacho tram stop) and Peace Memorial Park (Genbaku Dome-mae) takes 5 minutes
- The Peace Memorial Museum (¥200) should not be rushed; allow at least 1-1.5 hours
- The castle and Peace Memorial Park together make a full morning from 9 AM to 1 PM
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
apr Sep
9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (April – September; last entry 5:30 PM)
oct Mar
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (October – March; last entry 4:30 PM)
Best Time to Visit
Cherry blossom season (late March to early April, 200+ trees in the grounds). Or morning on a weekday for low crowds at the museum.
Avoid:
Cherry blossom peak weekends. Otherwise rarely congested.
Nearby
Peace Memorial Park and A-bomb Dome
The primary Hiroshima memorial site, 1.5 km south. A-bomb Dome (free exterior), Peace Memorial Museum (¥200). 20-minute walk or 5 minutes by tram.
1.5 km
Hiroshima Station
JR Shinkansen and local lines. 30 minutes on foot or 15 minutes by tram.
2 km
Shukkei-en Garden
A 17th-century miniature landscape garden. ¥260 adults. 7-minute walk from the castle.
0.5 km
History
founding
Hiroshima Castle was built between 1589 and 1599 by Mori Terumoto on a delta formed by the Ota River. The castle was the administrative center of the Hiroshima Domain through the Edo period, controlled by the Asano clan from 1619 until the Meiji Restoration. In 1894, the Imperial Japanese Army established its headquarters at the castle during the First Sino-Japanese War, and from that point until 1945 the castle site was primarily a military installation. The atomic bomb on August 6, 1945 destroyed the keep and all structures on the site except the stone foundation walls. The reconstruction was completed in 1958.
significance
Hiroshima Castle is primarily significant today as a site connected to the atomic bombing rather than as a feudal monument. The keep is a reconstruction, but the grounds contain physical evidence of what happened on August 6, 1945, at 900 meters from the hypocenter. The surviving stone walls are the most immediate historical evidence. The castle's position in the middle of the city makes it a logical part of any Hiroshima visit alongside the Peace Memorial Park.
name Origin
Hiroshima (広島) means 'broad island' or 'wide island,' referring to the delta of the Ota River on which the city was built. The castle takes its name from the city. The castle was also known as Rijojo (鯉城, Carp Castle) because the shape of the delta on which it was built resembled a carp, an image that persists in the Hiroshima Carp baseball team name.
Getting There
Hiroshima Electric Railway (Tram)
Station: Kamiyacho or Kamiyacho-nishi tram stop
Exit:
Walk: 10 minutes to castle main gate
Take the tram from Hiroshima Station (Line 2 or 6) toward the city center. The Kamiyacho stops are the closest to the castle. This is also the route toward Peace Memorial Park.
Walking from Hiroshima Station
Station: Hiroshima Station (JR San-yo Line / Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen)
Exit:
Walk: 25-30 minutes west along the main road
A flat walk through central Hiroshima. Passes near the A-bomb Dome en route if taking the riverside walk. Manageable in good weather.
Location
21-1 Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0011
Nearest: Hiroshima Station (JR San-yo Line / Shinkansen) (30 minutes on foot; 15 minutes by tram (Hiroshima Electric Railway Line 2))
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