Getting Around

Bus

There are many bus routes in Hiroshima Prefecture, and they are familiar to both local residents and tourists.

One of the most convenient is the Hiroshima Meipuru~pu (Maple Loop Bus), which is a sightseeing bus that circles through the center of the city. The Hiroshima Meipuru~pu is a bus that starts at Hiroshima Station and takes you around the city’s sightseeing spots such as Hiroshima Castle and Atomic Bomb Dome.

A one-day pass costs 1,000 yen and a two-day pass costs 1,500 yen. The One-Day Kure Pass, which offers unlimited rides in central Kure, is also popular. The Hiroshima Tabi Pass and the One Day Kure Pass are also available as digital tickets, so you can choose the right option for you.

Train

There are many train lines in Hiroshima, covering almost every corner of the prefecture.

If you use a JR line, you can conveniently get to Hiroshima Station, where you can take almost any line from there. If you’re going between Miyajima and Saijo, use the Sanyo Line (red is westbound; green is eastbound). To visit the coastal city of Kure you can catch the Kure Line, and you can take the Geibi Line to northern destinations like Miyoshi. However, there are no JR stations in the center of Hiroshima City, where the Atomic Bomb Dome and the downtown area are located. Please note that you will have to change to the Hiroden (streetcar) #2 Line or the Astram Line (monorail linking the city center to northern suburbs).

For 14 days, the JAPAN RAIL PASS is available for 80,000 yen for adults (40,000 yen for children) for use on bullet trains, express trains, local trains, JR buses, JR Miyajima ferries, and more. It can also be purchased at JR’s designated dealerships.

Streetcar

Streetcars are a very rare form of transportation that can only be found in 18 locations in Japan. Some of the original “retro” cars, similar to the cable cars in San Francisco, are still in operation. Hiroshima’s streetcar company is called Hiroden (short for Hiroshima Dentetsu [Hiroshima Electric Railways]) and is very popular with local commuters and tourists alike.

The main lines of the Hiroden are located in the center of Hiroshima City. It’s a great way to get around Hiroshima’s main downtown area, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, Hatchobori District, and other tourist attractions, with virtually no transfers. The #2 Line ends at Miyajimaguchi Station, where you can then board a ferry to Miyajima. Also, in the summer of 2020, a shopping center called “etto” (meaning “many” in the Hiroshima dialect) began operations in front of the Miyajima Station, along with many new restaurants and souvenir shops.

Astram Line

The Astram Line, with its distinctive orange design, is the only monorail system in Hiroshima Prefecture. It is a relatively new mode of transportation, built for the 1994 Asian Games.

The Astram Line has only 22 stops in total. However, there are plenty of places to visit on the line. Some attractions can only be reached by the Astram Line, such as Edion Stadium Hiroshima (Koikikoen-Mae Station), which is the former home of the Sanfrecce Hiroshima professional soccer team, and Asa Zoo Park (Kamiyasu Station).

Bicycle

Bicycles are a great way to get around Hiroshima, or to ride along the Shimanami Kaido and other cycling routes. There is a variety of bike rental services in Hiroshima Prefecture, so you can use them to suit your travel plans.

The new Pi-su-ku-ru (Peace-Cycle) Bicycle Rental in Hiroshima City is a shared bike rental service. There are more than 100 bike rental spots from Hiroshima Station to the center of the city and Ujina Port, and you can rent and return your bikes at any spot you like. The cost of using a bike is 150 yen per hour or 1,000 yen for a one-day unlimited ride. You can easily register to use the service from your smartphone, and credit cards can be used for payment.

If you want to ride along the cycling route of the Shimanami Kaido, we recommend renting a Shimanami Rent-a-Cycle, where you can choose from three different types of bicycles for as little as 3,000 yen per day (1,000 yen for children).

Taxi

Whether you want to get to a sightseeing destination or a tasty restaurant without getting lost, or if you want to get around the city when the trains aren’t running, taxis are the way to go.
A taxi driver in Hiroshima will always take you to your destination in a friendly manner using the best route.
To get a taxi, you can either wait for your turn at one of the many taxi stands, or raise your hand on the street to indicate that you would like a ride.
Hiroshima is a large city, so it is best to take the train to the nearest station first, and then use the taxis waiting for passengers in front of the station.

Some companies also offer a sightseeing taxi service, where you can hire a taxi for the day to take you around the sights of Hiroshima.
Some companies offer a three-hour taxi tour of the city’s most famous sights and World Heritage Sites, so be sure to check in advance.
Hiroko Taxi offers a three-hour tour of Hiroshima City for 19,800 yen.
They will tell you all about the best places to visit and seasonal spots that only the taxi-drivers can know.

Hiroko Tourist Taxi Webpage:
• https://www.hiroko-group.co.jp/taxi/tourism/course-a.html