Hiroshima castle, informally known as Carp Castle is a fun and easy visit on any trip to Hiroshima. Find out about access, admission and its history.
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Hiroshima castle dates back to 1591, when Hiroshima city was built up as a castle town and ruled by the Daimyo called Mori Terumoto, who controlled both the city and fast swathes of land in the wider area. The castle played an important role in local politics and became one of Japan most treasured castles.
Unfortunately, Hiroshima castle was almost entirely destroyed with the atomic bombing in 1945. In 1958 the castle was reconstructed and its original form restored. Unlike the former building, the new structure was mostly built out of concrete. The castle's surrounding buildings and gate were rebuilding using more traditional methods.
Going up the 5-story structure of Hiroshima castle, visitors can learn about the local history, plus see a variety of Samurai armour and weaponry. On the top floor, there’s a panoramic view of Hiroshima city and wider area.
Exploring Hiroshima Castle park
The castle park is worth visiting for its own variety of reasons. Take a bit of time and explore while encounterimg different landmarks that each tell a story. Here are our suggestions:
Ni-no-maru, the 2nd ring of defence around Hiroshima castle. Still surrounded by defensive walls, this open area is now part of the park including some of the original buildings which have been restored. There's also a Eucalyptus tree that survived the A-bomb.
Hiroshima Gokoku-jinja, a small shrine and temple building. Popular with locals to visit on New Year's Day to pray for good luck.
Ruins of Hiroshima Imperial Army Headquarters, get a small glance into what the army life was like.
Oshiro-no-Chaya, this cute little teahouse is a place where you can enjoy a hot or cold beverage or try the local Matcha ice cream.
Access to Hiroshima castle
The castle is centrally located in Hiroshima city and can be reached on foot in about 10 minutes from JR Shin-Hakushima station, or 20 minutes from Hiroshima station. Alternatively, the Hiroshima city sightseeing bus (orange and lemon routes) stop in front of the castle. Both the train and city bus are included in the Japan Rail Pass.
Admission and opening hours
Most of the castle grounds and park is free of charge. Access to the main building is 370yen.
Opening hours:
9:00 to 17:30 (April to September)
9:00 to 16:30 (October to March)
Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time.
Tips for visiting
- The area around the castle is as interesting as visiting the castle itself, be sure to explore!
- Hiroshima castle is very close to the peace memorial museum and park, it's easy to combine for half a day of exploring.
- The castle grounds are generally rather quiet compared to the rest of Hiroshima and offer a good getaway from the busy city centre.
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