Hiroshima and Miyajima for Families

Hiroshima was the stop on our Japan trip that we thought about the most beforehand. How do you take young kids to a place defined by something so devastating? What do you say? In the end, we’re really glad we went. It’s a city that handles its history with grace, and Miyajima Island — just a short ferry ride away — gave us the balance of lighthearted fun our kids needed. Together, they made for one of the most meaningful days of our trip.

Getting There

We took the shinkansen from Kyoto, which takes about two hours and is covered by the JR Pass. Hiroshima Station is well-connected by tram to the Peace Memorial Park area (¥220 per ride, kids half price). We did Hiroshima and Miyajima in one very full day, but if you have the time, splitting it over two days is more relaxed — especially with younger children.

The Peace Memorial Park

The Peace Memorial Park sits on the spot that was directly beneath the atomic bomb explosion on 6 August 1945. The A-Bomb Dome, the skeletal remains of the one building left standing near the hypocentre, is visible from across the river. It’s a haunting sight, and our kids went quiet when they saw it.

The Peace Memorial Museum (¥200 adults, free for under-school-age) is thorough and unflinching. Some of the exhibits, particularly the personal belongings and photographs of children who died, are hard to look at. We didn’t try to shield our kids from everything, but we did let them set the pace and skip sections if they wanted to.

The Children’s Peace Monument, inspired by Sadako Sasaki and the thousand paper cranes, gave us something concrete to talk about. Our seven-year-old folded cranes for weeks before the trip so she could leave them there, and the cases full of colourful cranes from children all over the world made a real impression.

How to Talk to Kids About It

We kept it simple and honest, adjusting for each child’s age. For our older one, we explained that a terrible weapon was used during a war, that many people died, and that the park exists so people remember and work for peace. For our younger one, we focused on the cranes and the idea of wishing for a kind world.

We didn’t sugar-coat it, but we didn’t dwell on the graphic details either. The museum does a good job of presenting facts alongside messages of hope. Our kids had lots of questions over the following days, which we took as a sign that the visit had landed in a meaningful way.

Miyajima Island

After the weight of the Peace Park, Miyajima Island felt like stepping into a completely different world. The JR ferry from Miyajimaguchi is covered by the JR Pass (otherwise about ¥360 return), and the crossing takes 10 minutes.

The floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine is the main draw. At high tide, it appears to float on the water — at low tide, you can walk right up to it. We timed it for high tide and the reflection on the water was stunning. Check tide times before you go; it makes a real difference.

Wild deer roam the island and they’re much calmer than the ones in Nara. Our kids loved them but they will go for any food or paper you’re holding, so keep maps and snacks tucked away. We spent time walking along the waterfront, poking around the small shops, and eating grilled oysters (¥500 for a plate of three) from one of the stalls near the ferry terminal. Miyajima oysters are plump and smoky and absolutely worth trying.

Hiroshima Food

You cannot visit Hiroshima without eating okonomiyaki. Hiroshima-style is different from Osaka-style — it’s layered rather than mixed, with noodles, cabbage, pork, and egg built up in stacked layers on the griddle. We went to one of the okonomiyaki buildings near the Peace Park where entire floors are filled with small counters. A standard okonomiyaki cost about ¥900-¥1,200 depending on toppings, and our kids were fascinated watching them being made right in front of us.

If you’re exploring Japanese food with kids, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is a crowd-pleaser because they can watch the whole cooking process and it’s not too spicy.

Practical Tips

If you’re doing both Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day, start at the Peace Park in the morning (it opens at 8:30am and is quieter early), then take the tram and ferry to Miyajima after lunch. The last ferries back run until around 10pm, so there’s no rush.

The Hiroshima tram system is straightforward — a single flat fare of ¥220 covers any ride. You can also buy a one-day tram pass for ¥700 that includes the Miyajima ferry, which is good value if you’re doing both.

Pushchairs are fine for the Peace Park and Miyajima’s main street, but the paths up to the temples and viewpoints on the island are steep and uneven. We used a carrier for our youngest on Miyajima and it was much easier. If you’re fitting this into a wider Japan itinerary, Hiroshima works well as a stop between Kyoto and the return to Tokyo.