The story of Hiroshima's castle town is heavier and more precious than other Japanese historic cities. On that morning of August 6, 1945, the castle town that the Mori clan had operated for 400 years was instantly destroyed, but Hiroshima people chose to rebuild a new castle town on the ruins that both remembers history and embraces peace. This isn't traditional historic street preservation, but an unprecedented cultural resurrection experiment.
重建之美：現代工藝重現江戶風華
The most distinctive feature of the post-war reconstructed Hiroshima Castle Town is the precise restoration of historical appearances using modern architectural techniques. Hiroshima Castle's Tenshu was reconstructed in 1958, with a reinforced concrete interior that perfectly reproduces the five-story architectural style from the Mori clan era. This "old exterior, new interior" approach allows visitors to experience the samurai's dignified atmosphere without worrying about the safety issues of historic buildings.
Even more impressive is the research spirit during the reconstruction process. Through excavating discovered foundation stones, referencing Edo period drawings, and analyzing construction details from other existing castles, the layout of the vanished castle town streets has been restored as accurately as possible. Today, when you walk through the castle town area, you can still feel the contrast between the broad samurai avenues and the narrower merchant street alleys.
推薦探索地點
廣島城復原本丸（〒730-0011 廣島市中區基町21-1）
The reconstructed Tenshu houses detailed castle town restoration models, and the observation deck on the fifth floor offers a panoramic view of the entire reconstructed district's street layout. Particularly worth seeing is the samurai lifestyle recreation area on the third floor, showcasing the living environment of the Mori clan's vassals. The ¥370 entrance fee is quite reasonable, much cheaper than other famous castles that cost over a thousand yen.
縮景園（〒730-0014 廣島市中區上幻町2-11）
This reconstructed daimyo garden is key to understanding Hiroshima's castle town culture. The original garden was completely destroyed in the atomic bombing, and the current version was recreated based on historical maps and photographs. The tea house "Seifukan" inside offers authentic wagashi experiences (from ¥500), where you can imagine the elegant lifestyle of samurai aristocracy while enjoying tea.
鬍子神社商店街（〒730-0013 廣島市中區胡町）
This is the commercial heart of the reconstructed castle town. During post-war reconstruction, the narrow street widths from the Edo period merchant streets were intentionally preserved, and there are still many traditional craft shops and long-established stores. A recommended visit is the "Hiroshima Fude" specialty store, where the brush-making techniques were fully preserved after the war, with prices ranging from ¥1,000 to ¥10,000.
基町高層公寓群
This seemingly out-of-place modern building complex is actually an important part of the Hiroshima Castle Town reconstruction experiment. In the 1960s, the government concentrated the original scattered castle town residents here, forming a unique "vertical castle town." While not open to the public, from the exterior you can understand how Hiroshima rebuilt community life on such cramped land.
中央公園綠地帶（〒730-0011 廣島市中區基町）
This green space is exactly where the original castle town samurai residences were located. The park features an archaeological excavation exhibition area where you can see the excavated samurai residence foundation stones and ceramic fragments. Free admission, this is the best place to understand the "invisible castle town."
實用資訊
交通方式
From Hiroshima Station, take city tram line 1 to "Kamiyacho East" station, then walk 5 minutes to reach the castle town core area. A one-day pass costs ¥700 and covers transportation to all attractions.
參觀費用
Most attraction tickets range from ¥300-500, Shikeien costs ¥260, Hiroshima Castle costs ¥370. Budget around ¥2,000 to fully explore the main attractions.
營業時間
The castle ruins park is open 24 hours, most indoor exhibitions are 9:00-18:00 (until 17:00 from December to February). Shopping streets operate until 20:00.
旅遊小提示
Avoid weekend mornings, when Peace Memorial Park visitors stop by, which affects the quality of your visit. Weekday afternoons are the best time to visit, and the lighting is also better for photography.
The castle town reconstruction area and Peace Memorial Park are only a 15-minute walk apart, but the atmospheres at both places are completely different. It's recommended to schedule separate times to avoid mixing the heavy peace education with the lighthearted historical exploration.
Affected by recent tensions in China-Japan relations, the number of Chinese tourists has noticeably decreased, making now a good time to avoid crowds and experience it deeply. However, this also means some Chinese guide services may be temporarily suspended, so it's recommended to confirm in advance.
The most precious thing about Hiroshima's Castle Town isn't the reconstructed buildings, but the courage of Hiroshima people to reinterpret history from the ruins. Here we learn that cultural heritage doesn't always require monument preservation - sometimes, recreation itself is also a form of transmission.
