Hiroshima Castle

The castle was built by Mori Terumoto in the 1590s on the delta where the city now sits — choosing this spot for its castle is what eventually made Hiroshima a city. The keep stood through the Meiji and was used as Imperial Army headquarters in the war, which is part of why the area was on the target list. Everything visible inside the moats today, except for some stone walls and the recently restored Ninomaru gate, was rebuilt after 1945.

The grounds are free and pleasant — broad moats, cherry trees, and a small shrine in the inner bailey where a few trees that survived the bomb are marked. The keep interior costs ~¥370 and is mostly samurai-armour displays. A 15-minute walk north of the Peace Park, or a short streetcar hop to Kamiya-cho followed by a 10-minute walk.

The castle is also known as Rijo or “Carp Castle” — a name the city’s beloved J-League football club adopted as its identity. The placement on flat river delta land rather than a hilltop is characteristic of the castle-building era: the moats and waterways served as the defensive perimeter instead of natural elevation. The five-story keep can be climbed for a view over the flat city, but the citywide panorama from Orizuru Tower or the Hiroshima Ropeway is superior.

Note: As of March 2026, the keep interior has been permanently closed to the public due to structural concerns. The grounds remain open and free to walk. Access via tram lines 1, 2 or 6 to Kamiyacho-nishi or Kamiyacho-higashi, about 12 minutes from Hiroshima Station for ¥240, then a 10-minute walk. The Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus (orange and lemon routes) also stops here, with a six-minute ride from Hiroshima Station.

Cherry blossoms in early April make the moat-side paths the best in the city. The Ninomaru (second bailey) area is free and has pleasant open grounds where locals picnic. The inner keep’s surrounding walls and stone foundations are the genuine historical material, worth studying on their own even without the interior open.