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Hiroshima wasn't necessarily at the top of my list when I first started planning my trip to Japan.

Then, after doing a bit more research... and thanks to my TikTok algorithm (thank you, TikTok!), I became more and more interested in it. In the end, I thought, "Why not spend at least two days there?"

Located around two hours from Osaka by shinkansen, the city was easy to reach, so we jumped at the chance to discover a place filled with both history and emotion.

Day 1: Arriving in Hiroshima under the sun (with an ice vream in hand)

We left Osaka around 11 a.m. under a light drizzle and headed south. A few hours later, bright sunshine welcomed us to Hiroshima, and honestly, it made all the difference.

We stayed at the 📍 APA Hotel, located close to the station, which was incredibly convenient. We often stay in APA Hotels when traveling around Japan, and they've never disappointed us.

My first impression of Hiroshima? The city feels much calmer and more compact than Tokyo or Osaka. It's roughly the size of the Lyon metropolitan area, which makes it very pleasant to explore.

After dropping off our bags, we headed to a nearby konbini to grab a few treats. On the menu: an ice cream (because the weather was lovely) and a can of sparkling wine, just because we were curious.

Spoiler alert: sparkling wine tastes pretty great when you're wandering around the city on a sunny afternoon.

We then explored the main shopping street, packed with stores and several Book Off locations, a must-visit if you love second-hand shopping and bargain hunting. I absolutely love places like that, so I felt right at home. Hiroshima is incredibly walkable, and the tram system makes getting around even easier.

At the end of the day, we relaxed in the hotel's onsen before heading back out for dinner. Yes... we chose an Italian restaurant!

A slightly unexpected choice, perhaps, but Hiroshima actually has quite a few European restaurants, and the temptation was too strong.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and planned our activities for the following day.

A wonderfully relaxed first day filled with sunshine, exploration, and our little Japanese travel habits.

Day 2: Castles, onsens, and wonderful encounters

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel.

Normally, we much prefer local cafés or even grabbing something from a konbini, but that morning we thought, "Let's give the hotel buffet a try."

The restaurant was large and located on the ground floor, so my curiosity got the better of me. The verdict?

We confirmed once again that we're not really hotel breakfast people. It's often expensive for what it is, and honestly, a simple konbini onigiri makes me happier. But we still ate well, so no complaints.

After breakfast, we headed to the onsen, which had become our daily ritual in Japan. If you're planning a trip here, I highly recommend choosing hotels with an onsen included. It's the perfect way to relax before starting your day or to recover after hours of walking.

A quick note for anyone with tattoos: don't panic. I have one myself and never had any issues at APA Hotels. They can even provide tattoo covers at reception. Personally, I bought a pack at Don Quijote so I didn't have to ask every time.

Today's main visit was Hiroshima Castle. Like much of the city, it was rebuilt after the events of 1945. Inside, you'll find a small museum dedicated to its history, and at the top, there's a lovely panoramic view over the city. While walking through the surrounding park, we came across one of Hiroshima's symbolic survivor trees, one of the few trees that endured the atomic bombing.

It's an incredibly moving place, and I highly recommend visiting if you're in Hiroshima.

You can find all of these Hiroshima locations, plus many more, on my interactive map: MY MAP JAPAN

We happened to be visiting during Golden Week (which I'll talk about in another article), and we were lucky enough to experience Children's Day, known as Kodomo no Hi.

Celebrated every year on May 5th, this holiday is dedicated to children's health, happiness, and future success.

All around us, colorful carp streamers floated through the sky.

These are called koinobori, and they're one of the most iconic symbols of the celebration. Each carp represents a family member: black for the father, red for the mother, and blue or green for the children.

Why carp? Because carp are known for swimming upstream against strong currents, making them a symbol of courage, perseverance, and determination. Watching them dance in the wind felt genuinely magical, almost like a collective message of hope for future generations.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around with no particular destination.

And honestly, that's often when the best moments happen. We met several incredibly kind locals, and I even exchanged a few words with a taxi driver... in French! Without a doubt, some of the warmest people we met during our entire trip to Japan.

As usual, the evening included a mandatory stop at a konbini to try a few new snacks. We're definitely a little addicted at this point.

Then it was back to the hotel to prepare for the following day... which, spoiler alert, would not go according to plan at all.

Day 3: Goodbye Hiroshima, Hello Kyoto!

Today was supposed to be our big day trip to Miyajima, an island located about an hour from Hiroshima and accessible only by ferry.

Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.

Strong winds, heavy rain... not exactly ideal conditions for exploring the island.

So we decided to save Miyajima for another trip, and honestly, we're certain we'll come back one day.

Instead, we enjoyed a slow morning at the hotel. One final breakfast, one final visit to the onsen (our favorite Japanese ritual), and then it was time to get ready to leave.

Because we didn't want to drag all our luggage through multiple trains during the next stage of our Kansai adventure, we used the Takkyubin luggage delivery service to send our bags directly to our hotel in Tokyo, where we'd be arriving four days later. Honestly, it's one of the best travel services we've ever used, and I recommend it 100%. (I'll be writing a full article about it very soon.)

As a result, we traveled with just one suitcase between the two of us, which made everything much easier.

Around 11 a.m., we walked the ten minutes back to Hiroshima Station and boarded our train to Kyoto, one of the cities we had been looking forward to the most.

💡 Dreaming of a stress-free trip to Japan?

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Whether you're passionate about pop culture, temples, nature, or food, we'll take care of the planning so you can simply enjoy the experience. ✨

Ana from New Escapade ✨

My interactive map gathers all the locations from my trip and helps you optimize your own future Japan itinerary:  MY MAP JAPAN