Your guide will lead you out of Hiroshima Station and provide some brief information about the city as you make your way to the first destination of the day, Shukkei-en Garden. Within the garden, you will take a leisurely stroll around the main pond, admiring the tea houses, bridges, and hills, while stopping at the best photo spots. Your guide will also give a thorough explanation of Japanese gardens and their main design principles. As you walk, you will learn about the construction of Shukkei-en during the Edo period, its concept as a “miniaturized landscape,” and its different restorations in the past 400 years. Lastly, your guide will explain the role of the garden as an evacuation site during World War II, and what it symbolizes today to the people of Hiroshima.

Your guide will take you to the main locations within the ruins and explain their history, purpose, and significance. These locations include the Castle Tower, Ninomaru enclosure, and Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine. By using Hiroshima Castle as “case study,” you will gain a better understanding of Japanese history and the development of castle towns. As you walk through the ruins, your guide will help you picture what life would have been like during the Edo Period in a flourishing city of Japan. Our next stop will be the Atomic Bomb Dome located within the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. This building was inaugurated in 1915, with the purpose of exhibiting and selling products from Hiroshima Prefecture and it was the only structure left standing near the explosion’s hypocenter. As you walk to this next location, your guide will provide historical context about World War II and the events leading up to the bombing.

Our last stop of the tour will be the Peace Memorial Museum. Within, you will be able to observe the personal belongings left behind by the victims of the atomic bombing. The exhibits will walk you through the events of August 6th, the many hardships and trauma that followed in the years after, and the ultimate reconstruction of the city. Your tour guide will offer some context before entering the different exhibition rooms, but for the most part, this will serve as an opportunity to quietly learn about and reflect on this historical event.