Peace Park & Surrounds

I. LOVE. HIROSHIMA!! I fell in love with this city when I came here for work in the summer of 2001 — living about 70 km away, visiting maybe twice a month, speaking almost no Japanese and reading even less. I met my wife here. I've raised two children here. I consider this my home now, and I love to show people around my home.

I love explaining the history and the culture — not just the reason everyone in the world knows the name of our city, but our lemons, our shellfish, our industry, our baseball and soccer teams. We will definitely discuss some sad and disturbing topics on this tour, but we will also discover the true spirit of Hiroshima and the Japanese people. You will come out of this with a greater understanding of why Hiroshima is known as a city of peace — and why we say: No more Hiroshimas!

1. Meet up — anywhere in the city, whether you're arriving by boat, submarine, spacecraft, time portal, or interdimensional shuttle. I can also meet you at your lodging, and we can have a chat as we walk. This tour is entirely on foot.
2. Shiro Kami Shrine — if you have a goshuinchō (shrine stamp book), we can get it signed here for ¥500.
3. First Japan National Bank building — a building that survived the blast and is still in use to this day. (We'll likely also pass the Andersen building, another survivor.)
4. Peace Park — lots to see here… I'm going to talk your ears off.
5. Atomic Bomb Dome — UNESCO World Heritage Site.
6. Hypocenter Monument — the center of the blast.
7. Rest House basement — the story of Eizō Nomura, a survivor.
8. Peace Museum — we part ways here, and you explore the museum at your own pace.