Your Guide to Hiroshima: Part 2—Lodging & Accommodation

Once you arrive in Hiroshima, you are going to want to find a place to stay—that is, if you plan on staying overnight.  There are about five hostels, two hotels, and four ryokans (旅館) in the city as of: August 11, 2009.  (If you haven’t already familiarized yourself with them, ryokans are traditional Japanese hotels/hostels, where you get breakfast, baths, and a high amount of structured pampering). The hostels/hotels/ryokans are as follows:

Hostels: Backpackers Hostel K’s House; Hana Hostel; J Hoppers Trad Guesthouse; Hiroshima Youth Hostel; and, Backpackers Miyajima (this final one is not in Hiroshima.  It is actually on Miyajima (宮島), a small island just off the coast of Hiroshima, accessible by ferry).

Hotels: Hiroshima Central Hotel; Hotel Million City.

Ryokan: Kyoubashi Ryokan; Ryokan Sansui; Ikawa Ryokan; Kasuga Ryokan.

When we visited Hiroshima, we stayed at J Hoppers Hostel, which was fantastic.  Be aware though, their rooms are community rooms, meaning that there will be six to eight beds in a single room, so if you are traveling in small numbers (as you should be!) you will have to put up with rooming with other people.

We’d highly recommend staying at J Hoppers for a number of reasons.  Number one, they don’t have a lockout, meaning there isn’t a curfew time to which you have to return to the hostel.  The doors do lock, but you can buzz the door and be let in by an attendant.  The second reason we’d recommend J Hoppers is that it is close to everything—the downtown area, electronic shopping area, Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園), and the A-Bomb Dome　(原爆ドーム) .  They also rent out bikes for 500 yen per day, which is a steal.  Below is a map to help you find your way to J-Hoppers.

Hiroshima is one of the few cities in Japan that abides by the laws of a grid system, making it easier than most to navigate.  We’d highly highly highly recommend renting a bike from J-Hoppers even if you don’t stay there, as Hiroshima is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been to.  Watch out though, as Hiroshima employs a strange gutter system in the sidewalk—which is where you’ll be riding.  It’s a two to three inch dip, and you can easy get your tire caught and flip your bike over (this isn’t pleasant, just ask Collins!). Either way, you will enjoy your time amongst the protective mountains until the sun sets.

-Safe Travels