Travel guideHistorySightsNightlifeMap

Hiroshima Nightlife, Japan

Despite its terrible past, Hiroshima is actually a city where you can spend an enjoyable couple of weeks of holidaymaking. Hiroshima is known more for having been the victim of the atomic bomb attack during World War II. Nowadays Hiroshima is a flourishing industrial city, and while the memorial dedicated to the victims of the tragedy attracts countless visitors, there is much more to this city than its sad history. Hiroshima’s nightlife might not be as varied as Tokyo’s, but the locals certainly live life to the fullest, and you will find many exciting haunts such as cafes, restaurants and clubs. Hiroshima is like any other Japanese metropolis, with blinding neon lights and dizzyingly hi-tech buildings, with some traditional homes, shrines and eateries hidden among the bustle. This Hiroshima Nightlife Guide will tell you all about the most interesting restaurants, cafes and clubs in this amazingly lively city.

Hiroshima Nightlife - Cafes and Restaurants

The trademark dish of Hiroshima is the okonomiyaki, a Japanese savoury pancake prepared with different ingredients according to regions. If you are visiting Hiroshima, you definitely must taste the local type of okonomiyaki, quite different from the Osaka style okonomiyaki found in other regions.

There are about a hundred restaurants that serve okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, and you can try out a few of them in Okonomi-mira, a complex that hosts no less than 27 okonomiyaki restaurants. Okonomi Monogatari Ekimae-Hiroba is another cluster of okonomiyaki places, but this time with an Edo-period inspired décor. Organ-za serves Japanese, Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese dishes, and after a delicious meal, you can enjoy a few drinks and listen to live music. J Café is a small café with a pleasant ambience where you can order some tasty crepes or waffles to accompany your cup of coffee or tea. Shichida Life Cafe has not only an incredible range of coffee and tea varieties, but it also serves light and healthy lunches.

This Hiroshima Nightlife Guide recommends that you try the region’s famous oysters, expertly prepared by the chefs at Kanawa, a boat-restaurant specializing in seafood dishes.

Hiroshima Nightlife - Bars and Clubs

Nagarekawa district used to be known as Hiroshima’a bohemian corner where artists and writers would gather, and today it is a web of narrow streets filled with interesting bars and clubs. The most popular clubs in the city are located in Nagarekawa, for example Sacred Spirits, Twister and Mac Bar. If you’re into rock music, especially the Japanese variety, spend the night dancing at Club Quattro. Molly Malone’s is very popular with foreigners, and it is full of people especially when there is a big game on television.

email to a friendAsk our travel experts a question about Hiroshima