HIP HIROSHIMA
HIROSHIMA IS FAST BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST HAPPENING PLACES IN JAPAN. THE HIPSTERS AT www.GETHIROSHIMA.COM TELL US WHY

IT’S 2am on a Sunday night. One of the world’s top drum and bass DJs steps behind the turntables, and the hands of 500 Japanese kids fly up in the air. The first tune drops and the place goes wild. Later, it’s the turn of the homegrown heroes to show their mettle, and the crowd isn’t going anywhere. Decked out in a mash-up of high-end designer gear and urban street wear, they are here to party – and they party hard, until well after this writer is tucked up on his futon.

Koba owner Bom has
created a popular art, dining
and music space. You could be in Tokyo or Osaka, but you’re not. This is Hiroshima. Just a few years ago, the youth of this city of a million people were all dressed up with nowhere to go but the karaoke. Lately, however, the city has undergone something of a rebirth. Spurred on by a new breed of passionate and energetic scene-makers who are challenging the long-held perception of Hiroshima as a provincial backwater, the city’s latest incarnation is all about fun.

Haru Oyama runs his family's
sake and wine emporium.Nights out in Hiroshima used to be a choice between spending a fortune in one of countless tiny bars surrounded by people singing “Country Roads”, or hitting one of the few, generally rather tatty, establishments popular wiThexpats. These days, visitors are spoilt for choice. The old places remain, but the trickle of stylishly original cafés and bars that began opening in the late ’90s has turned into a flood. The Nagarekawa drinking district, with its groups of salarymen reeling through narrow neon-lit streets, is certainly still worth a visit, but it is no longer the only option for an evening of delectable food, lively drinks and dancing the night away.

It’s almost as though at around the dawn of the new millennium, people all across the city decided enough was enough, and that they were going to do something to revitalise their lives by giving their friends new places to go and new things to do. You’ll find many of these people at Koba, where the owner, Bom, has created a popular dining, art and music space. Bom, a talented musician himself, loves the fact that there are so many musicians in town and that there is so much going on, finding that life here is more or less stress-free. Koba is an essential port of call for those wishing to navigate Hiroshima’s creative scene and, along with the other nearby hip bars Opium and New York, exemplifies Hiroshima’s transformation.

"Hiroshima has undergone something of a rebirth. Spurred on by a new breed of passionate and energetic scene-makers who are challenging the long-held perception of Hiroshima as a provincial backwater, the city’s latest incarnation is all about fun "

It’s not only the city’s nightlife that has been getting a make-over. People take food seriously here, and it would require months to try all of Hiroshima’s best restaurants. Gerant is one of the up-and-coming restaurateurs taking dining in the city to a new level. At his small nouveau French restaurant, R Gerant, he refuses to compromise on any of the high-quality ingredients he considers essential to creating a successful dining space: food, service, music and atmosphere. He credits his inspiration to travel magazines –while looking at the glossy pictures, he considers what makes people interested in the places, tastes and sounds featured and aims to recreate that kind of longing and interest.

While it’s certainly less refined, most locals would be quite offended if a visitor left without trying Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, developed from a simple dish that A-bomb survivors cooked on iron plates. The hearty meal of noodles, meat and vegetables is served between thin egg crepes, topped with a sweet sauce and usually eaten straight from the hotplate. Every local has their favorite, but Rokutsuboya is a funky little okonomi bar that is moving forward by looking back. Tapping into recent nostalgia for the Sh[014d]wa era of the 1950s and 1960s, chef Daisuke serves up tasty okonomiyaki and drinks to trendy youngsters enjoying the rough-and-ready downtown scene.

Countless restaurants and bars now offer top-quality wines and beers from all around the world, but Haru Oyama, who runs the Yamatoya sake and wine emporium, is on a mission to restore local varieties of sake, known as jizake, as the drink of choice. A major brewing region, Hiroshima has many small-scale, award-winning sake producers. Don’t do sake? Oyama reckons that a taste of some of Hiroshima’s top-quality ginjyo varieties will change your mind. His family has been brewing since the samurai were around, so he is the perfect ambassador to be switching people back on to this most traditional of drinks in non-traditional settings like live music concerts and even club events.

"Bounded by the Inland Sea on one side and the Chugoku Mountains on the other, Hiroshima is often described as Japan in miniature "

Bounded by the Inland Sea on one side and the Chugoku Mountains on the other, Hiroshima is oft en described as Japan in miniature. As well as being the source of great sake, the city centre’s mix of trendy, very 21st-century bars and restaurants as well as those that conjure up imaginings of times long past means that Hiroshima is a place you’ll never get tired of eating and drinking your way around.

The reconstruction Hiroshima
“Carp” Castle has attractive
views and grounds.What is perhaps most impressive about the success of Haru, Gerant, Bom and others like them is that they have achieved it during a long period of recession. Fresh and foward-looking, driven first and foremost by passion rather than money, their achievements are collectively helping to reshape Hiroshima. As the nation now moves towards recovery, the future looks very bright indeed.

GETTING IN AND AROUND
Limousine buses connect Hiroshima International Airport and the city centre in less than an hour. Once in the city you’ll find it very compact, and the wide boulevards and riverside paths make it one of Japan’s most pleasant to explore on foot or by bicycle. The bus system can be confusing, but the streetcars are cheap, easy to use and will take you just about anywhere you want to go. If you want to be more than a tourist, pick up the GetHiroshima town map at the airport or your hotel to guide you to all the places mentioned in this article and many more.

MAIN SIGHTS
The building known as the A-Bomb Dome miraculously survived the 1945 blast despite being only metres from the hypocentre. Visiting the Peace Memorial Museum is a heavy experience, but a must. A look around the National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims is also very worthwhile. A stroll around the outskirts of the Peace Park is reviving; people exercising and rock-star hopefuls singing their hearts out under the bridge are testimony to the city’s energy. Hiroshima “Carp” Castle is a reconstruction, but has pleasant grounds, interesting exhibits and a good view from the top.

Hiroshima’s wide boulevards and riverside paths make it one of Japan’s most pleasant cities to explore on foot or by bicycle

Shukkeien is a very pretty Japanese garden, picturesque any time of year. Itsukushima Shrine, with its “floating” torii gate on Miyajima Island, is a scenic World Heritage site; popular with tour groups, it is best visited early or late in the day.

HOTELS
Kikkawa Hotel FLEX
Contemporary urban design, ideally located between the railway station and city centre, with great views over the Kyobashi River. 7-1 Kaminobori-machi, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 223-1000, www.hotel-flex.co.jp

Iwaso
The oldest inn on the island of Miyajima, with forest walks, medieval shrines and temples on its doorstep. A special place, its elegant blend of tradition and luxury make it the hotel of choice for those who appreciate excellence. Momiji-dani, Miyajima-cho, Saeki-gun, tel +81 (0)82 944-2233, www.iwaso.com

SHOP TILL YOU DROP
Consumer therapy is the national pastime, and while you’ll find all the big name designers in Hiroshima, it’s great fun to join the hunt for quirky twists on the latest fashions in small boutiques in the Namiki-dori and Fukuromachi areas. The following shops offer traditional but unique souvenirs that will delight friends and family.

Nagai-kami
A wonderful range of washi Japanese paper and traditional souvenirs. 2F, 1-15 Hondori, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 247-0125

Yume-ya
Quaint, vintage kimonos and original kimono-made goods near Yokogawa Station. 3-2-7 Yokogawa, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 238-8592

Yamatoya
What better Hiroshima souvenir than a bottle of top-quality Hiroshima jizake from the Oyama family’s bustling store? 4-3 Ebisu-cho, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 241-5660

Ryokan Sansui
Small, homely and located in a quiet residential area, staying at Sansui is more like a home stay than a hotel – complete with Japanese culture lessons. 4-16, Koami-cho, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 293-9051

NIGHTLIFE

Rokutsuboya is an okonomi
bar where chef Daisuke serves
up tasty okonomiyaki
and drinks.
There are thousands of tiny bars, restaurants and clubs in the Nagarekawa entertainment district. More seedy establishments are here too, but it is generally very safe and is where to head if you want to make merry till dawn. Walking the neon-lit streets can be entertaining in itself. Small-scale and underground, Hiroshima clubbing is more about the event than the venue. Discerning clubbers and those looking for live music should check www.gethiroshima.com or bilingual free magazine PEACE for the latest listings.

WINING AND DINING
Chic café-bars such as Koba, New York and Opium can be found along the tree-lined Namiki-dori and Jizo-dori streets. Tempura Tenko is a great introduction to Japanese dining, and Rokutsuboya is the place to try local speciality okonomiyaki with the hipper set.

traditional Japanese
gifts at Nagai-kami.
Those craving something familiar may like to try large, Western-style restaurant-bars such as The Shack or Molly Malone’s. For fine European cuisine, R Gerant cannot be beaten, while Yamatsubaki is the place to treat yourself to traditional kaiseki (a light meal or “tasting menu”) served with style.

Tempura Tenko, 2F, Nakamachi Naganuma Building, 5-1 Naka-machi, Naka-ku, tel + 81 (0)82 242-3933; Rokutsuboya, 4-1-12 Hondori, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 247-6586; R. Gerant, 7-28 Nobori-machi, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 228-5660; Yamatsubaki, 2-3 Yagenbori, Naka-ku, tel +81 (0)82 545-6777

HIDDEN GEMS
Mitaki Temple

The enchanting Mitaki Temple
is famed for its red pagoda
and stone Buddha statues.Mountain paths take you past countless jizo statues – all with unique expressions – through the most atmospheric temple grounds in the city.

Shuimizu Gekijo
Vaudeville, sentimental Japanese songs and kabuki are performed by itinerant family troupes for intensely loyal fans. A totally different world seen by very few outsiders.

Central Waste Processing Plant
Yes, you did read that right! Visionary modern architecture designed by Yoshio Taniguchi on the Yoshijima seafront.

HAPPENING NOW
Winter is oyster season, and Hiroshima has a long history of producing tasty bivalves, supplying over half the nation. Oyster farms dot the sea around Miyajima, and restaurants serve them up in all manner of ways at this time of year. Local oyster festivals attract large crowds and are held at ports along the coast almost every weekend in February.

SNAPSHOTS OF HIROSHIMA
THERE’S MAGNIFICENT SCENERY, FASCINATING HISTORY AND DELICIOUS DINING IN HIROSHIMA, DISCOVERS BRUNO NANTA O’ SOT

The first thing you notice about Hiroshima is how picturesque it is – particularly when viewed from a height. Lush mountain ranges rise on one side of the city. On the other, the coastline glistens in the distance. In between high-rises are flawless seams of greenery and pretty parks. Taking in the panorama, it’s clear that the Hiroshima that emerged after the 1945 atomic bomb is a city with a pride of its own – and a wealth of attractions for visitors.

The Motoyasu-gawa River winds its way through the city to meet the Ota-gawa River right at the tip of the Peace Memorial Park.

The peaceful banks are fringed with Japan’s famous sakura, or cherry blossoms, and are particularly spectacular when filled with delicate pink bloom between late March and mid-April.

The Peace Park was built to remember the nuclear attack; today, it represents a call for world peace. Within the vast park, which stretches over the delta where the two rivers merge, stands the only remaining ruin from the event – the A-Bomb Dome. Spare at least two hours to visit the park’s A-Bomb Museum, where models of pre- and post-bomb Hiroshima draw close attention from all visitors – from local school children to world leaders.

Today’s Hiroshima is a very different city to that of 60 years ago. Following the city’s reconstruction after the bomb, people hailing from all over the country and the world have visited and stayed. Cosmopolitan Hiroshima has become one of the business hubs of Japan.

Nagarekawa Street is the centre of after-dark action. Hiroshima’s nightlife goes on until the early hours here. Don’t miss sampling okonomiyaki in a local restaurant; the dish, sometimes known as “Japanese pizza”, is available with meat or Hiroshima’s renowned local seafood.

Itsukushima Shrine is one of Japan’s top sights, attracting tens of thousands of tourists a year. The journey to this sacred place on Miyajima Island is an easy one – about one hour from Hiroshima on a local train line and a short ferry ride. The shrine’s crimson torii (gateway) rises elegantly from the water, welcoming the spirits of the departed as they come across Japan’s Inland Sea.

PICTURES HIROSHIMA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU, BENJAMIN SIRIRAT, BRUNO NANTA O’ SOT, FLORENCE NOBUKO SMITH, PAUL WALSH, JJ WALSH AND REBECCA SCHMIT