Hiroshima Castle

Hiroshima Castle is a historic Japanese castle in central Hiroshima, originally constructed at the end of the 16th century and rebuilt after wartime destruction. The present castle tower is a postwar concrete reconstruction that commemorates the site’s feudal history and houses a local history museum.

The castle’s five-storey keep (tenshu) and surrounding moats and earthworks defined the original defensive complex; the grounds now function as a public park and historic site. Visitors commonly walk the moats and gardens and visit the keep’s museum exhibits on Hiroshima’s pre-modern period.

The original fortress was built in the 1590s and served as the seat of the local daimyō (feudal lord) until the Meiji era; it was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945 and later rebuilt in 1958 as a concrete reconstruction that opened as a museum. Remaining stone walls and reconstructed structures mark the castle’s historical footprint in the modern city.

The castle stands in central Hiroshima, within easy walking distance of the Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima city centre; it is a short drive or tram ride from Hiroshima Station and is prominent within the urban grid.

• Cherry blossoms: Cherry blossoms around the castle moat create a popular spring viewing spot in Hiroshima; evenings in spring and autumn are attractive for photos of the illuminated keep.
• Reconstruction: The original castle was destroyed by the atomic bombing on 6 August 1945; the current concrete reconstruction dates from 1958 and functions as a museum rather than an original wooden keep.

What to See #

• Main keep (tenshu): Main keep (tenshu) - a reconstructed five-storey castle tower rebuilt in concrete in 1958 that houses a museum of Hiroshima's feudal history and displays about the castle's past and the city.
• Grounds and moats: Castle grounds and moats include traditional fortifications, gardens and the Honmaru central bailey area that survive as landscaped public space and historical features.