Streetcars

People in Hiroshima are proud of their streetcars, and will tell you so. The city is the last in Japan to maintain an extensive streetcar system, and many of the trains are old cars purchased when other Japanese cities discontinued or downsized their own streetcar lines.

The streetcar terminal is on the south side of Hiroshima Station. At the terminal, visitors can buy a pre-paid travel ticket, discussed in the ‘Buses’ section of this virtual tour, which will allow access to the streetcars, the buses, and the Astram monorail.

Most, but not all, of the streetcar lines originate at Hiroshima Station. Travelers headed for Peace Park should take the Number 2 or 6 streetcars.

Announcements for the Peace Park stop are made in English. The Number 5 line will take you to Hiroshima Port, where you’ll find ferries to a number of islands in the Seto Inland Sea, including Miyajima (see below).

Fares are a flat 150 yen in the city center, or 270 yen for the Number 2 streetcar, which makes the 55 minute run to the Miyajima-guchi ferry terminal. This is the cheapest way to reach the ferry terminal, and an additional 170 yen for the ferry ticket will carry visitors to Miyajima, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Itsukushima Shrine and one of the most important cultural centers in western Japan.

Matt Mangham

Hiroshima Electric Railway: http://www.hiroden.co.jp/train/rosenzu/streetcar_map.htm