Hiroshima From a New Perspective: The Orizuru Tower

ByMichael Stigall

Family Fun, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture

Nov 30, 2021

Hiroshima From a New Perspective: The Orizuru Tower

Tokyo has Tokyo Tower and the popular Skytree, Osaka has the Umeda Sky Building but what about Hiroshima? Where can you go to get a bird’s eye view of the city? Say hello to the Orizuru Tower!

Owned by Hiroshima Mazda Co., the main attraction of the 13-story building is the observation deck at the top. Refurbished and redesigned by the Hiroshima-based architect, Hiroshi Sambuichi, the Tower and deck offer views not only of the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park below but also the mountains surrounding Hiroshima and the island of Miyajima. It’s a nice place to go for a date and when I visited in the late afternoon, the sunset was spectacular.

The location of the tower is somewhat controversial. Located right on the edge of Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, the tower is emblematic of the struggles of both the local residents and commercial developers of the city to maintain the balance between the sacred area and the desire for yet another tourist attraction that will bring revenue.

Orizuru Tower opened to the public back on July 11, 2016, and has been pretty popular since its opening although it comes at the relatively steep price of 1,700 yen can. More than a few locals (both Japanese and expats) I’ve spoken to have balked at that price, but it is still pretty popular with overseas visitors. Children are not much cheaper unfortunately with tickets for 12-17-year-olds costing 900 yen, 6-11-year-olds costing 700 yen, and 4-5-year-olds costing 500 yen, respectively. It makes for an expensive family outing that probably won’t be of much interest to younger children. 

If you don’t feel like paying anything at all, you are welcome to visit the first floor for free and this is where you can wander around browsing a selection of local products. There’s also Akushu Café where you can sit down and enjoy a drink or small meal either inside or out on the terrace. Takeaway versions are also available.

All in all, although the view is nice, there are other views that are cheaper or even free in Japan. I guess if you live here you can go once and say that you’ve been, but there are other viewpoints such as the Peace Pagoda that are free. If I was simply visiting Hiroshima, I don’t think I would pay to go as there are many more attractions in town worth visiting more. 

For more information on Orizuru Tower, check out their website, www.orizurutower.jp which is available in Japanese, English, and French.

Orizuru Tower

〒730-0051 Hiroshima-ken, Hiroshima-shi, Naka-ku, Ōtemachi, 1 Chome−2−1 (map link)
www.orizurutower.jp
+81 82-569-6200

Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons