Ganko Yatai: A Night Owl’s Go-To Food Court

Aug 26, 2019 By Hugh Cann

Ganko Yatai is basically six small izakayas (Japanese taverns) wedged into one large room make up this lively spot, where beer or sake are served up with the usual izakaya fare, including some local-style okonomiyaki. You quite likely already know the bustling Nagarekawa entertainment district and actually on a side...[ Click to read more ]

Live Music Venues in Hiroshima

By Hugh Cann

There are over half a dozen active live music venues in Hiroshima. As anywhere and according to taste and interest, some with a slick music venue feel, others quite bohemian and eclectic… Most of the venues are clustered within the Nagarekawa / Yagenbori entertainment district. Nearly all are understandably focused...[ Click to read more ]

Yokogawa: Where Old and New Meet in Hiroshima

By Hugh Cann

Historically, Yokogawa is the old Shitamachi and before the second world war was Hiroshima's commercial business district. The post-war reconstruction shifted most commercial and retail activity to Naka -ku (ward) area of central Hiroshima. Today, some of the businesses in Yokogawa remain much as they were after the immediate reconstruction....[ Click to read more ]

A Driving Obsession – Where to Play Golf in Hiroshima

Jul 22, 2019 By Hugh Cann

The history of golf in Japan stretches back more than a century. The country’s first golf club was established in Kobe by a group of British expats way back in 1903, and the Japan Golf Association was set up one hundred years ago in 1924. Japan’s “golf boom” came in...[ Click to read more ]

Kure City – Historic Charm on Hiroshima’s Seto Inland Sea

By Hugh Cann

Kure on the Seto Inland Sea approximately 45 minutes by train from Hiroshima is a city steeped in the historic charm and scenic beauty of the Seto Inland Sea and forms part of Japan's industrial backbone.  As the second oldest naval port it hosts the Yamato Museum, other attractions are...[ Click to read more ]

No Comments

Fukuyama, the Gem of East Hiroshima Gem

Jun 28, 2019 By Hugh Cann

Only a 30-minute bullet train ride or a 90-minute drive from Hiroshima, Fukuyama City has many gems and a big plus is that it is apparently unaffected (so far) by the surge in tourism in Japan. Fukuyama seems like a brother overlooked because of the appeal of elder his brother....[ Click to read more ]

A History of Hiroshima’s Soul-Food, Okonomiyaki

By Hugh Cann

Okonomiyaki (o-konomi-yaki) is often described as a Japanese savory pancake made from a variety of ingredients that includes shredded cabbage, flour, and yam-based batter, meat (generally fresh pork belly) and seafood. The name comes from the word okonomi, meaning "how you like" or "what you like," and yaki meaning "cooked"...[ Click to read more ]

Out Drinking in Hiroshima

May 27, 2019 By Hugh Cann

** Note: 2020.08.22 - This article is currently in the process of being updated. Please check back to confirm details.** You have had a great week and want to celebrate, or possibly it was one of those weeks that felt like a string of Mondays one after the other and...[ Click to read more ]

Hiking Mt Mitaki in Hiroshima City

By Hugh Cann

The best hike within Hiroshima City is a great bush hike to the summit of Mt Mitaki on the outskirts of the city. Mt Mitaki is best known for Mitaki-dera (三瀧寺), an historic Japanese temple nestling on the mountainside, a very short but entirely well worthwhile journey from Hiroshima city...[ Click to read more ]

The Mazda Museum in Hiroshima – More Than You’d Expect

By Hugh Cann

Amongst the museums, galleries, and attractions you will find in Hiroshima, perhaps one of the more surprisingly interesting is the Mazda Museum. In fact, it may well be news to you indeed that the Mazda brand originated in Hiroshima and where the Mazda Motor Corporation, founded in Hiroshima in 1920,...[ Click to read more ]