emd

For work on an itinerary-- Those of you who have gone there before, how much time should we allow for the Peace Park, and how much time does it take to get there from the train station?
Thanks in advance.

mrwunrfl

It's a short streetcar ride, maybe 10 minutes, no more. There are two lines that go near to the park. They split into a Y. You can take the line that goes to the stadium/Genbaku Dome area (I think it is the Genbaku Dome stop) at the north end of the park. Stroll south, visiting the dome and the memorials on the way. Definitely visit the museum. After the museum, go south a very short distance, past the parking lot, to the avenue, turn left (west) and walk a block or so to the main avenue/boulevard where you can catch the streetcar back to the station.

One of the streetcars, maybe the one that goes by Genbaku Dome, will eventually get you to Miyajima-guchi. A different line goes to the port where there is a boat that goes to Miyajima (not a JR boat, though, like one of the Miyajimaguchi ferries).

mrwunrfl

Oh! Three hours, more or less. Depends on how long you linger at the sights in the park. The museum is not large, you could spend an hour or four there.

emd

Thanks very much. I'm not sure we are going to make it to Miyajima this trip, as we are not doing an overnight in that area. We are getting a very early shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima, going to the Peace Park, getting a shinkansen to Kurashiki for the afternoon and evening, and then going back to Kyoto to sleep.
We will miss Miyajima, but we are staying 2 days on Lake Ashi between Yokohama and Kyoto so we will get nature, water, hiking, clean air (and a little tori gate) there.
So little time, so many choices, and I don't want many days like the one described above where we are moving so much. Already planning the second trip for 2006.

mrwunrfl

Ok. The Japan Solo book is good for the hit and run city visits that I think you are planning (because of the maps). I haven't had a chance to take a look at the other book you mentioned.

You would take streetcar #2 or #6 and get off at the 9th stop: Genbaku-dome-mae. The mae before that Kamiyacho would be convenient for Hiroshima castle (a reproduction, of course). It is after the Kamiyacho stop when the #1 streetcar turns left.

Follow the directions in my earlier post and you will see the #1 line that you can catch at the Fukuromachi stop. Kamiyacho is the second stop from there.

I think you know that the shinkansen tracks are on one side of Hiroshima eki and that the main city entrance is on the other side. Follow the signs and the flow to cross over and the streetcar terminus will be easy to find once you get outside.

emd

Thank you so much for the details, which are important on a day like that one.
( P.S. Go Red Sox; we are getting ready to head out to the game. Even though the Expos will be in D.C., my heart is in the American League. And if the Carps are playing preseason in Hiroshima that day we may have to change our plans and stay to watch the game!)