I had little reason to visit Hiroshima other than to gain more context on the aftermath of the nuclear explosion during World War II.
With higher-than-average accommodation costs, it seemed like a perfect two night pit stop between Fukuoka and Osaka.
Noticeably more expensive hotels than any other city in Japan aside from Tokyo, I imagine due to the density of tourists passing through.
With this in mind, I took this as an opportunity to tick off an item from my Japan checklist - staying in a capsule hotel. I spent two nights at the Capsule Hotel Cube - it's a remarkably well-run and spotless operation, but it's hard to imagine that you'll have the best sleep of your life in such a concept.
A couple of nights in such a set up is absolutely fine if it is during the summer months and you intend on spending 90% of the day outside; otherwise, it's hard to justify spending any of your time in the country in such a contraption.
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New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
Whilst there is no WeWork in the city, there's a number of independent outlets dotted around the centre. I booked a day pass at ヒロマラボ which I've written about in greater detail below.
Accommodation aside, prices in Hiroshima are generally in line with the rest of the country, with access to key tourist attractions in the city priced very low.
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The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read moreApart from Naha, Hiroshima was by far the least vibrant city I encountered during my journey across the country. Beyond the city centre, there was little of note to experience. Most visitors come primarily to reflect on the historical events that took place there. However, beyond that, it was difficult to justify an extended stay, especially when compared to more dynamic cities such as Osaka.
Japan observes Japan Standard Time (JST), which is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, the time difference reduces to 8 hours during the summer months as Japan does not observe daylight saving time.This large gap in time zones has advantages and disadvantages, but planning a trip during the summer would reduce the likelihood of having to work past midnight to maintain alignment with European schedules.
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
Without doubt, being able to speak Spanish with a degree of fluency is a huge asset when visiting South America. I had always put off visiting the continent due to my Spanish skills not extending beyond requesting a "cerveza grande".
But even with my incredibly primitive linguistic capabilities, it was not in any way to the detriment of the trip. English is spoken sparsely, but armed with a few phrases, some polite enthusiasm and a translator, it shouldn't deter you from visiting.
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Viewing the western skyline of the city from the ヒロマラボ coworking space, it's difficult to comprehend the scale of destruction that took place and the remarkable success of Hiroshima's recovery.
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A unique Japanese quirk seems to be the communal lending of umbrellas. It's not uncommon to see racks of these dotted around outdoor spaces. On the flip side - if you want to ensure yours returns, you may want to keep it in your bag.
Originally the 'Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall,' what is now known as the Atomic Bomb Dome is one of the few structures left standing in the hypocentre of the nuclear blast.
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