西広島駅から天神川まで歩いて飲む | Walk & Drink: Nishi-Hiroshima Station → Tenjingawa
Hello — I’m Nobushi. Today I’ll walk from JR Nishi-Hiroshima Station to Tenjingawa Station. Nishi-Hiroshima Station is two stops from Hiroshima Station, so it’s easy to access. It originally opened in 1897 as “Koi Station,” and it’s a station with a long history that has witnessed people’s lives before and after the war. It was renamed “Nishi-Hiroshima Station” during the Shōwa era, and in recent years an elevated station building and a pedestrian concourse were completed — the new station building has been in use since 2022. By the way, this was the first time I got off at this station since the new station building opened. This is a statue of the children’s book series Zukkoke Sannin-gumi — often rendered in English as The Zukkoke Trio. The author Masakami Nasu is from this area, and a statue of the three characters stands in front of the station. I loved this series when I was in elementary school. Especially The Rumored Zukkoke Corporation. I really enjoyed how the story escalated — selling ramen to fishermen, issuing stock certificates, and the whole scheme growing bigger and bigger. Today’s route crosses the Ota River delta from west to east, and along the way we’ll stop at Hijiyama Park to enjoy a meal and a drink. We’ll cross six rivers today — first is the Ota River floodway. It is the main channel of the Ota River system. The Ota River is a major river that shapes Hiroshima; it branches within the city to form a delta and flows into the Seto Inland Sea. This “floodway” was constructed to safely channel excess water during heavy rain, helping to reduce flood damage in the urban area. After crossing the Ota River floodway, we enter Peace Boulevard, which runs east–west through the center of Hiroshima. It’s about 3.6 km long and roughly 100 meters wide, which is why it’s also called the “100-meter road.” Zelkova (keyaki) trees line both sides, creating a distinctive streetscape. This boulevard was created as part of postwar reconstruction planning; it features sidewalks and benches and is suitable for walking and sightseeing. Each May the Hiroshima Flower Festival is held here, drawing roughly 500,000 visitors in a single day. The second river is the Tenma River. We’ll walk across Midori Bridge that spans it. This area near Peace Park has residences and parks, and many memorial monuments line the sidewalks. Next is the third river, the old Ota River, commonly called “Hon-gawa” (the Main River). Beyond the bridge, Peace Memorial Park comes into view. The park contains sites such as the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Museum, and various cenotaphs, and it attracts many domestic and international visitors. What you can see now is the Peace Memorial Museum. The exhibits have changed over time: while there used to be many dioramas and mannequins, the displays are now reportedly more document- and artifact-based. I haven’t been inside for nearly 40 years — please take a look for yourselves. Further in lies the cenotaph, and beyond it you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome. Next we’ll cross the fourth river, the Motoyasu River. You can see an unusual railing — this is the Peace Bridge. The Peace Bridge was designed by architect Kenzo Tange and was completed in 1949. A distinctive feature is the main pillars (oyabashira), designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi. They are modeled on a ship’s prow; the west side is named “Yuku” and the opposite side is named “Tsukuru.” It is said the symbolism expresses the idea that the spirits of those who perished in the bombing set off on a voyage. After crossing the Motoyasu River I found an onigiri (rice ball) shop. I’ll stop by for a bit. “Onigiri Nitaya” — Otemachi main store. They say the rice used is Nita-mai — Koshihikari rice from Okuizumo in Nita District, Shimane Prefecture. I didn’t know this, but I was told the saying goes, “Uonuma Koshihikari in the east, Nita-mai in the west,” indicating its high reputation. The oni face illustration on the rice wrapper is split — it’s a funny little picture. Peace Boulevard continues a bit further. Various memorial monuments line both sides of the road, and senbazuru (strings of a thousand paper cranes) were hung. This is Tsurumi Bridge — here is the fifth river, the Kyobashi River. Along the Kyobashi River there are walking paths and green spaces, which serve as popular routes for local walkers and joggers. The “Kyobashi” that gave the river its name is located upstream to the north from here; in the Edo period it reportedly served as the starti ng point of the road leading to Kyoto. Hijiyama Tunnel We’re finally getting close to Hijiyama Park. The orange glow of the high-pressure sodium lamps gives a somewhat nostalgic feeling. After passing through the Hijiyama Tunnel you come to the Danbara Shopping Center. I buy some alcohol and head to the Hijiyama Skywalk. From here you can access Hijiyama Park, the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Hiroshima Manga Library. Although it fills with cherry-blossom viewers in spring, on a summer weekday before noon it was quiet — there was no one else there besides me. The escalator is quite high — it took courage to look back down. I arrive at Hijiyama Park. Since I’m here, I’ll head up to the hilltop. The hilltop was renamed “Peace Message Plaza” in 2024. I had no idea. The leaders’ messages from the 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit were turned into stone plaques. By the way, around the time of the G7, the city carried out rapid road repairs so that heads of state could move safely. Although I wondered if such work was done just for three days, I remember being surprised that the repaired roads alone helped reduce congestion. This is the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art. It was renovated over two years just before the G7. I was sweating a lot that day, so I did not go inside. Moore Plaza. From a distance I saw benches, so I decided to eat here. This large sculpture is called “Arch,” a work by British artist Henry Moore. It’s enormous when you look up at it, but the small prototype piece it was based on is called “Torso,” meaning the human trunk. Perhaps this arch also represents the human body. Let’s dig in. Cheers Delicious So today I bought rice balls at a place called “Onigiri Nitaya.” This one got a bit squashed, but I think it’s Hiroshima greens and red shiso? The other one is a kombu (kelp) rice ball. Let’s eat. By the way, they’re crunchy pickled plums and Hiroshima greens. Tasty! It has a nice chew to it. People don’t eat Hiroshima greens that much, but they’re really good, aren’t they? Second one. The second item is kombu oboro-maki (a rolled kelp snack). What’s this — tempura? So good! Nice weather. Having finished the meal, I head toward Tenjingawa. When I visited the restroom there was a sign saying, “You can drink the water at the hand-washing station.” Even being told that, it still felt a bit awkward to drink. Chilled cream bun. It was so hot I couldn’t help buying one. Yum! This is the final river, the Enkō River. In the distance, the two tall apartment towers mark the area around Hiroshima Station. “Enkō” refers to a legendary creature said to live in the river, similar to a kappa (water spirit). Unlike a kappa, it’s said to be hairy. I have arrived at Tenjingawa Station. I forgot my tracker app this time, so the exact distance is unknown, but it was roughly just under 8km. The walk took about three hours. I crossed Peace Boulevard, enjoyed food and drinks at Hijiyama Park, and traversed the Ota River delta. Thank you for watching.If you enjoyed this, please like and subscribe. See you in another video.
A relaxed walking & drink-hop from Nishi-Hiroshima Station to Tenjingawa Station, along Peace Boulevard (Heiwa Ōdōri).
This walk takes you through Hiroshima’s postwar revival street, lined with memorials, rivers, and local stops — a mix of city stroll, quick food/drink breaks, and riverside views. Shot handheld on my phone — there are some shaky moments. ▶ English subtitles: ON (CC)
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西広島駅から天神川駅まで、平和大通りを歩いて飲む動画です。
平和大通り、比治山公園、途中の寄り道を楽しめるルートです。スマホ手持ち撮影のため揺れがあります。▶ 英語字幕あり（字幕/CC）
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