Tracing A-bombed Buildings: From Hondori to Okonomiyaki

This walking route leads from west to east, visiting the buildings of two elementary schools and a Bank of Japan branch that were exposed to the atomic bombing near the hypocenter and still stand today. Afterwards, you will walk through the Hiroshima Hondori Shopping Street, which has regained its lively bustle since the bombing, and continue to Okonomimura, a food center that originated from postwar food stalls.

History & Local Charm

The intense blast and thermal radiation of the atomic bomb destroyed and burned down almost all buildings within two kilometers of the hypocenter. Even after the bombing, structures that could no longer be used were removed, and following the reconstruction, many disappeared one after another due to rebuilding. In response, starting in 1993 (Heisei 5), the City of Hiroshima began registering surviving buildings and other structures within five kilometers of the hypocenter in the Registry of A-bombed Buildings, calling on owners to cooperate in their preservation and succession. The Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum, Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum, and Former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch visited on this route are among these A-bombed buildings. Their distances from the hypocenter are approximately 410 meters, 460 meters, and 380 meters, respectively. The surviving buildings supported the people of the city immediately after the bombing by serving as relief stations and temporary business offices. The bustling spirit of the city that rose from the ashes is carried on today along Hondori, which has been part of the Saigoku Kaido highway since the Edo period, and in Okonomimura, which started from postwar food stalls at Shintenchi Plaza.

Major Highlights

• ​Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum​​: A museum that preserves a portion of the school building and the basement of Honkawa National School, which was the school closest to the hypocenter. Scorched traces such as black smoke stains remain in the basement, and a charred distribution board and door frames are preserved as they were. It is also known as the school that appears in Barefoot Gen.
• ​Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum​​: Immediately after the bombing, people left "messages" written with chalk on the scorched walls of the surviving west wing to inform others of the whereabouts of family and acquaintances. These messages were discovered beneath plaster in 1999, and many remain today on the staircase walls and other areas.
• ​Former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch​​: Built in 1936 (Showa 11), this classical-style building features a row of Greek-style pillars. Its sturdy structure and vault survived, and payment operations resumed just two days after the bombing. It is currently managed by the City of Hiroshima and opened to the public as a venue for arts and cultural activities.
• ​Hiroshima Hondori Shopping Street​​: An arcade shopping street stretching approximately 577 meters east to west, affectionately known in Hiroshima as "Hondori." Plaques of the Saigoku Kaido are embedded in the pavement, allowing visitors to look down and feel that this was once an old highway.
• ​Okonomimura​​: Originating from as many as 50 okonomiyaki stalls gathered in Shintenchi Plaza after the war, it now houses restaurants across the second through fourth floors of a high-rise building. Every shop features counter seating surrounding an iron griddle, where Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki—layered with cabbage, noodles, and egg—is cooked right before your eyes.

Recommended Route & Travel Time

The estimated time required is about 4 hours. Begin walking from the Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum, located just across Aioi Bridge from the front of the Atomic Bomb Dome. Because the museum is located within Honkawa Elementary School, where children still attend classes, please follow the receptionist's guidance and view the exhibits quietly. Cross Aioi Bridge to return to the front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, and walk southeast for about 600 meters to reach the Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum. Walk about 140 meters west from there to the Former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch, and then proceed north for about 240 meters to reach Hondori. After walking east through the arcade, conclude your day at Okonomimura in Shintenchi, located about 520 meters southeast of Hondori. As seating consists only of counters surrounding the iron griddles, contacting the shop directly in advance is recommended when visiting in large groups.

Experience Summary

The scorched marks and messages left on the walls of A-bombed school buildings, and the vault of the bank that resumed operations two days after the bombing—the buildings themselves convey the events of that day to the present. After tracing those memories, walk along the revived Hondori and savor okonomiyaki around an iron griddle. Experience in a single day the path the city of Hiroshima has taken from the atomic bombing to the present day.