Hiroshima on Wheels - Why You Should Take a Bike Tour

One thing I love about Japanese cities is how walkable they are. From Fukuoka to Sapporo, many of Japan's major cities make it easy to get around on foot, with plenty of destinations just a 10- to 15-minute walk from a train station or bus stop. And when something is a little farther away, there's usually beautiful scenery or something interesting along the way to make the walk worthwhile. For most of my three years living in Japan, I was perfectly happy exploring this way. That changed after I joined sokoiko! and took my first cycling tour. I quickly realized just how much more I could get out of exploring a city by hopping on an e-bike.

Take Hiroshima City, for example. Like most Japanese cities, Hiroshima has a long and rich history. From its feudal roots to its modern-day role as an industrial powerhouse, there is so much depth to the city's story. And yet, most visitors only get a small taste of that history. The “golden route,” as I'm calling it, usually consists of a walk through Peace Memorial Park, a visit to the Peace Memorial Museum, lunch at a nearby okonomiyaki restaurant, and then a trip to Miyajima to see Itsukushima Shrine. By all accounts, this walking route isn't a bad way to see the city. In fact, this is essentially what I did the first few times I visited Hiroshima before moving here. But fast-forward to the e-bike tour I took with my now good friend Ishitobi-san, and I was genuinely shocked by how much of Hiroshima's history I had missed.

Starting at the tourist information center, we cycled all around the Peace Memorial Park area. Here, Ishitobi-san told me a much more complete story of Hiroshima City than what I had learned from the guidebooks I'd read. What immediately struck me was just how deeply personal it all felt. It wasn't just a list of facts, but the real life experiences and visible legacies of the people who lived there. Hearing stories of doctors saving lives, children creating movements of unity, and so many more all from a guided bike tour felt like watching a real-life movie unfold in front of me. All of it was incredibly moving to hear. However, the most surprising part was that it didn't just end at the park.

Making full use of the comfortable e-bike, Ishitobi-san took me well beyond Peace Memorial Park and into the heart of the city. I'm lucky to be able to call Hiroshima my home, but seeing so much of it by bike was completely different. We passed unique buildings, quiet side streets, and historical sites that I had completely overlooked before. The smell of fresh okonomiyaki (a Hiroshima specialty) wafed through the air as the click-clack sound of the famous streetcars rolled by. It was amazing how alive the lesser-known parts of the city felt. I won't spoil the tour by telling you exactly where we went, but I was surprised by just how many pieces of Hiroshima's history were hiding outside the usual tourist route.

And these weren't just interesting footnotes. Every place Ishitobi-san brought me to was connected to what we had seen earlier, helping to tell a much bigger story about Hiroshima. Tragic as some of that history may be, cycling through the city gave me a new perspective on the lessons Hiroshima has to share about creating lasting peace for the future. I never would have discovered that side of the city without taking a bike tour.

When visiting a new city, you never expect to see everything. There's always something you're bound to miss when you're walking from one tourist spot to the next. But if my experience cycling through Hiroshima has taught me anything, it's that sometimes the best things are just off the beaten path. Maybe it's a piece of history that changes your perspective, a beautiful park tucked away behind the station, or a little cafe serving an unforgettable meal. There are countless places like these that most visitors might never discover by sticking to the “golden route.” Luckily, discovering a new side of the city you're visiting isn't as difficult as it sounds. Sometimes, all it takes is hopping on a bike.

So, if you're looking for a different way to experience Hiroshima (or another city we offer tours in) why not see it on two wheels? A guided cycling tour might just show you a side of the city you never knew was there. And who knows? Maybe you'll discover something that surprises you, too.

Let's get cycling!