Hiroshima may not be endowed with the macho 2000m plus mountains of Kyushu, central and northern Japan, but that means we have the pleasure of being able to enjoy the huge number of smaller satoyama mountains around the city and throughout the prefecture virtually all year round.
You might be surprised to hear that most of the mountains that you can see from the center of Hiroshima city are easily accessible and have well-kept trails to follow; making them ideal for getting away from the urban hubbub for a few hours. Further afield, but still within the prefecture, there are more challenging walks that take a little more planning, but are very rewarding.
Here, we introduce local walks with (hopefully) easy to follow directions, along with photos, and maps. If you find any of the descriptions confusing or lacking in any way – or if you just have something interesting to add – please leave a comment below or drop us a line here.
Hikes
- Peace Pagoda Hike (Futaba-yama)
- Mt Mitate-yama
- “Ushita Alps”
- Ushita-yama’s Kannon-ji Walk
- Mt Gokurakuji-yama
- Sandankyo Gorge Hike
If you prefer to walk with a group, you may be interested in going along to one of the monthly outings organized by international hiking group GANSU. They are a very welcoming bunch, happy to see walkers of all levels of experience, age and ability. We try to post their monthly hikes in our events section, but you can keep up to date with what they are up to on their blog here.