Kure Day Trip from Hiroshima: Yamato Museum, Real Submarines and Etajima

Quick answer: Take the JR Kure Line rapid train from Hiroshima (about 33 minutes, ¥510). Walk to the newly renovated Yamato Museum and the free JMSDF museum, where you can go inside a real submarine. See active submarines up close at Alley Karasu-kojima, eat navy curry for lunch and finish at the food stalls in the evening. Don’t go on a Tuesday — the museums and the harbour cruise all close.

Kure is a port city about half an hour from Hiroshima. It was the Imperial Japanese Navy’s biggest base, where the battleship Yamato was built, and today it’s home to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. I’ve been to everything on this page: both museums, the submarine park, the harbour cruise and Etajima. For anyone interested in ships, history or just good local food, it’s an easy and rewarding day out.

Getting there

• By train: the JR Kure Line runs direct from Hiroshima Station. The rapid Aki-Liner takes about 33 minutes; local trains about 47 minutes. ¥510 one way. JR passes cover it. I’ve done this many times.
• By car: take the Hiroshima-Kure Road (“Clair Line”), a toll road along the coast (¥940 for an ordinary car). About 40 minutes from Hiroshima-Higashi IC.
• By boat: ferries also run between Hiroshima Port and Kure Port (about 45 minutes).

The main sights are all a short walk from Kure Station.

Yamato Museum (Kure Maritime Museum)

The highlight is a 1/10-scale model of the battleship Yamato — 26 metres long. The museum also covers Kure’s history as a naval port and shipbuilding city.

New in 2026: the museum reopened on 23 April 2026 after a 14-month renovation, with about 300 more exhibits, an updated Yamato model based on recent underwater surveys of the wreck, and a renewed science and technology gallery with real aircraft engines.

• Hours: 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
• Closed: Tuesdays (open daily in Golden Week, summer holidays and New Year)
• Admission: ¥1,000 for adults
• Where: 5 minutes’ walk from Kure Station

JMSDF Kure Museum (“Tetsu no Kujira-kan”)

A short walk from the Yamato Museum, you can’t miss it: a real submarine, the Akishio, sitting on land next to the building. You can walk through the inside of a submarine that served until 2004.

• Admission: free
• Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
• Closed: Tuesdays and 29 December – 3 January

Alley Karasu-kojima: see active submarines

A small waterfront park beside the JMSDF base where you can see active submarines and destroyers moored just across the water — one of the few places in Japan where you can. There are also old red-brick naval buildings and a former torpedo crane.

• Access: bus from Kure Station to “Sensuitai-mae”, then a 1-minute walk. Or about 10 minutes by car from Kure IC (free parking, 28 spaces).
• Free, with no set hours.

Please don’t photograph the base itself in a way that could cause trouble, and follow any signs.

Kure Bay warship cruise

A 35-minute boat tour around Kure harbour, passing the ships and submarines of the JMSDF base, with commentary by a guide. It’s a different perspective from Alley Karasu-kojima, and I’d recommend it.

• Fare: ¥2,200 for adults
• Departs: Kure Chuo Pier, 5 minutes’ walk from Kure Station
• Schedule: up to six sailings a day from 10:00 to 15:00 (fewer on weekdays), plus a sunset cruise where you can watch the evening flag-lowering ceremony on the ships. No cruises on Tuesdays.
• Commentary is in Japanese only. You can book up to two days ahead by phone or online.

What to eat in Kure

Kure navy curry (Kaiji curry)

The JMSDF traditionally eats curry on Fridays, and each ship has its own recipe. In Kure, around 25–30 restaurants each serve the curry of a specific ship, made with the ship’s recipe and approved by its captain. I’ve had it, and it’s the lunch to have here.

From April 2026 to March 2027 there’s a seal rally: each curry you eat at a participating restaurant gets you a ship-logo sticker, and you can swap them for original goods at the tourist information centre in Kure Station.

Kure reimen and hosoudon

• Kure reimen: flat, chewy noodles in a sweet-sour, spicy cold soup. Locals add vinegar. It’s eaten all year.
• Hosoudon: udon with thin noodles that cook quickly — said to have been made for navy dockyard workers who had little time to eat.

I’ve tried both. They’re simple, cheap and very “Kure”.

Melon pan

A bakery called Melon Pan, founded in 1936, sells a large rugby-ball-shaped melon pan filled with cream. It can sell out, so go early. Closed Sundays. See Breakfast in Hiroshima.

The yatai (food stalls)

In the evening, food stalls set up along Kuramoto-dori, about 10 minutes’ walk from the station. Kure is one of the few cities in Japan with permanent street stalls like this. You sit elbow-to-elbow at the counter for ramen, oden, okonomiyaki, yakitori or gyoza. Each stall sets its own hours and days, and they often close in bad weather. It’s a great way to end the day.

Add Etajima (half a day more)

Across the water from Kure is Etajima, home of the former Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, now a JMSDF school. Its historic buildings and the museum hall are a powerful visit. I’ve been, and it’s worth the extra time if you’re interested in history. See my full Etajima guide for tour times, boats and driving tips.

• Free guided tours, about 90 minutes: weekdays at 11:15, 13:30 and 15:15; weekends and holidays also at 9:30. No booking needed for individuals.
• Check in at the main gate 30 minutes before. Latecomers aren’t admitted.
• Tours are in Japanese only.
• Dress code: no shorts, sleeveless tops or sandals.
• No photos inside the museum hall. Carry your passport, as foreign visitors are required to anyway.
• Getting there from Kure: high-speed boat from Kure Chuo Pier to Koyo Port, about 10 minutes (¥690), then a short bus ride. From Hiroshima Port, high-speed boats to Koyo take about 22 minutes (¥1,130).
• More islands: east of Kure, the Akinada Bridge leads to the Tobishima Kaido island chain and the old port town of Mitarai.

A sample day

1. 9:00 — Train from Hiroshima to Kure.
2. 9:45 — Yamato Museum.
3. 11:30 — Tetsu no Kujira-kan (submarine).
4. 12:30 — Navy curry lunch.
5. 14:00 — Warship cruise, or bus to Alley Karasu-kojima.
6. 16:00 — Reimen or melon pan if you’re still hungry.
7. Evening — Yatai on Kuramoto-dori, then the train back to Hiroshima.

With Etajima, swap the afternoon for the boat to Koyo and the 13:30 tour.

FAQ

Is Kure worth it if I’m not into military history?
Yes, for the food and the harbour atmosphere. But the museums are the main draw.

What day should I avoid?
Tuesday. Both museums and the warship cruise are closed.

Is there English?
The cruise and the Etajima tour are in Japanese only. The museums are easy to enjoy visually, even without much Japanese.

Kaz

Tokushima local with family roots in Hiroshima

I live in Tokushima and my family is from Hiroshima, where I also used to live. I still go back several times a year. The guides here come from places I have actually been. Where I haven't tried something myself, I say so.