Rainy Day in Hiroshima: 9 Indoor Things to Do (Museums, Mazda, Covered Arcades and Okonomiyaki)

Quick answer: Hiroshima is a good city for a rainy day. Start at the Peace Memorial Museum (¥200, book a timed ticket), then try the city’s art museums, the free Mazda Museum (book online; English tours daily), or a half-day trip to Kure’s Yamato Museum. For lunch and shopping, stay dry in the covered Hondori arcade and at Okonomimura, a building full of okonomiyaki stalls. Hiroshima Castle’s keep has closed, so skip it in the rain.

My family is from Hiroshima, and I’ve been to most of the places on this list: the art museums in the city, the Mazda Museum, the Yamato Museum in Kure, and Hondori and Okonomimura. Here’s how I’d fill a wet day.

1. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The most important museum in the city, and almost entirely indoors.

• Admission: ¥200 for adults.
• Hours: opens at 7:30; closing time varies by season. The first and last hour are for online-reserved tickets only.
• Allow: 1.5–2 hours.

Rainy days can be busy, so book a timed ticket. See Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum.

2. The art museums

Hiroshima has several art museums close to the city centre. I’ve visited the city’s art museums myself.

Tip: most museums close on Mondays, so plan a rainy Monday differently.

3. Mazda Museum

Mazda is a Hiroshima company, and its museum near the head office shows the history of its cars, including the famous rotary engine.

• Admission: free, but you must book online (up to 3 months ahead).
• English tour: daily on weekdays, 14:30–16:00 (meet at 14:15 in the head office lobby).
• Open: weekdays, plus a few Saturdays.
• Access: about 5 minutes’ walk from JR Mukainada Station.

I’ve been to the Mazda Museum myself. Spaces are limited, so book as early as you can.

4. Hondori covered arcade

Hondori is Hiroshima’s main shopping street: a covered arcade about 577 metres long, with more than 200 shops, running from near the Peace Park towards Hatchobori. You can walk a long stretch of the city centre under cover. I’ve walked it myself.

5. Okonomimura

Just off Hondori, Okonomimura is a building packed with okonomiyaki stalls on its 2nd to 4th floors. You sit at the counter and watch your okonomiyaki being cooked on the hot plate. A perfect warm, dry lunch. I’ve eaten here myself.

See Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Guide.

6. Orizuru Tower

Next to the A-Bomb Dome, Orizuru Tower has an indoor floor where you can fold a paper crane and drop it down a glass wall, as well as a rooftop deck. Adults ¥2,200, 10:00–18:00. The rooftop is open-air, so it’s best when the rain stops.

7. Day trip: Yamato Museum in Kure

If it’s raining all day, take the train to Kure (about 30–45 minutes) for the Yamato Museum, which reopened in April 2026 after renovation. Its centrepiece is a 1/10-scale model of the battleship Yamato. I’ve been there myself.

• Admission: ¥1,000 for adults. Closed Tuesdays.
• Hours: 9:00–18:00.

Next door, the free JMSDF museum lets you walk inside a real submarine. See Kure Day Trip from Hiroshima.

8. Hiroshima Station and minamoa

The new station building has shops, restaurants and a cinema under one roof, and the streetcar now stops inside it. See Hiroshima Station Guide.

9. Skip: Hiroshima Castle

The castle keep closed to visitors in March 2026. You can still walk the grounds and the free Ninomaru buildings, but there’s little to do indoors. Save it for a dry day.

A rainy-day plan

1. Morning: Peace Memorial Museum (book the earliest slot).
2. Lunch: okonomiyaki at Okonomimura, then browse Hondori under cover.
3. Afternoon: an art museum — or the Mazda Museum English tour (14:30, weekdays, booked ahead).
4. Evening: dinner at the station’s minamoa restaurant floor.

Or swap the afternoon for Kure and the Yamato Museum (not on Tuesdays).

Getting around: the streetcar is cheap and stops close to most of these. See the Hiroshima Streetcar Guide.

FAQ

What can I do in Hiroshima when it rains?
The Peace Memorial Museum, the art museums, the Mazda Museum, Hondori’s covered arcade and Okonomimura are all indoors.

Do I need to book the Mazda Museum?
Yes. It’s free, but reservations are required, and spaces fill up.

Is Hiroshima Castle open?
The keep closed in March 2026. The grounds are open.

Are museums open on Mondays?
Most art museums in Hiroshima close on Mondays. The Peace Memorial Museum is open.

Opening hours and fees checked on the official museum, Mazda and Hiroshima City websites on 25 October 2026.

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.