Overview
Kamiyacho is where Hiroshima's downtown transport network comes together. Centered on Motomachi and the two Kamiyacho tram stops, the compact district brings Kencho-mae Station, Hiroshima Bus Center, Shareo underground mall, department stores, and hotels into one area.
This isn't a single-attraction neighborhood. Hiroshima Castle's grounds lie to the north, while a walk west and southwest leads to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park. Shops, offices, restaurants, and transport connections fill the streets in between.
What the area is known for
Kamiyacho is both a commercial center and a major transfer point. Shareo runs beneath the main streets, connecting Astram Line entrances with the tram stops and bus-center side. Its underground passages are particularly helpful in rainy weather or when you're carrying luggage.
Above ground, Sogo Hiroshima, Aqua Hiroshima Center Street, and the surrounding arcades extend the shopping district. The streets feel busier and more businesslike than those around Hiroshima Station. Kamiyacho's advantage isn't Shinkansen access. It's the combination of central sightseeing, city transport, shopping, and regional buses.
Main places
Hiroshima Bus Center shares a complex with Sogo and Aqua, where a food hall and shops accompany local, express, and airport bus services. RIHGA Royal Hotel Hiroshima stands beside the complex and has an underground connection to Kencho-mae Station.
Hiroshima Museum of Art and the southern side of the castle grounds are close to the Motomachi end. From Kamiyacho, you can walk west to the Atomic Bomb Dome and continue into Peace Memorial Park, treating the two sights as one natural route rather than separate trips across the city.
Stations and access
Kencho-mae Station is the underground Astram Line stop for Motomachi and the bus-center side of Kamiyacho. Hondori is one stop south, while Shin-Hakushima to the north provides a transfer to JR local lines. The Astram Line doesn't serve Hiroshima Station.
From Hiroshima Station, streetcars on routes 1, 2, and 6 reach Kamiyacho-higashi or Kamiyacho-nishi in about ten minutes, followed by a short walk. The stops are on opposite sides of the central intersection, so the better choice depends on your hotel, shop, or attraction.
Hiroshima Bus Center adds local and intercity routes, along with a limousine bus to Hiroshima Airport. The airport journey takes about 55 minutes, although traffic and timetable variations can affect the trip.
Where it fits in a trip
Kamiyacho favors visitors who want to walk to Hiroshima's main central sights, shop downtown, use the airport bus, and take trams farther east or west. The tradeoff is its distance from the Shinkansen platforms.
Hiroshima Station Area is better for early Shinkansen departures and the simplest rail arrival. Hiroshima-Hatchobori places more emphasis on dining and the livelier eastern side of downtown. Kamiyacho falls between those priorities, with Hiroshima Bus Center providing its clearest transport advantage.
Good to know
Kamiyacho and Hiroshima Station occupy separate parts of the city center. A hotel here can put central sightseeing and airport buses close at hand, but arriving from the Shinkansen station still requires a tram, bus, or taxi.
Shareo provides helpful underground links, but it doesn't connect every destination door to door. The route to Peace Memorial Park and much of the walk toward the castle remain outdoors.
