A moving peace memorial in a lively, friendly city, with the floating shrine gate of Miyajima island just a ferry ride away. Here's what Hiroshima is like, when to go and how long to stay.
UK passport holders don't need a visa for short stays. Japan plans to bring in an online pre-travel registration, so check GOV.UK before you book.
Temperatures are the average daytime high in °C.
April, May, October and November are best, mild and mostly dry, with cherry blossom in early April and autumn colour on Miyajima in November. June is the rainy season, and July and August are hot and humid. On 6 August the city holds its peace ceremony and lantern floating.
The park at the centre of the 1945 blast, with the Children's Peace Monument and its paper cranes.
A powerful and sometimes upsetting museum. Older children can cope with most of it, but check the exhibits first.
The ruined exhibition hall, left standing as a memorial.
The island of the floating torii gate, with friendly deer and a cable car up Mount Misen.
Hiroshima-style savoury pancakes layered with noodles, cooked in front of you.
A peaceful garden with miniature landscapes around a pond.
A rebuilt castle with a museum and moat, a short walk from the centre.
Two days covers the Peace Park and Miyajima. Stay a night on Miyajima if you can, to see it quiet in the evening.
Yes. It's a modern, thriving city with normal background radiation levels, and it's known for being especially welcoming.
Spring and autumn, around 17 to 25°C. Summer is hot and humid.
Take the shinkansen from Osaka or Kyoto in about 1 hour 30 minutes, or from Tokyo in about 4 hours. Hiroshima airport has domestic flights and a few from elsewhere in Asia.
The Peace Park and Miyajima work well for all ages. The museum is harrowing in places, so decide for younger children after reading about it.
Put Hiroshima on standby with everyone's other ideas. You each spread your points in secret, get one veto, and the draw picks where you go.