Shukkeien Garden
A garden that became a refuge and then a mass grave in August 1945, restored and reopened — with a ginkgo still growing that survived the blast.
A shrunken landscape, and what happened in it
Shukkeien means shrunken scenery — a garden laid out in 1620 to compress mountains, valleys and forests into a small space around a central pond, in the miniaturised style. It sits about a kilometre from the hypocentre, and after the bomb it filled with people seeking shelter and water; many died there and were buried in the grounds. It was thought that nothing would grow for decades. It reopened in 1951, and a ginkgo that survived the blast is still standing.
Explore Shukkeien Garden on the map
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What to look for
A circuit garden walked in one direction, with a memorial in it.
🌉 Rainbow Bridge
- The arched stone bridge over the central pond — the garden’s image
🌳 The survivor ginkgo
- Marked as a hibaku-jumoku, still growing near the pond
🕯 The memorial
- A quiet marker for those who died in the grounds in 1945
Getting there
Central, near the prefectural art museum.
🚋 By tram
- Shukkeien-mae stop, directly outside
🚶 On foot
- 10 minutes from Hiroshima Castle
- 15 minutes from Hiroshima station
🎫 Tickets
- Small entry fee; a combined ticket with the art museum is available
When to visit
A four-season garden with one clear peak.
🍁 Late November
- Maple around the pond; the garden at its best
🌸 April
- Blossom over the water
🌅 Morning
- Still water for the bridge reflection, and very few people
Visitor intelligence
A garden, and also a burial ground — worth knowing before you walk in.
🕯 Context
- People died and were buried here in 1945; the memorial is understated
🗣 Language
- Bilingual panels including the wartime history
📷 Photography
- The arched bridge reflected, from the eastern path in morning light
♿ Access
- Gravel paths with gentle slopes; some steps around the pond
Close by
Central Hiroshima.
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