If night view specialist Motou Marumaru were to guide visitors to the night views of Hiroshima, he would...

Hiroshima is a city with a large gap between "light and dark". Compared to other regional cities, Hiroshima City is a narrow plain with mountains and the sea close by, so the city center is very compact. There are also very few high-rise buildings. Places where people gather, such as the area around Nagarekawa River, are glittering with neon lights, but once you leave that area, it's really dark at night.

In such a dark town, the lights of the JR streetcar lines and Yokogawa Station building create a soft, shadowy structure at night. These kinds of illuminated buildings can be seen in many places in Europe. European nightscapes are not about adding lights, but rather subtracting them. By eliminating unnecessary illumination, the view of lights gently floating in the darkness evokes a certain nostalgic, retro feeling.

The Atomic Bomb Dome has been watching over from the day of the bombing to the reconstruction of the city into what it is today. The reflection of the dome on the surface of the river is a reminder of "peace". A clean river was restored to the town that had been burned to the ground by the war, and the Peace Memorial Park was built. From the Peace Memorial Park, you can see the remains of the war in a time of peace. Especially at night, when there is no light to disturb the surroundings, the A-bomb Dome, illuminated by white light, appears sharper and more impactful than in the daytime. We feel that this is a precious night view that leads one to think about what peace is.

The entire town of Onomichi has a lot of scenery that reminds visitors of the good old days of the Showa era. You can feel the atmosphere especially in the evening and at night. One spot in particular is the Onomichi Hondori shopping street. Just as the sun is setting in the west, you can see the soft light coming in from the entrance of the shopping street. If you go a little further and look back, you can enjoy the shadowy scenery created by the shopping street.

One of the charms of Onomichi is its slopes. If you climb up the narrow streets, you can enjoy the panoramic night view around Senkoji Temple. But that doesn't mean that you have to just walk up the hill. The time between dusk and nightfall is called "Hakubo (薄暮)," and the view of the slope during this time is also a highlight. As you walk up the narrow, shadowy slope, it slowly gets dimmer and dimmer. The sky reflects a gradation of purplish-blue colors. It is not dark, but not bright either. At that time of the day, the street lights are beginning to come on, and if you look back down the hill, you can see the town lit up with neon lights and the glowing ferry boats moving slowly and gently. The night view is so relaxing that even first-time visitors to Onomichi will feel nostalgic.

It will be night by the time you reach Senkoji Temple through the narrow path. When we move from a narrow place to a wide place, we feel a kind of liberation. It's the same with scenery; when you see a wide view from a narrow one, you feel a sense of freedom. Needless to say, the view from Senkoji Temple is famous, but the night view is especially beautiful. The beauty of the view is enhanced by the exuberance of the climb. After passing through the nostalgic shopping street in the evening, you will pass through a narrow path toward Senkoji Temple in the twilight. From Senkoji Temple you will see a panoramic night view of Onomichi. This "feeling the flow of time" is what makes Onomichi's night view a must-see.

Kure is a huge port city that has long been home to shipyards and a military port. The night view of Kure is characterized by the warm colored lights often seen in the harbor at night. These are called high-pressure sodium lights, and they are often used at docks and highway junctions as cautionary lights.
In fact, warm colors (red and orange) have the effect of activating the sympathetic nervous system, raising the pulse and body temperature, so it is recommended to see them when you want to recharge your energy while traveling, or when you are feeling down.

This is a hole-in-the-wall spot with a panoramic view of Kure City. It was the site of an artillery battery during the war, and the "Ozora-yama Battery" has been recognized as a Japanese heritage site. One of the reasons why it was chosen as the location for the battery is because of its 360-degree view, which provides a great vantage point. This is the only place where you can see the breathtaking night view from the eastern part of Kure City to the Marino Bridge, which was completed in 2012.