Hiroshima Botanical Garden
A hilltop garden between Hiroshima and Miyajima, where 10,000 kinds of plant grow.
piggybackjapan.com
Hiroshima Botanical Garden
SaveA hilltop garden between Hiroshima and Miyajima, where 10,000 kinds of plant grow.
Model cacti and carnivorous plants stand big enough for a child to walk inside.
MoreWhat kind of place
Hiroshima Botanical Garden spreads over 18.3 hectares (about 45 acres) on a hill in Saeki Ward, looking out over the Seto Inland Sea. It grows about 10,000 kinds of plant, some 197,000 individual plants in all.
The garden opened in 1976, so 2026 is its 50th year, marked with anniversary displays.
The great greenhouse stands 21 meters (69 feet) tall and holds the largest Australian baobab in Japan, along with banana, cacao, and coffee plants.
Sources and evidence (28)
- Hiroshima Botanical Garden sits on a hill in Kurashige, Saeki Ward, midway between central Hiroshima and Miyajima, looking out over the Seto Inland Sea. The grounds cover 18.3 hectares, about 45 acres.source
- The garden grows about 10,000 kinds of plant, roughly 197,000 plants in all.source
- It opened on November 3, 1976.source
- 2026 is the 50th anniversary of the opening, marked with commemorative displays and an anniversary logo.source
- Bicycle parking is beside the entrance gate, on the left as you face it, with space for a few bikes and no charge.source
- Ten strollers are lent free of charge, sized for children from 7 months to under 2 years old.source
- The first aid room is beside the flower shop, just inside the entrance gate.source
- Coin lockers stand in front of the entrance gate and cost 100 yen per use.source
- Inside the garden there is a restaurant (the Forest Restaurant), a cafe serving light meals (the Forest Cafe), a shop, and a flower shop.source
- Ball games are allowed on the grassy plazas, though hard balls that could hurt someone are discouraged.source
- Filming video for personal use is allowed, with consideration for other visitors.source
- In the two grassy plazas children can run around and use the play equipment set up there.source
- In the hot part of summer the garden opens a water play area, which doubles as watering for the lawn.source
- Large models of a carnivorous plant and a cactus, big enough for a child to walk inside, are popular photo spots.source
- The garden runs events for young children, including a turn sitting on a giant water lily pad, the Forest Kindergarten, and the Junior Project.source
- For rainy days there are several greenhouses to walk through, including the great greenhouse and the tropical water lily, fuchsia, cactus, and begonia houses.source
- The great greenhouse stands 21 meters (69 feet) high and covers 2,186 square meters, about half an acre, recreating tropical scenery with banana, cacao, and coffee plants among the growth.source
- One of the largest greenhouses in the Chugoku and Shikoku regions of western Japan, it shows about 700 kinds of tropical and subtropical plant, 5,000 individual plants in all, including the largest Australian baobab in Japan.source
- A carnivorous plant corner sits on the north side of the tropical water lily greenhouse.source
- The begonia greenhouse hangs many begonias from the ceiling, a display among the largest in western Japan in both number and floor area.source
- The orchid display inside the fuchsia greenhouse is one of the largest in Japan, with rare wild species and orchids that can be seen nowhere else.source
- The rose garden sits on a low hill with the best view in the park, out to Miyajima and the Seto Inland Sea, and in the May and June bloom the air fills with rose scent from the largest collection of old roses in Japan.source
- Just through the main gate, a cascade and a large flower bed of seasonal flowers greet visitors.source
- The Japanese garden has a teahouse and stone pagodas, and its weeping plum in February and March and its mountain hydrangea and Japanese iris from late May to early July are popular.source
- Facilities in the garden include the exhibition hall, a shop, a flower shop, a restaurant and cafe, a first aid room and baby room, the event plaza, the lawn plaza, and an observation rest tower.source
- Evening openings are usually held from late March to early April, in September, and in December, with lighting and illuminations matched to the plants of the season.source
- Free volunteer-led tours of the garden run every Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday from 1:30 to 3:20 p.m., except August 13 to 15 and December 25 to January 5.source
- Every day the garden is open, staff take questions about growing plants and about plants in general, in person during opening hours or by phone from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.source
With kidsThe part that matters
Two of the plazas here are grass with play equipment on them, so the kids can run and kick a ball around while you eat the lunch you brought in.
There are giant models of a carnivorous plant and a cactus, each big enough for a child to walk inside, and they are a favorite photo stop.
Ask at the ticket window as you come in for one of the ten free strollers, sized for children from 7 months to under 2 — they go first come, first served, and the same window is where you ask to use the baby room beside the flower shop.
Seeing all of it takes three hours or more, so the garden maps out one-hour and two-hour routes as well, and a shorter route still gets you to the highlights before small legs give out.
Sources and evidence (3)
- Ramps take a stroller through the big and begonia greenhouses; the lookout tower has no elevator and single-file stairs.source
- Five times the size of Mazda Stadium, 3 hours to walk it all; nine toilets, strollers to rent for 7 months to under 2.source
- October with a six-year-old: kakiage udon, a kids' plate and katsudon at the canteen, then a stamped souvenir medal.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Ten strollers are lent free, sized for children from seven months to under two — this age exactly, for all 18.3 hectares of the garden. The Great Greenhouse is 2,186 square metres under a roof 21 metres high, with bananas and cacao growing inside, so a wet or windy day changes nothing about the visit.The Baby Room is beside the flower shop just inside the entrance gate — the first-aid room is in the same place — and you ask staff at the ticket window to use it. Changing tables are in the toilets at the multi-storey car park, beside the flower shop, at the exhibition hall and below Mori-no-Restaurant, among others. Strollers are lent first come first served with no reservations, again through the ticket window staff. The garden is large — all of it takes three hours — so pick one of the suggested one-, two- and three-hour routes. A free six-seat electric cart, Ma-chan-go, runs between the multi-storey car park and the entrance gate area, though maintenance or battery charging can stop it without notice. Admission is free for pre-school children; parking is 450 yen. Closed on Fridays, unless the Friday is a public holiday.
- Ages 2-3Tricycles with a push bar at the back, the kind a parent can steer, are allowed inside the garden. There are two lawn areas to run around on, with play equipment. And the oversized models of carnivorous plants and cacti are built big enough for a child to walk inside and be photographed there.Bicycles cannot be used inside, but a tricycle with a push bar can. In the hot months there is a Water Play Area, which doubles as watering the lawn, so pack a change of clothes on the assumption of getting wet. You may bring a packed lunch and take your rubbish home. On a wet day the eating spots are under Mori-no-Restaurant and the big tent in front of the Great Greenhouse, and neither can be reserved. Small free-standing tents that do not damage the ground — pop-up and tarp types — may be put up in two places, the Event Plaza and the Lawn Plaza. Insect collecting is not allowed, and nets and insect cages may not be brought in. Last entry 16:00, closing 16:30.
- Ages 4-6In the Great Greenhouse a child sees bananas, cacao and coffee growing as trees. It is one of the largest in the Chugoku-Shikoku region, with about 700 species and 5,000 plants, including Japan's finest Australian baobab. North of the tropical water lily house is a carnivorous plant corner. The two lawn areas take running and ball games, and there are events aimed at young children, such as the giant water lily ride and Forest Kindergarten.All of it takes three hours across 18.3 hectares, so choose from the one-, two- and three-hour suggested routes. Ball games are fine on the lawn areas, though hard balls that could hurt someone are asked to be left out. Insect collecting is not allowed and nets and cages may not be brought in. Free volunteer guided walks run 13:30 to 15:20 at weekends and on public holidays, but the regular guides are suspended for July to September 2026. Admission is free for pre-school and for elementary and junior high students, 510 yen for adults, and parking is 450 yen. Closed on Fridays unless the Friday is a public holiday; last entry 16:00.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe 18.3-hectare grounds are outdoors, but the garden names its greenhouses — the Large Greenhouse, the tropical water lily house, the fuchsia house, the cactus house and the begonia house — as the places to enjoy even in rain. On a wet day the spots for a packed lunch are under the Mori no Restaurant and the big tent in front of the Large Greenhouse.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed3 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：yes
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Own foodOutside food allowed：with conditionsconditions
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
Tap a mark for details
* Other not checked (3)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Indoor / outdoor
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Ramps take a stroller through the big and begonia greenhouses; the lookout tower has no elevator and single-file stairs.
Seasonal plants all year: taking the children to Hiroshima Botanical Garden
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Five times the size of Mazda Stadium, 3 hours to walk it all; nine toilets, strollers to rent for 7 months to under 2.
Hiroshima Botanical Garden with little ones
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
October with a six-year-old: kakiage udon, a kids' plate and katsudon at the canteen, then a stamped souvenir medal.
Day 14 with a six-year-and-five-month-old: Hiroshima Botanical Garden
Hiroshima Botanical Garden · Links & reads ▾
＋ Add a link
Where to go next
Where it is
3-495 Kurashige, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima 731-5156source
Before you go
- Strollers go out first come, first served and cannot be reserved; ask the staff at the ticket window.source
- Ma-chan-go, the free six-seat electric cart between the multi-story garage and the entrance gate, can stop running at short notice for maintenance or battery charging.source
- When it rains, the garden's suggested spots for a packed lunch are the area below the Forest Restaurant and the big tent in front of the great greenhouse. Neither can be reserved.source
- Collecting insects is not allowed, and nets, insect cages, and other collecting gear cannot be brought in.source
- The free volunteer-led garden tours are suspended from July through September in 2026.source
More notes (7)
- Group visits need a reservation. Welfare facilities, along with nurseries, kindergartens, and elementary and junior high schools inside Hiroshima City, must send a fee reduction form at least a week before the visit.source
- You can go out and come back in if it is only for a short while; tell the staff at the ticket window.source
- Those spaces require a parking permit issued by the garden itself, and a courtesy parking card or a parking exemption sticker alone is not accepted.source
- Smoking is allowed in only five places: the multi-story garage, below the Forest Restaurant, the wisteria trellis in front of the Japanese garden, the observation rest tower, and near the arbor before the conifer garden. It is banned everywhere else.source
- Bicycles cannot be ridden inside the garden, but tricycles are allowed if they have a push handle at the back for a parent to steer with.source
- Barbecues are not allowed anywhere in the garden, as open flames are prohibited.source
- Pets cannot enter and there is no place to leave them, though guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs are welcome.source
Basics
- Fee：Adults (18 and over) ¥510, high-school-age ¥170. Elementary and junior-high students are free, and so are pre-school children. Visitors 65 and over pay ¥170 on showing a public ID. Groups pay ¥430 / ¥130. The annual pass runs a year from the day you buy it and also covers Asa Zoological Park and the Forest Park Insectarium, though parking is charged each time. Parking is ¥450 for a standard car and ¥1,400 for a large one. Admission can be paid by PayPay, credit card or Koi Pay. If you are only visiting the shop or flower shop and not the garden, neither admission nor parking is chargedsource
- Hours：9:00-16:30, entry until 16:00. Closed Fridays (open when the Friday is a public holiday) and 29 December-3 January. Hours are extended on evening-opening days, which usually fall in late March to early April, September and Decembersource
- Time to allow：3 h
- Booking：Individual visits need no booking. Groups do: 30 or more paying visitors (elementary school age and up) get the group rate, and welfare facilities, nurseries, kindergartens and schools in Hiroshima City send a fee-waiver form at least a week before the visit. Bus parking is limited, so a bus arriving without a booking may not be able to parksourceOfficial booking site ↗
Basics in detail (17)
Hours and closures
- Opening hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with last entry at 4:00 p.m. On the garden's evening openings, usually late March to early April, September, and December, it stays open later.source
- It is closed every Friday and from December 29 to January 3, but stays open when a Friday falls on a public holiday.source
Time to allow
- The grounds are large and seeing all of them takes at least three hours, so the garden suggests one-hour, two-hour, and three-hour routes.source
Fees
- Admission is 510 yen for adults, meaning 18 and over, and 170 yen for anyone of high school age. Elementary and junior high school students and preschool children get in free.source
- Elementary and junior high school students get in free, and so do preschool children.source
- Visitors 65 and over pay a reduced 170 yen when they show official identification such as a My Number card or a driver's license.source
- Groups of 30 or more paying visitors (elementary school age and up) pay 430 yen per adult and 130 yen per child.source
- Parking is paid, in a surface lot and a multi-story garage, at 450 yen per visit for a car up to standard size and 1,400 yen for anything bigger.source
- The annual pass is valid for one year from the day of purchase and also covers Hiroshima City Asa Zoological Park and the Hiroshima City Forest Park Insectarium, though parking is still paid each visit.source
- Admission can be paid with PayPay, a credit card, or Koi Pay; for now cashless payment covers admission only, not the rest of the garden.source
- If you are only using the shop or the flower shop and not touring the garden, you pay neither admission nor parking; tell the attendant at the parking booth.source
Getting there
- Twelve wheelchairs are lent free of charge, three of them powered.source
- Two mobility scooters are available for a fee, at 500 yen for two hours plus 100 yen for each extra 20 minutes.source
- A free six-seat electric cart, Ma-chan-go, runs mainly between the multi-story garage and the area around the entrance gate.source
- Five parking spaces near the entrance gate are set aside for people who have difficulty walking from the general lot, including visitors with disabilities, older visitors, pregnant and postpartum visitors, and injured visitors.source
- By public transport, take a Hiroden bus from Hiroshima Bus Center in Motomachi, Naka Ward, about 50 minutes, or from JR Itsukaichi Station, about 20 minutes.source
- The garden is in Saeki Ward, the westernmost ward of Hiroshima City, about a five-minute drive from where you leave the Nishi-Hiroshima Bypass on National Route 2.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (6)
The garden covers 18.3 hectares on high ground between central Hiroshima and Miyajima, growing about 10,000 plant varieties. Its great greenhouse rises 21 meters and holds bananas, cocoa and an Australian baobab said to be Japan's largest. Begonias fill one house, among the largest such displays in western Japan. The rose garden keeps Japan's largest old rose collection. Two lawns have play equipment, and in summer a water-play area doubles as watering for the grass.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Ten strollers are lent free, for children 7 months up to 2 years. First come, first served — no reservations; ask at the ticket window. Wheelchairs are lent free too (12, three of them powered), and a six-seat electric cart called 'Ma-chan-go' runs free between the multi-story parking garage and the entrance gate, though it can stop running at short notice. Bicycles are not allowed inside; a tricycle is, if it has a push handle at the back so a parent can steer it | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hiroshima-bot.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hiroshima-bot.jp | |
| Nursing space | Yes (1) | One baby room, next to the flower shop just inside the entrance gate. Ask at the ticket window to use it. The first-aid room is in the same place. Hot water: not stated | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hiroshima-bot.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Changing tables in the toilets around the garden — the multi-story parking garage, beside the flower shop, the exhibition hall and below the Forest Restaurant among others — as well as in the baby room | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hiroshima-bot.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes (6) | Six wheelchair-accessible toilets: the multi-story parking garage, beside the flower shop, the exhibition hall, the Forest Cafe, below the Forest Restaurant, and the tropical water-lily greenhouse | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hiroshima-bot.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Yes | You can bring a packed lunch (take your trash home). On a wet day the garden points you to the area below the Forest Restaurant or the big tent in front of the great greenhouse — no reserving spots. Small pop-up or tarp tents that just sit on the ground are allowed in two places, the Event Lawn and the Grass Lawn. There is also the Forest Restaurant and the Forest Cafe inside. No barbecues — open flames are banned | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | hiroshima-bot.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Not checked yet |
Reviews
Reviews