Limited-time tour "Peace Loop 653" to explore the city center on the Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram No. 653 departing from Hiroshima Station, starting August 2026!

Hiroshima Electric Railway Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, hereinafter "Hiroshima Electric Railway") will launch the tour "Peace Loop 653" on Sunday, August 2nd, which will take participants around the city center on the Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram No. 653 running on the loop line.

In addition to this tour, Hiroshima Electric Railway is considering operating various special trams utilizing its tram network. By offering plans that cater to the diverse needs of our customers, we aim to contribute to the revitalization of tourism and sightseeing in Hiroshima.

1. Operation Period

Sunday, August 2, 2026 – Saturday, October 31, 2026

*Operated a total of 20 times on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the period. Please refer to "4. Tour Details" for the detailed schedule.

2. Application Start Date and Time

Friday, July 10, 2026, 9:30 AM

*Applications will be accepted through the reservation site of Tabimachi Gate Hiroshima Co., Ltd.

Click here to apply (Reservation Site)

3. Tour Concept

From "Hiroshima Station," the new gateway to Hiroshima, passengers will board the special Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram "No. 653," which has been restored to its pre-bombing livery, and tour the city center with a guide while running a route that circles the Hiroshima Electric Railway loop line, which opened in March 2026, twice. The first loop will provide an opportunity to reflect on peace, while the second loop will showcase the charm of present-day Hiroshima. We aim to provide not only visitors from outside the prefecture with an opportunity to experience Hiroshima's history and present, but also residents of Hiroshima Prefecture with a chance to discover new attractions of Hiroshima.

*This tour is conducted in cooperation with the "Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram Special Operation Project."

For details on the "Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram Special Operation Project," please visit the website (URL: https://rcc.jp/tram/).

The interior of the tram feels like stepping back in time!

The tour can be enjoyed with the following itinerary:

<Before Boarding: Time Slip from the Present to Before the War>

At Hiroshima Station, a guide in a restored uniform and Tram No. 653 will greet you.

You can also experience a retro world by receiving a [novelty item inspired by a 1940s replica ticket].

Board the retro tram with your replica ticket.

Depart from Hiroshima Station stop, newly renovated last year, on Tram No. 653. The interior is enveloped in the warmth of wood.

<First Loop: From Before the War to Immediately After the Bombing>

You can freely view [four precious videos from before the war and immediately after the bombing on a tablet].

<Second Loop: From Reconstruction to the Present Day>

Using the [original tour map], we will introduce the bustling present-day Hiroshima city that has been rebuilt and recommended spots by local guides.

Includes Hiroshima Tabipass (2-DAY)!

<After Alighting: Walking Through Modern Hiroshima>

Once you alight at the stop, you can immediately start exploring the city!

Tour Participant Benefits

You will receive a [Hiroshima Tabipass (2-DAY Pass)] that allows unlimited rides on trains and buses within Hiroshima City for two days. Please take advantage of this for your Hiroshima sightseeing.

4. Tour Details

Operation Schedule

15 days, 20 departures in total

Morning departures (Departing Hiroshima Station at 10:30 AM)

August 2 (Sun) *, August 8 (Sat), August 9 (Sun),

September 5 (Sat), September 6 (Sun), September 19 (Sat),

September 20 (Sun), September 21 (Mon, Holiday), September 22 (Tue, Holiday),

October 10 (Sat), October 12 (Mon, Holiday), October 24 (Sat), October 25 (Sun)

October 31 (Sat)

*August 2 (Sun) is a trial run. There will be no general recruitment.

Afternoon departures (Departing Hiroshima Station at 1:30 PM)

August 2 (Sun), August 7 (Fri),

September 19 (Sat), September 20 (Sun), September 21 (Mon, Holiday), September 22 (Tue, Holiday)

Operation Times and Route

<First Loop>

Hiroshima Station → Inari-machi → Kamiyacho-higashi → Hiroden Honsha-mae → Minami-machi 6-chome

<Second Loop>

→ [Matoba-cho] → [Hatchobori] → [Hondori] → [Hiroden Honsha-mae] → [Hijiyama-shita]

→ [Hiroshima Station]

*You can alight at the stops marked with 【】 (colored yellow in the diagram below) from the second loop onwards.

Once you alight, the tour will end. Re-boarding is not possible.

*The tour duration is approximately 40 minutes if you alight at the first alighting stop of the second loop, [Matoba-cho], and 90 minutes if you alight at the final stop, [Hiroshima Station].

Fees

Adults (Junior high school students and older): ¥3,500 Children (Elementary school students): ¥1,500

*Preschoolers (under elementary school age) can ride for free. However, they are not eligible for tablet viewing or novelty items.

Capacity

Maximum 25 people

How to Apply

〇 Apply through the Tabimachi Gate Hiroshima Co., Ltd. reservation site (advance application required)

*Applications will open on July 10, 2026, at 9:30 AM.

〇 On-the-day applications are possible if there are available seats.

(Reception will begin 30 minutes before the start of operation at the Hiroshima Station stop platform. Payment for on-the-day applications is cash only.)

Image of Operation Route

5. About Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram No. 653

Manufactured in 1942, this is a vehicle that has been with Hiroshima Electric Railway since its inception. Tram No. 653 was heavily damaged by the atomic bombing near Enba (Naka Ward, Hiroshima City) on August 6, 1945, but was restored four months later. As a blue Atomic Bomb Survivor Tram restored to its pre-bombing livery, it is still operated for events and other occasions.