Japan: Hiroshima at Night (Ekinishi)

Ekinishi (“west of station”) is a small neighbourhood just west of Hiroshima Station that is full of trendy bars and restaurants and really comes alive at night.

Every city looks different at night compared to daytime. The area around Hiroshima Station comes ablaze with street lights and neon, except for one area.

Ekinishi is all that remains of post war Hiroshima. After the atomic bomb flattened the city, many people who had lost everything moved to the area around Hiroshima Station to rebuild, and over time a maze of narrow streets and shops developed around the station. Over time, these have been replaced by tall hotels and huge shopping centres, but this tiny enclave remains.

Today, it is full of trendy bars, restaurants and boutique shops that really come alive at night.