If you are a military or naval enthusiast than this probably is a very worthwhile side trip while visiting Hiroshima. The Yamato Museum is an awesome expose of the life and death of the mighty Japanese battleship during WW2. It also includes lots of Japanese naval history to provide background and context to the Yamato displays.
It’s a 30 minute JR train ride east of Hiroshima, and you can conveniently catch a regular commuter train from Hiroshima railway station. The museum is about 5 minutes from the station and its direction well sign posted. There is a small car park if you are driving.
An amazing 1:10 scale model of the Yamato (as big as large truck – see photos) dominates the main atrium, with views of Kure’s working harbour outside very large glass windows. The museum also features exhibits of a real Mitsubishi Zero, an experimental Japanese mini-sub, numerous warship gun barrels and other related items. On other floors are numerous beautiful scale models of many Imperial Japanese Navy warships, aircraft with several small scale and life sized dioramas, extensive historic photographs and narratives. For the overseas tourist, recorded summaries can be obtain upon entry.
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