Nagarekawa

Nagarekawa is lively for a night out, but it is the one part of central Hiroshima where women alone should be careful. Stick to main streets, established venues and daytime visits.

Nagarekawa is Hiroshima's main entertainment district, packed with izakaya, karaoke, hostess clubs, bars and late-night ramen shops, and it stays open until the early hours. Many places are friendly, and the lanes around Yagenbori and the main streets are busy with locals and groups of friends. The problems come from the nighttime economy: street touts approach passers-by, some bars with no posted prices add large cover charges, and groups of drunk men can be loud late at night. Women can eat and have a drink alone at established restaurants and bars, but the narrow side streets and hostess-club blocks are best skipped after midnight. By day it is a quiet area with a few good eateries, including some well-known okonomiyaki restaurants.