Kure Isn't Pretty. That's Its Charm.

What?
Kure (呉) has long been one of Japan's most important naval cities. Once the headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy, it was here that some of the country's largest warships – including the legendary Yamato – were built. Today, Kure remains a major centre for both shipbuilding and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), making it a fascinating destination for anyone interested in maritime history. Highlights include the excellent Yamato Museum (大和ミュージアム), the JMSDF Kure Museum (海上自衛隊呉史料館), and Alley Karasukojima (アレイからすこじま), where visitors can see active JMSDF vessels and submarines moored just a stone's throw away. Combining wartime history with modern naval activity, Kure offers something few other cities can.
Where?
Kure lies near Hiroshima (広島) in the prefecture of the same name. Between two and four trains per hour connect Kure with the prefectural capital, with journey times ranging from 20 to 50 minutes depending on the service. Kure Station is on the JR Kure Line (JR呉線), which connects Hiroshima and Mihara (三原) while following the scenic coastline.
URL
Let's Setouchi

Kure is an ugly city. Industrial. Chaotic.
And that's exactly its tourist appeal.
Kure is the heart of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). It is today, and it always has been.
Hiroshima was the first city to be obliterated by the atomic bomb, but it might just as well have been Kure. This port city built much of Japan's wartime fleet, including its pride: the battleship Yamato. And it's exactly this ship that is still revered here, with the recently renovated Yamato Museum (reopened on July 1, 2026) proudly bearing its name. Right next door stands the JMSDF Museum.

Having become somewhat accustomed to historical revisionism – or at least to the many euphemisms surrounding Japan's wartime past – I was a little apprehensive about how nationalistic Kure might be. Sure enough, I spotted one idiotic bōsōzoku biker wearing a wartime helmet, but he was almost endearing in his solitude.
In fact, I found the Yamato Museum to be surprisingly balanced. No, it doesn't ask questions about guilt or the futility of war. But neither does it avoid the subject. Several of the films feature family members questioning the war effort, and especially the suicide mission on which the Yamato was sent. Others focus on the destruction of Kure itself and the determination to rebuild the city afterwards. There are countless artefacts, models, and displays covering the naval history of the city, but it's those films that really make the museum worthwhile.

The neighbouring JMSDF Museum also turned out to be quite different from what I had expected. Its focus lies mainly on the post-war efforts of the Japanese navy to clear Japan's waters of the countless naval mines left behind, and later to assist in mine-clearing operations around the world. As a museum dedicated to the Self-Defense Forces, it understandably avoids discussing Japan's wartime actions, apart from the clean-up that followed.
The highlight is undoubtedly the enormous submarine displayed outside. Visitors can walk through it, and although it's an older model, it gives you a very good impression of just how incredibly cramped life aboard such a... for lack of a better word... bucket must be.

And the museum story still isn't finished. The Yamato Museum was absolutely packed – which isn't surprising after its recent reopening – but its annex, about a ten-minute walk away, was almost completely deserted. A little odd, really, because a full-sized model of a seaplane seems like exactly the sort of thing that would attract visitors.

This is the first thing you see when entering Yamato Museum's exhibition area.

And then there was this model. And a lot more.

I couldn't take pictures of the movies of course, but rest assured, there were many of them.

Looking at the JMSDF Museum's iconic submarine. Which is in the air.

Whatever the case, these museums contain an astonishing amount of information. If you genuinely want to read everything and see every exhibit, you'll easily spend an entire day here. I lasted almost three hours before my concentration finally gave up. But I really wanted to see all the videos. Even though the models are the crowd-pleasers, it's these personal accounts that make people want to come back.

I actually visited Alley Karasukojima the following day, but if you find yourself equally exhausted after a few hours in the museums, you can simply hop on a bus for about fifteen minutes and admire the submarines and JMSDF vessels moored there. There is also a pillbox ruin nearby should you be interested.
Alternatively, you can join one of the twenty-minute harbour cruises, which undoubtedly offers a much better view of the moored ships. Reservations are required, however, and I hadn't made one.
One thing did make me hesitate, though. On the cruise operator's website, every passenger is shown waving the JMSDF flag, which is essentially the old Imperial Japanese Navy ensign. Personally, that makes me rather uncomfortable.
But, of course, that's entirely your own choice.