By Brody Nixon

Hiroshima, being the commercial and industrial hub of the Chugoku region, has a solid local music scene. Since coming here, going to local live shows has become a bit of a hobby, and through it, I have not only discovered some fantastic music, but also made some very close friends. Here’s a list of clubs in Hiroshima that you can look to for exploring the local music scene.

Club Quattro: The best rock club in Hiroshima, in terms of the venue itself. Artists range from my friends (i.e. small-time local bands), to nationally-known rock stars, to the occasional international show (Jason Mraz played a few weeks ago). Located in the heart of downtown, at the top of the Parco Shinkan. Full schedule available on the Web site: http://www.club-quattro.com/schedule_hiro.php

Namiki Junction: A small but quality rock club on Ebisu-dori, just behind the Tenmaya and Mitsukoshi department stores. Mostly regional shows, with a few moderately famous names here and there. It’s located on the fourth floor of a building with some restaurants and a McDonald’s, and is quite easy to miss. Check the Web site for a map and schedule: http://namikijunction.com/

Cave Be: Small club a few blocks north of the Ebisu-dori streetcar stop. It’s similar in size to Namiki Junction, but a bit crummier. More small-time local bands, not many famous acts. The venue itself is pretty bare bones, but I’ve seen some great bands here. Web site: http://www.cave-be.net/hiroshima/top.html

There are plenty of other small “live houses” to be found around the city, so don’t stop at just these. In addition, there are a number of cafes and restaurants that have live music on a regular basis, such as Sumatra Tiger (in Nagarekawa, on the ground floor of the Barcos building) and Aina Haina (a Hawaiian café near the Tokaichi-machi streetcar stop). I have a few favorite rock bands that I go to see. If you want to know about them, feel free to ask me, or you can grab a friend and try going to some shows at random and see what you find!

Brody Nixon

Brody is a veteran JET ALT in Hiroshima. He enjoys fine dining around the city, traveling outside the prefecture, Carp games and chicken wings.