Koba in Hiroshima, Japan
While cruising through Fukuoka and Hiroshima a couple weeks back, I tried to find a club with some live acts playing some kind of heavy metal. I couldn’t find anything so then I looked for a bar similar to Godz or Rock Bar Mother in Tokyo. No luck. The night I was in Hiroshima I planned to go to a Carp baseball game, but it got rained out. I then remembered that I had a Facebook friend from Hiroshima who is into hard rock and heavy metal so I sent him a quick message before heading out. He responded immediately that I should check out a place called Koba. I googled it, got an address, marked it on my map, and got on a nearby streetcar.
When I got to the spot on my map I couldn’t find Koba. I started walking in circles around the spot on my map, asking anyone who looked local if they knew of the place. No one did. I had gone down every street in the neighborhood at least twice. Finally, as I was about to give up, I walked into G.O.D Sports Bar. If they didn’t know where it was, I was going to just hang out there. The employee was so helpful that he looked it up on the internet for me and then walked me to Koba, making sure that I found it. Now that’s service! And from a competing bar no less.
Anyway, Koba (or コバ) is very hard to find, even with the address, as the only sign is about an inch high so I’ll help you with directions and maps below. I walked right past it several times in my search.
The guy sitting in the top photo is Mac from Macbar or MAC Bar (not sure how to spell it), another Hiroshima Bar that I’d like to visit on my next time through.
Koba is very close to the Hondori (本通) Shopping Arcade. If you aren’t there already, take a streetcar to the Fukuromachi or Tatemachi stops.
Above is a closer view and also shows you how to get there from Heiwa Odori.
When you approach the A on the maps, look for something like the above. It will probably be dark and not this clear. However, if you go up really close to the sign you will see this:
広島 Koba is upstairs. Head on in and up. The food is great. The company is great. The atmosphere is excellent. Everyone is very foreigner friendly in this place.
As I walked in Michael Schenker’s “Rock My Nights Away” was playing. The words were very fitting.
“When I’m sad and lonely
Far from home
Who’s gonna rock my nights away”
I recorded that song off the radio and onto a cassette tape in 1983, but probably hadn’t heard it since 1986 or so. Hearing it in Koba on this evening in 2013 sounded like it was written just for me at that moment. Koba was clearly going to rock my night away.
The place isn’t really Heavy Heavy Metal like Godz and Rock Bar Mother can be. Instead, it’s more 80s hard rock. I can’t remember all of the other albums played on this evening but one was Ozzy Osbourne’s “Diary of a Madman” (or was it Blizzard of Oz?). Anyway, Koba is a fun place so be sure to check it out the next time you are in Hiroshima.
The address is
１-４ Funairi Nakamachi
Naka Ward, Hiroshima, 730-0037
Tel: 082-249-6556
広島県広島市中区中町1-4
Koba is usually closed on Wednesdays.
Posted on July 3rd, 2013 under Japan. Tags: beer, hiroshima, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, photomerge. Comments Off on Koba (コバ) in Hiroshima
