“Show me a man who is good at pool, and I’ll show you a man who had a misspent youth,” my father once said. It was one of those times that made me realize that my father was not the fountain of all knowledge that I had thought of him in my childhood, because neither he nor I are any good at pool.

Though I may be pretty poor on the pool table, that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy a game. I’ve spent many hours with beer in one hand, cue in the other, trying to figure out the mathematical equations that will get those little balls down the holes; those same equations that I once smugly informed my maths teacher that I would never need in the real world. Sorry, Miss Perkis.

Although pool is not quite the pastime in Japan that it is in the US or many western countries, you can find a few pool halls across the nation, as well as some bars and cafes that have the odd table to keep punters entertained. You can also find some facilities with snooker tables – for any fans of the sport popular in the UK and China. Here is a selection of what you can find in Hiroshima.

Cue Sports Center

Cue Sports Center in Higashi Ward is very much in the classic style of the pool hall, boasting in its main hall six regular pool tables and four carom (pocketless billiard) tables. It has yet another pool table in its training room along with a treadmill, an exercise bike, and other workout equipment, and there is even a small nap room/baby play area.

Fees for adults are 800 yen per hour for any of the tables, while students, children, and seniors get a 100 yen discount on pool. Pool and carom tournaments are held monthly and cost 2,500 yen to enter.

Where: 1-5 Higashi Kaniyacho, Higashi Ward, Hiroshima, 732-0055 (map)
Website: rijyou.co.jp

Cafe Bar Nico

If you want to shoot some pool in a relaxed atmosphere with a quiet coffee, a fruity soda, or a frosty beer, head to Cafe Bar Nico in Hatsukaichi. They even have live music events from time to time.

An hour at the table will set you back 650 yen per person, or 1,500 yen for a three-hour set, though there is a one-drink minimum. As there is just one table, they suggest that you call ahead to make a reservation.

Where:1 Chome−8−1, 2F, Hatsukaichi (map)
Website: cafebarnico.shopinfo.jp

Billiards & Café Bar Hammer

Situated right in the center of Hiroshima, Hammer is a place where you can cut loose as you shoot some pool. They open at 3:00 p.m. and stay open until 3:00 a.m. the next morning, catering predominantly to the post-work crowd.

To play on one of their six tables costs 130 yen per ten minutes up to a maximum of 1,980 yen, but if you fancy a few drinks, there is an all-you-can-drink-and-play option at 2,980 yen for two hours. If you want to get serious, they do offer lessons, and there are monthly tournaments.

Where: FF Building, 7th Floor, 4-25 Ebisucho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City (map)
Website: hammerbilliard.com

Round One

Round One is a national chain of sports entertainment amusement centers (called ‘spotcha’ in Japan), with a wide array of games and activities to enjoy, including, of course, billiards.

The system is of the ‘all-you-can-play’ variety, as once you have entered, you can stay pretty much all day. As well as shooting pool, you can also take part in other activities such as bowling, batting cages, basketball, karaoke, and much, much more.

Where:3-11 Tatemachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima (map)
Website: round1.co.jp

Yu’s Billiards

One of the newer facilities that has opened up in Hiroshima, Yu’s includes several pool tables and has a bar and café facilities. It is located in the Saeki ward and opened in 2015. There are monthly tournaments, which you can enter for 1.500 yen.

Where:1-3-33 Itsukaichichuo, Saeki Ward, Hiroshima 731-5128 (map)
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/yusbilliard/

Image: By Andrzej Barabasz (Chepry) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons – Modified