By the time the Sino-Japanese War broke out in August 1894, the extension of the Sanyo Railway to Hiroshima and construction of the Ujina Port had made Hiroshima an ideal location for the Japanese Military Headquarters, which were moved to the area in September of the same year.
The headquarters were established in a building within Hiroshima Castle grounds and housed the headquarters for the 5th Army Division. The building was also designated as the provisional quarters for the Meiji Emperor, who stayed there from September 15 1894 to April 27 of the following year. Thereafter, the building was preserved as a historical monument, but was later destroyed in the atomic bomb. Today, the foundation stones are all that remain.
SOURCES:
- Information Sign in Hiroshima Castle Grounds.
