Hiroshima is a city that bears one of history’s deepest scars. It needs no introduction and will forever evoke thoughts of the 6th of August 1945, when it became the target of the world’s first atomic bomb. However, Hiroshima City is much more than its sad legacy of the first nuclear attack in human history.
The Hiroshima prefecture is located in the southwestern part of the Japanese archipelago, on the island of Honshu. It is rich in natural beauty and home to the mountains, sea, rivers, valleys, plains and basins that characterise the Japanese landscape. Hiroshima City is the capital of Hiroshima prefecture and the principle city of the Chugoku Region with over a million inhabitants.
The atomic bomb obliterated everything within a two kilometre (1.2 mile) radius of the hypocentre and the subsequent firestorm destroyed 13 square kilometres (five square miles) of the city. It was said that the city would be uninhabitable and that nothing would grow for almost a century. Plans to rebuild the city began almost immediately and historical monuments including Hiroshima Castle and Shekkeien Garden were reconstructed. The destroyed city was redesigned with a grid system, built around the Peace Memorial Park with beautiful boulevards, rivers and gardens. Hiroshima was re-born as the City of Peace and is now a very popular tourist destination.
Today, Hiroshima is known as a vibrant and friendly city with a thriving nightlife. It hosts a number of festivals throughout the year and is a popular Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spot in the Spring.
Hiroshima can be reached by airplane (both nationally and internationally) or by train.
SOURCES:
- Lonely Planet: Japan
- DK Eyewitness: Japan
- Wanderlust Pocket Guides – Best of: Japan
- GetHiroshima
- https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2160.html
- https://visithiroshima.net/plan_your_trip/directions_and_maps.html
- https://www.cnduk.org/campaigns/global-abolition/hiroshima-a-nagasaki
