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HIROSHIMA
Isnin, 9 September 2013 • 10:43 PTG • 0 comments

Hiroshima (広島) is the principal city of the Chugoku Region and home to over a million inhabitants.

When the first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the city became known worldwide for this unenviable distinction. The destructive power of the bomb was tremendous and obliterated nearly everything within a two kilometer radius.


After the war, great efforts were taken to rebuild the city. Predictions that the city would be uninhabitable proved false. Destroyed monuments of Hiroshima's historical heritage, like Hiroshima Castle and Shukkeien Garden, were reconstructed. In the center of the city a large park was built and given a name that would reflect the aspirations of the re-born city: Peace Memorial Park.Here are some places in Hiroshima!

1)PEACE MEMORIAL PARK

Cenotaph and A-Bomb Dome as seen from Peace Memorial Museum

Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園, Heiwa Kinen Kōen) is one of the most prominent features of the city. Even visitors not looking for the Peace Park will likely stumble upon the large park of over 120,000 square meters. Its trees, lawns, and walking paths are in stark contrast to the surrounding downtown area.

Before the bomb, the area of what is now the Peace Park was the political and commercial heart of the city. For this reason, it was chosen as the pilot's target. Four years to the day after the bomb was dropped, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to peace memorial facilities.

Peace Memorial Museum

The park's main facility is the Peace Memorial Museum. Consisting of two building, the museum surveys the history of Hiroshima and the advent of the nuclear bomb. Its main focus though is on the events of August 6; the dropping of the bomb and its outcome in human suffering. The personal details displayed are quite upsetting, and serve to remind that we should not take peace for granted.

The A-Bomb Dome, also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The building served as a location to promote Hiroshima's industries. When the bomb exploded, it was one of the few buildings to remain standing, and remains so today. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the A-Bomb Dome is a tangible link to Hiroshima's unique past.

 A-Bomb Dome

Between the Museum and the A-Bomb Dome is the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims. The Cenotaph is an arched tomb for those who died because of the bomb, either because of the initial blast or exposure to radiation. Below the arch is a stone chest holding a register of these names, of which there are over 220,000.

Every year on the anniversary of the bomb, a ceremony is held at the park. Speeches are made, wreathes are laid at the Cenotaph, and a moment of silence is observed at 8:15 am, the precise moment of detonation. Other activities occur throughout the day, and many staff are employed to help foreign visitors.

Children's peace monument

2)MAZDA MUSEUM

Mazda Headquarters Building

The Mazda Motor Corporation, founded in Hiroshima in 1920, still retains its headquarters in the city of its origins. In addition to the corporate headquarters, Mazda owns a large plot of coastal land which accommodates research and development laboratories, factories, and shipping facilities. The company museum and part of a factory are made available for public viewing.

Like Toyota to Nagoya, Mazda plays a large role in Hiroshima's economy. Although Mazda may not be nearly as big as Toyota, it still produces over a million cars a year and is an innovative participant of the Japanese auto industry. For instance, in 1991 Mazda became the first and only Japanese company to win the Le Mans Grand Prix. Continuing efforts to create more efficient vehicles include improving its version of rotary engines.


The Cars of the Past

To visit the Mazda Museum, reservations must be made by phone or e-mail beforehand (see official website for details), as the facilities can only be seen on a guided tour. Tours for individual travelers are offered once per day in English and Japanese. Reservations can be made up to a year in advance.

Visitors to the museum first assemble at the Mazda head office building and sign in at the front desk. When the tour is scheduled to begin, a Mazda tour guide directs visitors onto a bus to take them to the museum building on the nearby grounds of Mazda's Hiroshima Plant.

The museum offers an overview of Mazda's history, a look into the technology of its automobiles and the prospects for its future developments. The tour then passes through an actual vehicle assembly line, where visitors can see a variety of different car models being produced. At the end of the tour there is a shop featuring Mazda goods. The tour takes a total of 90 minutes.

A car of the future

3)SHUKKEIEN GARDEN


Shukkeien's (縮景園) name can be translated into English as "shrunken-scenery garden", which is also a good description of the garden itself. Valleys, mountains, and forests are represented in miniature in the garden's landscapes. Through carefully cultivated land and vegetation, the garden mimics a variety of natural formations and scenic views.

Shukkeien has a long history dating back to 1620, just after the completion of Hiroshima Castle. The garden displays many features of the traditional aesthetics of Japanese gardens. Around the garden's main pond there are a number of tea houses which offer visitors ideal views of the surrounding scenery.

The entire garden is connected by a path which winds around the pond at the center of the garden. The path passes through all of Shukkeien's various miniaturized sceneries. Following this path around the garden is the best way to enjoy Shukkeien.

4)DOWNTOWN HIROSHIMA

Hondori Arcade

Hiroshima has a bustling downtown area, the main feature of which is Hondori Street. Hondori is a pedestrian arcade that is closed to traffic and lined with shops and restaurants. It starts near the Peace Park and stretches east about half a kilometer.

Running parallel to Hondori is Aioidori (Aioi Street), the main street used by cars and trams. Along Aioi Street stand a few large department stores where more shopping can be found. Hiroshima Baseball Stadium, the venue for Hiroshima's beloved home team, the "Hiroshima Carp", is also located on Aioi Street.

Downtown Hiroshima at night

While in the downtown area, visitors to Hiroshima may want to take the opportunity to try one of Hiroshima's specialties: Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki. Many restaurants along both Hondori and Aioi streets offer the local specialty, but the surest place to find it is in Okonomimura.

Usually translated as Okonomiyaki Village, Okonomimura is a small area just south of the eastern end of Hondori. As its name implies, it is devoted to okonomiyaki. Okonomimura has many different restaurants to choose from, and is a convenient place in the downtown area to take a break and grab a bite.

 okonomimura



Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki

5)HIROSHIMA CASTLE

Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshimajō), also called the Carp Castle, is a good example of a castle built on a plain in the center of a city as opposed to hilltop and mountaintop castles. Its main keep is five stories tall, and its grounds are surrounded by a moat. Also within the castle's precincts are a shrine, some ruins and a few reconstructed buildings of the Ninomaru (second circle of defense).

Hiroshima developed as a castle town, whereby the castle was both the physical and economical center of the city. Built in 1589 by the powerful feudal lord Mori Terumoto, Hiroshima Castle was an important seat of power in Western Japan. It was spared the destruction that many other castles met during the Meiji Restoration and survived into the modern era.

Ninomaru

Unfortunately, like the rest of the city, Hiroshima Castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945. Thirteen years later, its main keep was rebuilt in ferro-concrete with an attractive, partially wooden exterior. Inside the keep is an informative museum on Hiroshima's and the castle's history and Japanese castles in general, while panoramic views of the surrounding city can be enjoyed from the building's top floor.

In more recent restoration efforts, some structures of the Ninomaru, the castle's second circle of defense, were reconstructed using original building methods and materials. They include the castle's main gate and two turrets adjoined by a long storehouse. Visitors can enter the buildings and view exhibits about their reconstruction.

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