There are many popular tourist destinations near Hiroshima. A popular destination outside the city is Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima, which is a sacred island with many temples and shrines. But inside Hiroshima there are many popular destinations as well, and according to online guidebooks, these are the most popular tourist destinations in Hiroshima: Other popular places in the city include the Hon-dōri shopping arcade.
Places of interest
Hiroshima
Hiroshima | Places of interest
Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima A popular destination outside the city is Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima, which is a sacred island with many temples and shrines. Itsukushima Island , Hon-dōri shopping arcade and others. New temples, new churches, Sannō Shrine, Atomic Bomb Museum
date of japanese surrender in world war ii
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September 2, 1945
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what were the divisions within their leadership?
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Suzuki's military-dominated cabinet favored continuing the war. For the Japanese, surrender was unthinkable—Japan had never been successfully invaded or lost a war in its history. Only Mitsumasa Yonai, the Navy minister, was known to desire an early end to the war.
assistant
why did they surrender then?
user
August 28, 1945 Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed
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what happened at hiroshima in this context?
user
United States detonated an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
assistant
and nagasaki?
user
Hours later, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb, this time on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
assistant
were there any further surrenders followed after this?
user
It was broadcasted later that Japan was indeed unconditionally surrendering to the allies.
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which interesting places are there in the former mentioned city?
user
Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, the closest surviving building to the location of the bomb's detonation, was designated the Genbaku Dome (原爆ドーム) or "Atomic Dome", a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was opened in 1955 in the Peace Park.
Hiroshima | Postwar period (1945–present)
The former Nakajima District, which today is Peace Memorial Park, was a prominent business quarter of the city during the early years of the Showa period (1926–89) and had been the site of many wooden two-story structures. However, in 1929, the three-story Taishoya Kimono Shop was constructed, surrounded by shops and movie theaters. It was said that if you went up to the roof, a panoramic view of the city awaited. In 1943 the Kimono Shop was closed and in June 1944, as World War II intensified and economic controls became increasingly stringent, the building was purchased by the Prefectural Fuel Rationing Union At 8:15 a.m.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | Rest House
on August 6, 1945. Most of the city was destroyed, and by the end of the year 90,000–166,000 had died as a result of the blast and its effects. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) serves as a memorial of the bombing. Since being rebuilt after the war, Hiroshima has become the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan.
Hiroshima | Introduction
In the summer 2005, an old gentleman began to talk about a "sixty years ago story" to the school study trip students in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was a story about three sisters and one brother, when residents' houses, offices, shops restaurants, hospitals, schools, temples, hotels... were used to be there in around the peace park. Back to July 16, 1945, end of World War II, the town used to be called "Tenjin-cho", one of the towns in Horoshima, there were people's life as the real town.
Hiroshima Showa 20 nen 8 Gatsu Muika | Plot
As of 1 May 2019, a further three hundred and fifty-two Sites have been designated as being of municipal importance.
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Hiroshima) | Municipal Historic Sites
The houses were constructed of timber with tile roofs, and many of the industrial buildings were also built around timber frames. The city as a whole was highly susceptible to fire damage. It was the second largest city in Japan after Kyoto that was still undamaged by air raids, primarily because it lacked the aircraft manufacturing industry that was the XXI Bomber Command's priority target. On July 3, the Joint Chiefs of Staff placed it off limits to bombers, along with Kokura, Niigata and Kyoto. The population of Hiroshima had reached a peak of over 381,000 earlier in the war but prior to the atomic bombing, the population had steadily decreased because of a systematic evacuation ordered by the Japanese government.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Hiroshima during World War II
The two outer moats were filled in during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and much of what was once within the castle grounds is now modern urban area, including homes, schools, offices and shops. A number of secondary castle buildings, towers and turrets once stood, and a Shinto shrine called Hiroshima Gokoku Jinja is located within the innermost moat, having been moved there after 1945. Within the castle walls, three trees survived the atomic bombing: a eucalyptus and a willow at approximately 740 m from the hypocenter, and a holly approximately 935 m from the hypocenter. Both specimens are preserved just beyond the Honmaru.
Hiroshima Castle | Structure
This list is of the Historic Sites of Japan located within the Prefecture of Hiroshima.
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Hiroshima) | Introduction
Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, the closest surviving building to the location of the bomb's detonation, was designated the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was opened in 1955 in the Peace Park. Hiroshima also contains a Peace Pagoda, built in 1966 by Nipponzan-Myōhōji.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Hiroshima
In total, an estimated 40,000 Japanese military personnel were stationed in the city. Hiroshima was a supply and logistics base for the Japanese military. The city was a communications center, a key port for shipping, and an assembly area for troops. It was a beehive of war industry, manufacturing parts for planes and boats, for bombs, rifles, and handguns. The center of the city contained several reinforced concrete buildings and lighter structures. Outside the center, the area was congested by a dense collection of small timber workshops set among Japanese houses. A few larger industrial plants lay near the outskirts of the city.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Hiroshima during World War II
Hiroshima was founded in 1598 as a castle town on the Ōta River delta. Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Hiroshima rapidly transformed into a major urban center and industrial hub. In 1889, Hiroshima officially gained city status. The city was a center of military activities during the imperial era, playing significant roles such as in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the two world wars. Hiroshima is best remembered as the first city targeted by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on the city at 8:15 a.m.
Hiroshima | Introduction
The park also contains a large collection of monuments, including the Children's Peace Monument, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims and many others. Hiroshima's rebuilt castle (nicknamed "Rijō", meaning "Koi Castle") houses a museum of life in the Edo period. Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is within the walls of the castle. Other attractions in Hiroshima include Shukkei-en, Fudōin, Mitaki-dera, and Hijiyama Park.
Hiroshima | Culture
on August 6, 1945, the explosion of the atomic bomb about 600 meters above the hypocenter destroyed the building’s concrete roof. The interior was also badly damaged and gutted by ensuing fires, and everyone inside was killed except Nomura, who miraculously survived. The building was restored soon after the war and used as the Fuel Hall. In 1957, the Hiroshima East Reconstruction Office, which became the core of the city’s reconstruction program, was established there.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | Rest House
At the time of the bombing, the city was a center for aluminum, ball-bearing and special steel production. Left unscathed however, were the war-related factories just outside the city. The city during the time had a population of around 150,000 residents. The city also held Kakure Kirishitan, or "Hidden Christians" in Japan, forced from Nagasaki into internment camps after the government tried to punish them for their Christian beliefs.
Toyama, Toyama | Recent history
Within the museum is a history of the city before the bomb was dropped. The hypocenter of the explosion was the Urakami district, which was a traditionally rustic and isolated suburb. However, the population soared after the 1920s when the district was chosen as the site for munitions factories. An industrial zone was quickly created. Additionally, the Urakami district was home to the Nagasaki Medical College. When the bomb was dropped at 11:02 A.M. on August 9, 1945, the 20 neighborhoods within a one-kilometer radius of the hypocenter were completely destroyed by the heat flash and blast winds generated by the explosion.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum | History covered in the museum
As of 1 July 2020, twenty-seven Sites have been designated as being of national significance (including two *Special Historic Sites); the Joseon Mission Sites span the prefectural borders with Okayama and also include an area of Shizuoka.
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Hiroshima) | National Historic Sites
The East Wing—the newest addition—explained the history of Hiroshima City before the bomb, development and decision to drop the bomb, the lives of Hiroshima citizens during World War II and after the bombing, and ended with information about the nuclear age and efforts for international peace. Included in this section was a model showing the damage done to the city. It had some important letters exchanged between scientists and top leaders of that era talking about atomic development and predicted result of its use.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum | Museum content
The A-Bomb Dome is the skeletal ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building closest to the hypocenter of the nuclear bomb that remained at least partially standing. It was left how it was after the bombing in memory of the casualties. The A-Bomb Dome, to which a sense of sacredness and transcendence has been attributed, is situated in a distant ceremonial view that is visible from the Peace Memorial Park’s central cenotaph. It is an officially designated site of memory for the nation’s and humanity’s collectively shared heritage of catastrophe. The A-Bomb Dome was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on December 7, 1996.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | A-Bomb Dome
One of his uncles, Prince Asaka, then asked whether the war would be continued if the "kokutai" could not be preserved. Hirohito simply replied, "Of course." As the Allied terms seemed to leave intact the principle of the preservation of the Throne, Hirohito recorded on August 14 his capitulation announcement which was broadcast to the Japanese nation the next day despite a short rebellion by militarists opposed to the surrender.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Surrender of Japan and subsequent occupation
The city is known for its many temples such as the Buddhist Senkō-ji Temple (founded in the 9th century), has a shipbuilding yard and a motor factory. It offers a steamship service to ports of northern Shikoku and islands in the Inland Sea.
Onomichi, Hiroshima | Tourism
Fourteen cities are located in Hiroshima Prefecture:
Hiroshima Prefecture | Cities
Many houses stood empty, and others were mere skeletons. Walls were pockmarked with bullet holes. There were piles of rubble everywhere. The tree-lined streets that used to be so pretty were now full of potholes, and only a few trees were left undamaged." Holmes said the cemetery had been neglected and at least part of it was overgrown in weeds.
Surigao City | World War II
By 1995 almost all campuses were relocated to Higashihiroshima. But, School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Graduate School in these fields in Kasumi Campus and Law School and Center for Research on Regional Economic System in Higashi-Senda Campus are still in Hiroshima City. Notable art institutions include the Elisabeth University of Music and Actor's School Hiroshima.
Hiroshima | Education
This set of rules was not followed during World War I which saw bombs dropped indiscriminately on cities by Zeppelins and multi-engine bombers. Afterward, another series of meetings were held at The Hague in 1922–23, but no binding agreement was reached regarding air warfare. During the 1930s and 1940s, the aerial bombing of cities was resumed, notably by the German Condor Legion against the cities of Guernica and Durango in Spain in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. This led to an escalation of various cities bombed, including Chongqing, Warsaw, Rotterdam, London, Coventry, Hamburg, Dresden, and Tokyo. All of the major belligerents in World War II dropped bombs on civilians in cities.
Debate over the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | International law
The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded history. Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chūgoku region and was the seat of the Mōri clan until the Battle of Sekigahara. Together with Nara and Tokyo, Hiroshima is one of the three prefectures with more than one UNESCO World Heritage site. The two such sites in Hiroshima Prefecture are:
Hiroshima Prefecture | History
', sometimes called ', is a castle in Hiroshima, Japan that was the home of the "daimyō" (feudal lord) of the Hiroshima han (fief). The castle was originally constructed in the 1590s, but was destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. The castle was rebuilt in 1958, a replica of the original that now serves as a museum of Hiroshima's history before World War II.
Hiroshima Castle | Introduction
They were then reduced to ashes by the fires which followed. Within 2 km of the hypocenter, roughly 80% of the houses collapsed and burned. When the smoke cleared, the area was strewn with corpses.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum | History covered in the museum
Photographs and facts are shown alongside artifacts left by the deceased. Additionally, the second section contains some of the rosaries found inside the Urakami Cathedral. At the time of the bombing, dozens of people were inside the Cathedral for confession. This section also exhibits a timeline of events which shows a course of events that occurred prior to the bomb being dropped in Nagasaki. Leaflets which American forces dropped on Japan during the early part of 1945 are on display. One gives information on the bombing of Hiroshima and the power of the atomic bomb, warning citizens to leave the city and stop fighting.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum | Inside the Museum
There are many popular tourist destinations near Hiroshima. A popular destination outside the city is Itsukushima Island, also known as Miyajima, which is a sacred island with many temples and shrines. But inside Hiroshima there are many popular destinations as well, and according to online guidebooks, these are the most popular tourist destinations in Hiroshima: Other popular places in the city include the Hon-dōri shopping arcade.
Hiroshima | Places of interest
The main towers of the castles at Nagoya, Osaka, Okayama, Fukuyama, Wakayama, Ōgaki, among others, were all destroyed during air raids. Hiroshima Castle is notable for having been destroyed in the atomic bomb blast on August 6, 1945. It was also on the grounds of Hiroshima Castle that news of the atomic bombing was first transmitted to Tokyo. When the atomic bomb detonated, a team of volunteer high school girls had just taken their shift on a radio in a small fortified bunker in the main courtyard of Hiroshima Castle. The girls transmitted the message that the city had been destroyed, to the confused disbelief of the officers receiving the message in Tokyo.
Japanese castle | Imperial Japanese Army
Shōdoshima, nicknamed the "island of olives", and the Naruto whirlpools are two other well-known tourist sites. Neighboring locations like Kotohira and Okayama are often combined with the tour of the Setouchi region. Some historic sites, including Yashima in Takamatsu and Kurashiki, also attract many visitors. Hiroshima is the neighbor city to Itsukushima Shrine and another UNESCO World Heritage Site because of atomic bomb damage in 1945. Idol Unit STU48 operate on a cruise on the Setuchi.
Seto Inland Sea | Major tourist sites
Due to its stone and steel construction, the building was one of the few structures left standing near the bomb’s hypocenter. Soon commonly called the Genbaku ("A-Bomb") Dome, due to the exposed metal dome framework at its apex, the structure was scheduled to be demolished with the rest of the ruins, but the majority of the building was intact, delaying the demolition plans. The Dome became a subject of controversy, with some locals wanting it torn down, while others wanted to preserve it as a memorial of the bombing and a symbol of peace. Ultimately, when the reconstruction of Hiroshima began, the skeletal remains of the building were preserved.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial | Preservation
The museum is constructed from bare reinforced concrete. The primary museum floor is lifted six metres above the ground on huge piloti and is accessible via a free-standing staircase. The rhythmical facade comprises vertical elements that repeat outwards from the centre. Like the exterior, the interior is finished with rough concrete; the idea was to keep the surfaces plain so that nothing could distract the visitor from the contents of the exhibits.
Kenzō Tange | Peace Center in Hiroshima
The Rest House of Hiroshima Peace Park is another atomic bombed building in the park. The building was built as the Taishoya Kimono Shop in March 1929. It was used as a fuel distribution station when the shortage of fuel began in June 1944. On August 6, 1945, when the bomb exploded, the roof was crushed, the interior destroyed, and everything consumable burned except in the basement. Eventually, 36 people in the building died of the bombing; 47-year-old Eizo Nomura survived in the basement, which had a concrete roof through which radiation had a more difficult time penetrating. He survived into his 80s.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | Rest House
The , originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, and now commonly called the Genbaku Dome, , is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin of the hall serves as a memorial to the over 140,000 people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial | Introduction
Tolman. The Target Committee nominated five targets: Kokura (now Kitakyushu), the site of one of Japan's largest munitions plants; Hiroshima, an embarkation port and industrial center that was the site of a major military headquarters; Yokohama, an urban center for aircraft manufacture, machine tools, docks, electrical equipment and oil refineries; Niigata, a port with industrial facilities including steel and aluminum plants and an oil refinery; and Kyoto, a major industrial center. The target selection was subject to the following criteria: These cities were largely untouched during the nightly bombing raids, and the Army Air Forces agreed to leave them off the target list so accurate assessment of the damage caused by the atomic bombs could be made.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Choice of targets
The port is facing Seto Inland Sea and widely known as the largest military base of Imperial Japanese Navy. As Japan was losing to the U.S., living conditions in Japan were getting worse and U.S. military forces were threatening ordinary Japanese people. In spite of the food shortage, Suzu made efforts to get over the hard conditions during the wartime and also to prepare to mitigate the bombing damage. In 1945, U.S. air raids started and heavily attacked warships and naval facilities and the city areas in Kure. Suzu was wondering if she will return to the hometown (Eba) in Hiroshima, not yet bombed, from the house of Kure.
In This Corner of the World | Plot
During World War II, the Second General Army and Chūgoku Regional Army was headquartered in Hiroshima, and the Army Marine Headquarters was located at Ujina port. The city also had large depots of military supplies, and was a key center for shipping. The bombing of Tokyo and other cities in Japan during World War II caused widespread destruction and hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths. There were no such air raids on Hiroshima. However, a real threat existed and was recognized. To protect against potential firebombings in Hiroshima, school children aged 11–14 years were mobilized to demolish houses and create firebreaks.
Hiroshima | World War II and the atomic bombing (1939–1945)
Hiroshima is notable, in Japan, for its light rail system, nicknamed "Hiroden," and the "Moving Streetcar Museum". Streetcar service started in 1912, was interrupted by the atomic bomb, and was restored as soon as was practical. (Service between Koi/Nishi Hiroshima and Tenma-cho was started up three days after the bombing.) Streetcars and light rail vehicles are still rolling down Hiroshima's streets, including streetcars 651 and 652, which survived the atomic blast and are among the older streetcars in the system. When Kyoto and Fukuoka discontinued their trolley systems, Hiroshima bought them up at discounted prices, and, by 2011, the city had 298 streetcars, more than any other city in Japan.
Hiroshima | Streetcars
In the next few years he designed about 40 buildings, including the French school, Sacre Coeur in Tokyo, the Jesuit College, the German embassy, and several hotels and office buildings. His most famous design was the huge administrative building of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Hiroshima, now the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Hiroshima at that time was dominated by two-story wooden buildings, and the Promotional Hall, with its large size soon became one of Hiroshima's most striking landmarks. It became famous after surviving the atomic attack on the city in 1945. It was rededicated, still as a ruin, as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, otherwise known as the "A-Bomb Dome".
Jan Letzel | Biography
Tokyo and other major cities, including Kobe, Yokohama and Fukuoka, were targeted by several massive air raids during the Second World War, which left behind numerous UXOs. Shells from Imperial Army and Navy guns also continue to be discovered. On 29 October 2012, an unexploded US bomb with a functioning detonator was discovered near a runway at Sendai Airport during reconstruction following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, resulting in the airport being closed and all flights cancelled. The airport reopened the next day after the bomb was safely contained, but closed again on 14 November while the bomb was defused and safely removed.
Unexploded ordnance | Japan
Hiroshima was subsequently struck by Typhoon Ida on September 17, 1945. More than half the bridges were destroyed, and the roads and railroads were damaged, further devastating the city. The population increased from 83,000 soon after the bombing to 146,000 in February 1946. The city was rebuilt after the war, with help from the national government through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law passed in 1949. It provided financial assistance for reconstruction, along with land donated that was previously owned by the national government and used for military purposes. In 1949, a design was selected for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Hiroshima
The Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall was constructed in 1915 as a center for trade and exhibition of new products. Later, its name was changed to Hiroshima Prefectural Product Exhibition Hall, and again to Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. During World War I, Hiroshima became a focal point of military activity, as the Japanese government entered the war on the Allied side. About 500 German prisoners of war were held in Ninoshima Island in Hiroshima Bay. The growth of Hiroshima as a city continued after the First World War, as the city now attracted the attention of the Catholic Church, and on May 4, 1923, and Apostolic Vicar was appointed for that city.
Hiroshima | Imperial period (1871–1939)
At the time of its bombing, Hiroshima was a city of industrial and military significance. A number of military units were located nearby, the most important of which was the headquarters of Field Marshal Shunroku Hata's Second General Army, which commanded the defense of all of southern Japan, and was located in Hiroshima Castle. Hata's command consisted of some 400,000 men, most of whom were on Kyushu where an Allied invasion was correctly anticipated. Also present in Hiroshima were the headquarters of the 59th Army, the 5th Division and the 224th Division, a recently formed mobile unit. The city was defended by five batteries of 70 mm and 80 mm (2.8 and 3.1 inch) anti-aircraft guns of the 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division, including units from the 121st and 122nd Anti-Aircraft Regiments and the 22nd and 45th Separate Anti-Aircraft Battalions.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Hiroshima during World War II
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
Timeline of Hiroshima | Introduction
In 1945, near the end of the war, Niigata was one of four cities, together with Hiroshima, Kokura, and Nagasaki, picked as targets for the atomic bomb if Japan did not surrender. The governor of Niigata Prefecture ordered the people to evacuate as rumors of an impending bombing spread, and the city was completely deserted for days. Poor weather conditions and its distance from B-29 bases in the Mariana Islands meant that it was removed from the list of targets during deliberations; Nagasaki was bombed instead. In 1950, construction of Niigata Station was completed, extending the downtown area from Bandai Bridge.
Niigata (city) | Contemporary period
In the next section, visitors enter a room which shows Nagasaki just after the bombings. Included in this room is a water tank with contorted legs which was located at Keiho Middle School, approximately 800 m away from the hypocenter of the bombing. The section "Events leading up to the Nagasaki Atomic Bombiing" isolates historical events from contemporary biases. The permanent exhibition rooms display large materials exposed to the blast, as well as a replica of a sidewall of the Urakami Cathedral which was hit by the bomb. The purpose is to reproduce the state which the city was in immediately after the bombing.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum | Inside the Museum
The city was fire-bombed in World War II in early August 1945 around the same time that factory workers in Kokura suspected their city would be a target for the atomic bombs and decided to release large amounts of black smoke into the air. The resulting combined smoke clouds obscured the nearby town of Kokura, causing the planes "en route" to turn and head to their secondary target, Nagasaki, where the bomber "Bockscar" would drop the atomic weapon "Fat Man".
Yahata, Fukuoka | Introduction
However, by this time it was increasingly obvious that Germany would be defeated before any bombs would be ready for use. Groves formed a committee that met in April and May 1945 to draw up a list of targets. One of the primary criteria was that the target cities must not have been damaged by conventional bombing. This would allow for an accurate assessment of the damage done by the atomic bomb. The targeting committee's list included 18 Japanese cities. At the top of the list were Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Kokura, and Niigata. Ultimately, Kyoto was removed from the list at the insistence of Secretary of War Henry L.
Surrender of Japan | Manhattan Project
The entire shopping area along Hondōri was destroyed by the 1945 atomic bombing, due to the blast and fire. Shimomura Jewelers, located in a reinforced concrete building with an iconic clock tower, was severely damaged but like a number of concrete buildings in Hiroshima, it partially survived. The blast caused its side walls to severely tilt over. The Teikoku Bank building, originally built in 1925, also survived the blast, although its roof collapsed, a wall was destroyed, and it received other structural damages. By May 1950, the Teikoku Bank building had been restored and the Takaki Bakery (Andersen Bakery) opened in the building in 1967.
Hondōri | Atomic bombing
Hiroshima has a professional symphony orchestra, which has performed at Wel City Hiroshima since 1963. There are also many museums in Hiroshima, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, along with several art museums. The Hiroshima Museum of Art, which has a large collection of French renaissance art, opened in 1978. The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum opened in 1968 and is located near Shukkei-en gardens. The Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in 1989, is located near Hijiyama Park. Festivals include Hiroshima Flower Festival and Hiroshima International Animation Festival. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which includes the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, draws many visitors from around the world, especially for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, an annual commemoration held on the date of the atomic bombing.
Hiroshima | Culture
Because of the show, Yumura has a connection with Hiroshima, and strings of paper cranes (sembazuru) folded by locals and tourists are regularly sent to Hiroshima. Other local sightseeing spots include the San-in Kaigan National Park (this coastline was once a part of the Asian mainland, and features many beaches, caves and rock formations) and Tajima Bokujo Park (a farm park where visitors can interact with animals and experience making traditional local cuisine). There is also a skifield open at Bokujo Park during the winter months.
Yumura Onsen (Hyogo) | Sightseeing
Nevertheless, four wards of Tokyo and Kagoshima City, Japan's southernmost port, among many other cities, are considering legislation to be declared "open cities".
Open city | Post-World War II Japan
In 1996, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial was acknowledged as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Originally completed in 1905, the building was known at the time of the Hiroshima atomic bomb explosion on August 6, 1945 as the "Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall". Although suffering considerable damage, it was the closest structure to the hypocenter of the explosion to withstand the blast without being leveled to the ground. It has been preserved in the condition it was in after the bombing to serve as a symbol of hope for world peace and nuclear disarmament.
Arrested decay | Hiroshima, Japan
President Harry S. Truman warned the Japanese that he would use more nukes if they didn't surrender. The Nagasaki mission is described, showing the two plants that were the basic targets, and the valley that they planned to bomb, and then shows the mushroom cloud, "The baptism of the aggressor nation".
A Tale of Two Cities (1946 film) | Introduction
With the text of this leaflet reading in Japanese "...we cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked..." Hiroshima was not listed.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Leaflets
The Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum (袋町小学校平和資料館 "Fukuromachi Shogakkou Heiwa Shiryokan") is a peace museum in Fukuromachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan. The school was one of the closest schools to ground zero when the atomic bomb fell on August 6, 1945. They lost about 160 students and teachers and the building was heavily damaged. After a few days, the school became a first aid station, and its black burned wall became a message board to find missing people. The Peace Museum is the section of the school building with the basement of the former Municipal Fukuromachi Elementary School in Hiroshima. The school is keeping it as a relic of the atomic explosion, to foster peace, and to send their information to the world.
Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum | Introduction
The region where Hiroshima stands today was originally a small fishing village along the shores of Hiroshima Bay. From the 12th century, the village was rather prosperous and was economically attached to a Zen Buddhist temple called "Mitaki-Ji". This new prosperity was partly caused by the increase of trade with the rest of Japan under the auspices of the Taira clan.
Hiroshima | Early history
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is a museum located in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima, Japan, dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. The museum was established in August 1955 with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall (now the ). It is the most popular of Hiroshima's destinations for school field-trips from all over Japan and for international visitors. 53 million people had visited the museum from its opening in 1955 through 2005, averaging over one million visitors per year. The architect of the main building was Kenzō Tange.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum | Introduction
After the Han was abolished in 1871, the city became the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture. Hiroshima became a major urban center during the imperial period, as the Japanese economy shifted from primarily rural to urban industries. During the 1870s, one of the seven government-sponsored English language schools was established in Hiroshima. Ujina Harbor was constructed through the efforts of Hiroshima Governor Sadaaki Senda in the 1880s, allowing Hiroshima to become an important port city. The San'yō Railway was extended to Hiroshima in 1894, and a rail line from the main station to the harbor was constructed for military transportation during the First Sino-Japanese War.
Hiroshima | Imperial period (1871–1939)
The is in the city of Nagasaki, Japan. The museum is a remembrance to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki by the United States of America 9 August 1945 at 11:02:35 am. Next to the museum is the Nagasaki National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, built in 2003. The bombing marked a new era in war, making Nagasaki a symbolic location for a memorial. The counterpart in Hiroshima is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. These locations symbolize the nuclear age, remind visitors of the vast destruction and indiscriminate death caused by nuclear weapons, and signify a commitment to peace.
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum | Introduction
As of April 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 141,811 and a population density of 497.8 persons per km². The total area is 284.85 km². It is well known for being featured in the 1953 film "Tokyo Story", as well as in the 1960 film "The Naked Island".
Onomichi, Hiroshima | Introduction
The bomb was assembled in secret and loaded on the "Enola Gay". The bomb, code named "Little Boy", possessed a force equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT. The plane dropped Little Boy over the city at 8:15:17 a.m. local time on 6 August 1945. Within 43 seconds of being dropped, it detonated over the city, missing its target by . Intended for the Aioi Bridge, the bomb instead exploded directly over the Shima Hospital, which was very near to the Genbaku Dome. Because the explosion was almost directly overhead, the building was able to retain its shape. The building's vertical columns were able to resist the nearly vertical downward force of the blast, and parts of the concrete and brick outer walls remained intact.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial | Atomic bombing
Having been virtually untouched by bombs during World War II, the city boasts one of the greatest concentrations of pre-war architecture in all of Japan.
Kiryū, Gunma | Local attractions
New structures were also raised as memorials, such as the Atomic Bomb Museum. Nagasaki remains primarily a port city, supporting a rich shipbuilding industry. On January 4, 2005, the towns of Iōjima, Kōyagi, Nomozaki, Sanwa, Sotome and Takashima (all from Nishisonogi District) were officially merged into Nagasaki.
Nagasaki | Contemporary era
The local government had a plan to build a bridge over the scenic harbor for a bypass road, which caused conflict with members of the local community concerned about the preservation of the historic harbor. The plan has now been overturned by the Hiroshima District Court. The plan led to the town being included in the World Monuments Watch by the World Monuments Fund in 2002 and 2004. This organization later helped to restore a historic merchant house in the town with financial support from American Express. The 19th-century residence, known as Uoya-Manzo, has since become an information center and guesthouse for visitors.
Tomonoura | Preserving the historic harbor
The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims is an effort by the Japanese national government to remember and mourn the sacred sacrifice of the atomic bomb victims. It is also an expression of Japan's desire for genuine and lasting peace. The Hall contains a number of displays. On the roof, near the entrance (the museum is underground) is a clock frozen at 8:15, the time the bomb went off. The museum contains a seminar room, library, temporary exhibition area, and victims' information area. The Hall of Remembrance, contains a 360 degree panorama of the destroyed Hiroshima recreated using 140,000 tiles — the number of people estimated to have died from the bomb by the end of 1945.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall
Nagasaki was also rebuilt after the war, but was dramatically changed in the process. The pace of reconstruction was initially slow, and the first simple emergency dwellings were not provided until 1946. The focus on redevelopment was the replacement of war industries with foreign trade, shipbuilding and fishing. This was formally declared when the Nagasaki International Culture City Reconstruction Law was passed in May 1949. New temples were built, as well as new churches owing to an increase in the presence of Christianity. Some of the rubble was left as a memorial, such as a "torii" at Sannō Shrine, and an arch near ground zero.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Nagasaki
The original district areas contained some parts of the present city of Fukuyama. The district hall was placed together with Fukatsu District (later merged with Yasuna District to form Fukayasu District) at the town of Fukuyama in Fukatsu District, but in 1898, their own district hall was placed at the town of Tomo (now the town of Tomo in the city of Fukuyama). In 1954, the town of Matsunaga and 6 villages merged and gained city status to become the city of Matsunaga (later in 1966, the city merged with the city of Fukuyama and dissolved). Afterwards, the towns and villages within the district continued on to merge either into the cities of Fukuyama and Onomichi, and the last remaining town of Numakuma merged into the city of Fukuyama on February 1, 2005 and Numakuma District dissolved.
Numakuma District, Hiroshima | Introduction
Near the center of the park is a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers a cenotaph holding the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The monument is aligned to frame the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome. The Memorial Cenotaph was one of the first memorial monuments built on open field on August 6, 1952. The arch shape represents a shelter for the souls of the victims. The cenotaph carries the epitaph , which means "please rest in peace, for [we/they] shall not repeat the error." In Japanese, the sentence's subject is omitted, thus it could be interpreted as either "[we] shall not repeat the error" or as "[they] shall not repeat the error".
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park | Memorial Cenotaph
The following municipalities in Japan gained city status alone. Which means that the current cities became cities without merging with another municipality.
List of former towns or villages gained city status alone in Japan | Introduction
US bases in and around Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Aomori, Sapporo, and Ishikari are currently active.
Occupation of Japan | End of the occupation
As of 23 March 2020, one hundred and twenty-five Sites have been designated as being of prefectural importance.
List of Historic Sites of Japan (Hiroshima) | Prefectural Historic Sites
Hiroshima was described as "an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urban industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large part of the city could be extensively damaged. There are adjacent hills which are likely to produce a focusing effect which would considerably increase the blast damage. Due to rivers it is not a good incendiary target."
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Choice of targets
During the Second World War the town was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army.
Aitape | Introduction
During that war, the Japanese government moved temporarily to Hiroshima, and Emperor Meiji maintained his headquarters at Hiroshima Castle from September 15, 1894, to April 27, 1895. The significance of Hiroshima for the Japanese government can be discerned from the fact that the first round of talks between Chinese and Japanese representatives to end the Sino-Japanese War was held in Hiroshima, from February 1 to February 4, 1895. New industrial plants, including cotton mills, were established in Hiroshima in the late 19th century. Further industrialization in Hiroshima was stimulated during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, which required development and production of military supplies.
Hiroshima | Imperial period (1871–1939)
Hiroshima is the capital and largest city of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region, with other major cities including Fukuyama, Kure, and Higashihiroshima. Hiroshima Prefecture is located on the Seto Inland Sea across from the island of Shikoku, and is bounded to the north by the Chūgoku Mountains. Hiroshima Prefecture is one of the three prefectures of Japan with more than one UNESCO World Heritage site.
Hiroshima Prefecture | Introduction
Also located inside the Honmaru is the concrete bunker from which the first radio broadcast out of Hiroshima following the atomic bombing was made.
Hiroshima Castle | Structure
As of 1 May 2014, sixteen sites have been designated at a municipal level.
List of Places of Scenic Beauty of Japan (Hiroshima) | Municipal Places of Scenic Beauty
During World War II, at the time of the nuclear attack, Nagasaki was an important industrial city, containing both plants of the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works, the Akunoura Engine Works, Mitsubishi Arms Plant, Mitsubishi Electric Shipyards, Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works, Mitsubishi-Urakami Ordnance Works, several other small factories, and most of the ports storage and trans-shipment facilities, which employed about 90% of the city's labor force, and accounted for 90% of the city's industry. These connections with the Japanese war effort made Nagasaki a major target for strategic bombing by the Allies during the war.
Nagasaki | Meiji Japan
As of 2016, the city has an estimated population of 26,035 and a population density of 220 persons per km². The total area is 118.30 km². Ōkunoshima, the island where a poison gas plant of the Imperial Japanese Army was located, belongs to Takehara. Occupying a strategic location on the Seto Inland Sea, it became renowned as a port city in the Muromachi period and then flourished as a centre of the salt industry in the latter days of the Edo period. More recently, it has styled itself as "The Little Kyoto of Aki" and the Special Historical District of old warehouses was selected as one of Japan's "100 Most Scenic Towns".
Takehara, Hiroshima | Introduction
The 50,000-watt standard wave station on Saipan, the OWI radio station, broadcast a similar message to Japan every 15 minutes about Hiroshima, stating that more Japanese cities would face a similar fate in the absence of immediate acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and emphatically urged civilians to evacuate major cities. Radio Japan, which continued to extoll victory for Japan by never surrendering, had informed the Japanese of the destruction of Hiroshima by a single bomb. Prime Minister Suzuki felt compelled to meet the Japanese press, to whom he reiterated his government's commitment to ignore the Allies' demands and fight on.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Events of August 7–9
Former , now a part of the ward, has been a major production area for "" since Meiji era. "Hiroshimana" is a variety of Chinese cabbage and is the main material used for making "Hiroshimanazuke" (literally "pickled "Hiroshimana"").
Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima | Agriculture
The name of , which literally means "West Castle Town", is derived from the castle which was built in the area by a feudal lord during the Sengoku period. A comparable castle was built in the nearby Tōjō (which means "East Castle Town"). Neither castle is still standing, though you can view parts of the ruins (mostly foundation and other walls).
Saijō, Hiroshima (Shōbara) | Etymology
In contrast to Hiroshima, almost all of the buildings were of old-fashioned Japanese construction, consisting of timber or timber-framed buildings with timber walls (with or without plaster) and tile roofs. Many of the smaller industries and business establishments were also situated in buildings of timber or other materials not designed to withstand explosions. Nagasaki had been permitted to grow for many years without conforming to any definite city zoning plan; residences were erected adjacent to factory buildings and to each other almost as closely as possible throughout the entire industrial valley. On the day of the bombing, an estimated 263,000 people were in Nagasaki, including 240,000 Japanese residents, 10,000 Korean residents, 2,500 conscripted Korean workers, 9,000 Japanese soldiers, 600 conscripted Chinese workers, and 400 Allied prisoners of war in a camp to the north of Nagasaki.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Nagasaki during World War II
Today, Nagasaki has prominent Catholic churches, and the Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region, have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. During the Meiji Restoration, Nagasaki and Sasebo became major ports for foreign trade, and eventually major military bases and shipbuilding centers for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries up to World War II. On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, which destroyed all buildings in a radius from the point of impact and extensively damaged other parts of the city. Roughly 39,000 people were killed, including 27,778 Japanese munitions workers, 2,000 Korean forced workers, and 150 Japanese soldiers.
Nagasaki Prefecture | History
The little couple is sought by collectors around the world. Japan has two Peynet museums (Karuizawa and Sakuto), while in Hiroshima, a statue of the Lovers faces the memorial of the atomic bombing. There is also a kiosque and a museum dedicated to the artist in the small commune of Brassac-les-Mines. Isabelle Bard, the mother of Peynet, was born in Puy-de-Dôme.
Valence, Drôme | Valence and its kiosque
Although Hiroshima, Wakayama, Tokushima, Hagi, Takamatsu and Sumpu (Shizuoka) were important castle towns of major domains, estimated populations are not given because of the lack of sufficient demographic records. Population of Shuri, the capital of the Kingdom of Ryūkyū, is also not estimated, while Yokohama was only a small village of less than 100 houses until the opening of the port in 1859. Estimated populations of castle towns contain considerable errors compared to those of the business towns (Ōsaka, Sakai, Hyōgo, Niigata, Nagasaki, Hakodate and Fushimi) with fewer samurai-class inhabitants, because demographics of samurai classes and their servants (or dwellers of samurai districts) were recorded separately or kept secret, which easily lead to the loss of original data after the abolition of the Han system.
Demographic history of Japan before the Meiji Restoration | Urban population
Some discreet memorials are located in Yokoamicho Park in Sumida Ward, at the site of the open space in which an estimated 38,000 people were killed by a single fire tornado. The park houses a Buddhist-style memorial hall/museum, a memorial bell donated by Taiwanese Buddhists, a memorial to the victims of World War II Tokyo air raids, and a memorial to the Korean victims of the vigilante killings.
1923 Great Kantō earthquake | Memory
Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture and the largest city in the Chūgoku region, Japan. Hiroshima may also refer to:
Hiroshima (disambiguation) | Introduction
During the closing years of the Second World War, a major base of the Imperial Japanese Navy's Hitoyoshi Naval Air Group was located near the town. Relatively little is currently known about the base and its operations due to a loss of records and institutional memory both during and after the war. The remains of the base extend over of land, and houses underground facilities in more than 10 locations, including an operations room and a large torpedo preparation area. In 2015, a full archeological survey of the site was initiated by the municipal government via the Nishiki board of education to discover more about the base and its past, with a view to eventually opening it up to tourism.
Nishiki, Kumamoto | World War II
In 2017, the city has an estimated population of 1,195,327. The total area of the city is , with a population density of 1321 persons per km. The population around 1910 was 143,000. Before World War II, Hiroshima's population had grown to 360,000, and peaked at 419,182 in 1942. Following the atomic bombing in 1945, the population dropped to 137,197. By 1955, the city's population had returned to pre-war levels.
Hiroshima | Demographics
At the time of the attack, the population was approximately 340,000–350,000. Residents wondered why Hiroshima had been spared destruction by firebombing. Some speculated that the city was to be saved for U.S. occupation headquarters, others thought perhaps their relatives in Hawaii and California had petitioned the U.S. government to avoid bombing Hiroshima. More realistic city officials had ordered buildings torn down to create long, straight firebreaks. These continued to be expanded and extended up to the morning of August 6, 1945.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | Hiroshima during World War II
Kyoto has a substantial number of historic buildings, unlike other Japanese cities that lost buildings to foreign invasions and war; and has the largest concentration of designated Cultural Properties in Japan. Although ravaged by wars, fires, and earthquakes during its eleven centuries as the imperial capital, Kyoto was spared from much of the destruction and danger of World War II. It was saved from the nearly universal firebombing of large cities in Japan in part to preserve it as the primary atomic bomb target. It was later removed from the atomic bomb target list by the personal intervention of Secretary of War Henry L.
Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) | Selection criteria
During the Second World War, as an important industrial centre, the city was heavily bombed and several skirmishes took place in September 1944 between the American troops and the retreating German forces.
Mons | Second World War
Today, the former naval base is the home of the city and state archives, a bowling alley and several other businesses. The submarine pens originally built for holding German U-boats are now being used as a harbour for civilian boats.
Dora I | After World War II
From the earliest times, the fertile region around Saijō (part of the ancient province of Aki) has been occupied, as displayed by the Mitsushiro "Kofun" (a 5th-century burial mound) and the Aki-Kokubunji (Aki-Kokubun temple) from the 8th century. It benefited from its location on the San'yōdō linking the capital with Kyūshū, but the benefit was double-edged as its communications and proximity to the sea meant it was heavily embroiled in the Sengoku period struggles between the clans of western Honshū. During the later Edo period, Saijō was a post-town on the San'yōdō and home to a government office. In 1974 the Kamo District towns of Saijō, Hachihonmatsu, Shiwa and Takaya were combined to form Higashihiroshima, the twelfth city in Hiroshima Prefecture.
Saijō, Hiroshima (Kamo) | History
This city was famous for such places as Shinminato-Bridge, Kaiwo-maru Park, Shinminato Fishery, Classical Float Parade in October, and the Uchikawa River.
Shinminato, Toyama | Places of interest
On August 6 at 8:15 AM local time, the "Enola Gay", a Boeing B-29 Superfortress piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets, dropped an atomic bomb (code-named Little Boy by the U.S.) on the city of Hiroshima in southwest Honshū. Throughout the day, confused reports reached Tokyo that Hiroshima had been the target of an air raid, which had leveled the city with a "blinding flash and violent blast". Later that day, they received U.S. President Truman's broadcast announcing the first use of an atomic bomb, and promising: The Japanese Army and Navy had their own independent atomic-bomb programs and therefore the Japanese understood enough to know how very difficult building it would be.
Surrender of Japan | August 6: Hiroshima
The street runs about 400 meters from north to south and connected to Hondori at the north end and Peace Boulevard at the south end.
Namiki-dōri (Hiroshima) | Introduction