Hiroshima
1st kanji: "hiro" (hero)=wide, broad
2nd kanji: "shima" (she-ma)=island
say: Hero-she-ma
LEFT:
A-Bomb Dome

RIGHT:
Peace Memorial cenotaph (thru which you can see the flame, and the A-Bomb Dome)
So when I asked Jeremy to tell me a few places he really wanted to see while he was here in Japan, he said he wanted to visit Hiroshima.  To be honest, I wasn't that thrilled to hear it... Hiroshima is quite far from Numazu!  I knew it would be a long, expensive trip... But, I had been wanting to see Hiroshima myself, and it was the ONE place he seemed to REALLY want to go, so I planned a day to explore the city for us.  And I'm glad I did.
Jeremy and I first wandered into an area called the Peace Park.  I found a map of it online. (If you click the map you will go to the site, which also has a list that corresponds with the numers on the map--clicking on the numbers will show you a picture of that memorial, building, etc.)

To the right, you can see where the hypocenter (=epicentre) is marked.  The A-Bomb Dome is #4, just Northeast of it.  It is said the bomber was aiming for the T-shaped bridge north of what is now the Peace Park.  The green area is all considered part of the park.  At the top of the map, you can see the Hiroshima Carp's baseball stadium.  Yeah... that's right... carp.
Mini-key: (photos I have)
4: A-Bomb Dome
7: Young Soldiers Memorial
10: Children's Memorial
15: Burial Mound
17: Peace Bell
21: Korean Victims' Monument
39: Memorial Museum
44: Cenotaph
47: Flame of Peace
From the other side of the dome
When you hear Hiroshima, there's no question what you think of.  And walking around the city, it's hard to forget what happened there years ago.  Sprinkled around the epicentre of the blast are dozens of reminders of the atomic bomb.

Most famous, I think, is the A-Bomb Dome.  It was something to see... standing quietly along the riverbank, just as it looked moments after the blast.  This used to be the Industrial Promotion Hall.  The epicentre of the blast was just a few meters south.  It was one of the few buildings within several hundred meters to be left standing... as much as it is.  Across the river an elementary school's framework and walls were spared, and it was used as a shelter.  Today, the school has been rebuilt.
more of Hiroshima
Miyajima