広島
Hiroshima

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CAPITAL: Hiroshima City

Hiroshima stands today as a testimony of both the senselessness of war and a hope for the end of all nuclear weapons.

• Genbaku Domu - It was 500 meters above this building that the bomb was detonated. Amazingly the building's structure is somewhat intact and is preserved even today as a message for all humankind. The sight is awesome. I have never seen anything like it. I copied the following from the plaque just in front of the building:

The A-bomb Dome is the ruins of the former Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Promotion Hall which was destroyed by the first atomic bomb ever to be used in the history of humankind on August 6, 1945.

The atomic bomb was detonated in the air at an altitude of approximately 600 meters almost right over the hall. the explosion by a single bomb claimed the lives of over 200,000 people and the city area of about 2 km radius turned into ashes. In order to have this tragic fact known to succeeding generations and to make it a lesson for human kind, the reinforcement work of the ruins has been done by the contributions of many people who desire peace within and out of the country. The ruins shall be preserved forever.

- August 6, 1967 Hiroshima City

• Walking from the Genbaku Domu, you will see the Flame of Peace and the Peace Fountain.

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum - displays belongings left by the victims, the history of that day, and the story of Hiroshima's reconstruction. Once you see this I seriously doubt you can be the same. There is a tape availiable in 15 languages for 150 yen.

Admission: Adults ONLY 50 Yen; Children 30 Yen
Holidays: Dec. 29 - Jan. 2

• Hiroshima Museum of Art - A very nice collection of European Art including Millet, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Matisse, van Gogh, Picasso, Chagall...

Admission: Adults 1000 ; Students 500; Children 200 Yen
Holidays: Dec. 29 - Jan. 2

Of course there is much more: Hiroshima Castle, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, etc. but I haven't been there yet! I'll get back to you on that!

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