HIROSHIMA
Calling Code: +81 082
Hiroshima (広島) is an industrial city of wide boulevards, criss-crossing rivers and a dense city center. It is located along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea in the western Chugoku region of Japan. Although many only know it for the horrific split second on August 6, 1945, when it became the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, it is now a modern, cosmopolitan city with a lot of great food and nightlife.
Those expecting to step off the Shinkansen into a pile of smouldering rubble may be in for a surprise, as Hiroshima has all the ferroconcrete and blinking neon of any other modern Japanese city and a population of more than 1,100,000 people. It is the financial center of the Chugoku region and most of west Japan. Automobiles are a major local industry, with Mazda's corporate headquarters nearby. There is also a busy naval port, Ujina.
Hiroshima was founded in 1589 on the delta formed by the Ota River, flowing out to the Seto Inland Sea. It became a major industrial center and one of Japan's larger cities in the Meiji period. During World War II, the Japanese military used Hiroshima as a communications and supply center, taking advantage of its position on the Inland Sea. It was left largely untouched by aerial bombing campaigns before the atomic bomb was dropped. It is estimated that 140,000 people were killed in the explosion and its aftermath. The survivors, known as hibakusha, were subjected not only to radiation-related diseases but severe discrimination from other Japanese, but have since been at the forefront of Japan's post-war pacifism and its campaign against the use of nuclear weapons.
Many visitors, especially Americans, may feel apprehensive about visiting Hiroshima. It's a friendly, welcoming city, however, as interested in Western culture as anywhere else in Japan, and the exhibits related to the atomic bomb are not concerned with blame or accusations. Tourists are welcomed with open arms. Bear in mind, though, that many of the hibakusha still live in Hiroshima. Even many young people may have personal ties to family members who lived through the atomic blast. As such, the average Hiroshima resident isn't likely to relish talking about it, although you needn't shy away from the topic if one of the chatty fellows around the Peace Memorial Park brings it up.
JR Hiroshima Station is a 15 minute walk from the city center. If you arrive by Shinkansen, you will be at the back of the station, facing a silver Peace Pagoda on the top of Ushita-yama. If you cross under or through the station to the main side, you will see the taxis, trams and buses that lead to the city center. The front of the station also has the main tourist information office. If you feel like walking from the station, cross the river in front of the station and take the first right along the main road. You will be in the city center in less than 15 minutes.
Other visitors may arrive at the Hiroshima Bus Center (広島バスセンター), which is right in the center of the city, inside the Sogo department store. Hondori, a long covered shopping street, is a good landmark to use to orient yourself, and most sites are within walking distance from there. The Peace Park (平和公園 Heiwa Koen）is in the city center. Most trams and buses from the train station run past or close to the Peace Park. Across from Peace Park is the current Hiroshima Carp baseball stadium. Also just north of the city center is Hiroshima Rijo Castle (広島城）a rebuilt version of the original, but beautiful and a great place to relax or stroll. Across the street from the castle is Chuo Park (中央公園 Chuo-koen), where you can find groups picnicking and exercising in the biggest open space in the city.
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