Hiroshima is a city of more than one million inhabitants located in southern Japan, sadly famous for being the scene of the explosion of the first atomic bomb, but in addition to the memorial of peace that reminds us of this event has other attractions that make it deserves It's worth spending two or three days in the area. Miyajima an island located a few kilometers south of the city and very well connected with ferries and we will consume half of the time that we destinemos to this destination. Hiroshima Castle and shukkeien gardens can complete the visit.
PEACE MEMORIAL 平和記念公園
If there is a place that arouses emotions even to Westerners this is the Peace Memorial Park, the silence and the respect that is breathed in this place together with the images that each one can have in his mind, about what happened there on the 6th of August 1945, makes no one indifferent during the visit to this park.
The Genbaku Dome or dome of the atomic bomb, are the remains of the only building of which remains were left in the epicenter of the explosion and which have been preserved as they were, except for small works to keep the structure standing.
It is the best known symbol of Hiroshima and serves as a presentation to the large park that is on the other side of the river.
Peace Memorial
The Monument to the Peace of the Children, is a monument to peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of children victims of the atomic bomb. Sadako was a girl who died of leukemia as a result of the radiation emitted by the atomic bomb and who, before dying and following an ancient Japanese tradition, tried to build 1,000 paper cranes. For that reason the monument is a huge crane and around it there are some kind of showcases, full of paper cranes from all over the world.
Children's Peace Monument
Later we find the Cenotaph in Memory of the Victims of the Atomic Bomb and the flame of peace of Hiroshima, which will remain lit until the nuclear threat ceases to be a threat, is in the center of the park.
Cenotaph
Peace Flame
HIROSHIMA CASTLE 広島城
It is close to the Peace Memorial, walking can be reached perfectly and later we can visit the Shukkeien gardens that are also very close.
Built in the 16th century, it was destroyed by the atomic bomb of 1945 and was rebuilt in 1958. It is a replica of the original, surrounded by an impressive moat, it houses several facilities, the most important being the castle itself, which is also a museum.
Hiroshima Castle
SHUKKEIEN GARDENS 縮景園
In the center of the garden, there is a pond with several, large and small islands, with mountains around, valleys, bridges, tea rooms, etc. they are arranged harmoniously
One attraction of the pond are its huge tents, feeding them some bags of food that they sell at the entrance, it is an entertainments for the visitors and allows them to see them up close.
In 1945 it was destroyed by the atomic bomb, being one of the first places where the wounded of zone 0 took refuge, the city council decided to reconstruct it as it was before, reopening it in 1951, although its total reconstruction was not completed until 1976.
Shukkeien Gardens
Miyajima 厳島
Miyajima, is an island located to the south of Hiroshima very well communicated by ferry. On the island there is an Itsukushima sanctuary built on water and which is considered the main attraction of the island especially its tori that during high tide is submerged at its base. reaches a height of 16 m. and some pillars about one meter thick.
The deer on the island are considered sacred animals and we can find them anywhere.
Another series of temples and an impressive pagoda of 5 floors can complete the visit to the island and if we have more time to climb the highest mountain of the island with a cable car and where there is also a temple.
Miyajima
Pagoda
