Hiroshima became instantly famous worldwide when it became the first city ever to be targeted by an atomic bomb on 6 August, 1945. Standing in the peaceful leafy park surrounding the Genbaku (Atomic Bomb) Dome, it is hard to believe that the destructive power of the bomb was so great that it obliterated everything else for a 2km radius around it.
After the war, great care was taken to reconstruct the city, and today Hiroshima is a modern and lively municipality whose outward facade belies the tragic facts of its recent past.
- Learn how the atomic bomb affected the life of local people in Hiroshima
- Visit the beautiful floating shrine of Itsukushima on Miyajima Island
- Taste okonomiyaki – Hiroshima’s most famous dish!
Just under an hour from the city centre by one of Hiroshima’s quaint trams and a short ferry-ride, you will find the picturesque island of Itsukushima. More commonly known as Miyajima (literally, “shrine island”), it is best known for the striking sight of Itsukushima Shrine’s large “floating” torii (shrine gate) standing proudly in the bay.
