Visit Hiroshima Japan with TourJapan.com

The Japanese city of Hiroshima is best known for its tragic role in World War two. Before 1945, Hiroshima was known as a water-city with 6 rivers that ran through it and as a large industrial Japanese city, but since then it has become a symbol of antinuclear warfare and a silent cry for world peace. The city is has a population of approximately 1.1 million people and is visited every year by millions of tourists and peace advocators from around the world.

Places to See in Hiroshima

In the central of the Hiroshima, where during the 1940's laid the lively downtown district, stands the well-known and long planed Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was constructed in the memory of those who died in the bombing as well as a reminder of the disaster and a wish of its never repeating itself again. The park includes varied museums and monuments (including The Children's Peace Monument) and different lectures take place there throughout the year. If you are visiting the city in the summer, you can participate in the Peace Memorial Ceremony on the 6 of August.

Inside the Peace Memorial Park, visitors are highly advised to spend some time in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Established in 1955, the museum includes artifacts that belonged to the victim, photos and artworks all made to communicate the horror that lays within the atomic bombing, and a powerful demand for world peace.

But Hiroshima has many wonders that are unrelated to the Second World War. Travelers to the city are advised to visit the unique Japanese garden of Shukkei-en, constructed in the Edo period and rebuilt after the war. The garden has a breathtaking beauty and is one of the city's main attractions for tourists.

The temple of Mitaki-dera is also a popular sight. Apart from its magical location the temple has three incredible waterfalls with sweet water that are traditionally used in the Peace Memorial Ceremony.

The grand Hiroshima Castle was built in the late 16th century, almost completely destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt in 1958. Nowadays the incredible castle serves as a history museum and many tourists visit it each year, both to admire its beauty and to learn more of the city's past.

For a lighter, more entertaining sightseeing, families may enjoy a visit to the Mazda Museum, where the different models of vehicles and new technologies are displayed.

There are many other places worth visiting in the city of Hiroshima. The city's official website city.hiroshima.jp, and hometown.infocreate.co.jp also makes a recommended reading.