When people think of Hiroshima, the first thing that springs to mind is inevitably the atomic bomb which the US military dropped on the city in August 1945, causing mass destruction and prompting the eventual Japanese surrender in World War II. However, over the past seven decades the city has managed to rebuild itself in spectacular fashion, restoring many of its ancient monuments while also reinventing itself as a modern metropolis.
Hiroshima Castle, for example, was completely wiped out by the blast, yet has been reconstructed to resemble the original structure which was first erected in the 16th century. Elsewhere, Shukkeien Garden is a traditional Japanese garden that had been Hiroshima's pride and joy prior to the dropping of the A-Bomb, and which has been recreated in even more glorious fashion than its previous guise.
Downtown Hiroshima, meanwhile, represents the city's future, and is home to the Peace Memorial Park, which was created after the war as a symbol of the local vision for peace moving forward. This part of town is also where you'll find Okonomimura, a neighbourhood that has become synonymous with Hiroshima's most famous culinary speciality, Okonomiyaki. Consisting of fried batter and cabbage as well as a range of different toppings, this is something that must be sampled when visiting the city.
When people think of Hiroshima, the first thing that springs to mind is inevitably the atomic bomb which the US military dropped on the city in August 1945, causing mass destruction and prompting the eventual Japanese surrender in World War II. However, over the past seven decades the city has managed to rebuild itself in spectacular fashion, restoring many of its ancient monuments while also reinventing itself as a modern metropolis.
Hiroshima Castle, for example, was completely wiped out by the blast, yet has been reconstructed to resemble the original structure which was first erected in the 16th century. Elsewhere, Shukkeien Garden is a traditional Japanese garden that had been Hiroshima's pride and joy prior to the dropping of the A-Bomb, and which has been recreated in even more glorious fashion than its previous guise.
Downtown Hiroshima, meanwhile, represents the city's future, and is home to the Peace Memorial Park, which was created after the war as a symbol of the local vision for peace moving forward. This part of town is also where you'll find Okonomimura, a neighbourhood that has become synonymous with Hiroshima's most famous culinary speciality, Okonomiyaki. Consisting of fried batter and cabbage as well as a range of different toppings, this is something that must be sampled when visiting the city.
