Everything about Hiroshima Japan totally explained
The Japanese city of is the capital of
Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the
Chūgoku region of western
Honshū, the largest of
Japan's islands. It is most known throughout the world as the
first city in history subjected to
nuclear warfare when it was bombed by the
United States of America during
World War II.
Hiroshima gained municipality status on
April 1,
1889 and was designated on
April 1,
1980 by
government ordinance. The city's current mayor is
Tadatoshi Akiba who assumed the office on
February 23,
1999.
History
Hiroshima was founded on the coast of the
Seto Inland Sea in
1589 by
Mori Terumoto, who made it his capital after leaving
Koriyama Castle in
Aki Province.
Hiroshima Castle was quickly built, and Terumoto moved in in 1593. Terumoto was on the losing side at the
Battle of Sekigahara. The winner,
Tokugawa Ieyasu, deprived Mori Terumoto of most of his fiefs including Hiroshima and gave
Aki province to
Masanori Fukushima, a daimyo who had supported him. The castle passed to
Asano Nagaakira in 1619, and Asano was appointed the daimyo of this area. Under Asano rule, the city prospered, developed, and expanded, with few military conflicts or disturbances. Further industrialization in Hiroshima was stimulated during the
Russo-Japanese War in
1904, which required development and production of military supplies. The Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall was constructed in
1915 as a center for trade and exhibition of new products. Later, its name was changed to Hiroshima Prefectural Product Exhibition Hall, and again to Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.
Atomic bomb
During
World War II, the Second Army and Chugoku Regional Army were headquartered in Hiroshima, and the Army Marine Headquarters was located at Ujina port. The city also had large depots of military supplies, and was a key center for shipping.
During Bombing of Tokyo in World War II Tokyo and other cities of Japan caused widespread destruction and well over 200,000 deaths, nearly all civilians. For example, Toyama, an urban area of 128,000, was 100% destroyed, and incendiary attacks on Tokyo are credited with claiming 90,000 lives. There were numerous
air raids in Hiroshima. To protect against potential firebombings in Hiroshima, students were mobilized to demolish houses and create
firebreaks.
On Monday, August 6, 1945, the
nuclear weapon Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima by the crew of the American B-29 bomber
Enola Gay, directly killing an estimated 80,000 people. By the end of the year, injury and radiation brought total casualties to 90,000-140,000. Approximately 69% of the city's buildings were completely destroyed, and 6.6% severely damaged.
Research about the effects of the attack was restricted under
Allied occupation, and information censored until the signing of the
San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1951, restoring control to the Japanese.
After the war
On
September 17,
1945, Hiroshima was struck by the
Makurazaki Typhoon (Typhoon Ida), one of the largest typhoons of the
Shōwa period.
Hiroshima prefecture suffered more than 3,000 killed or injured, about half the national total. More than half the bridges in the city were destroyed, along with heavy damage to roads and railroads, further devastating the city.
Hiroshima was rebuilt after the war, with the help from the national government through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law passed in 1949. It provided financial assistance for reconstruction, along with land donated that was previously owned by the national government and used for military purposes. Several U.S. civic leaders and scholars were consulted about the rebuilding plan.
In 1949, a design was selected for the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, the closest surviving building to the location of the bomb's detonation, was designated the
Genbaku Dome (原爆ドーム) or "Atomic Dome", a part of the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was opened in 1955 in the Peace Park.
Hiroshima was proclaimed a City of Peace by the
Japanese parliament in 1949, at the initiative of its mayor,
Shinzo Hamai (
1905–
1968). As a result, the city of Hiroshima received more international attention as a desirable location for holding international conferences on peace as well as social issues. As part of that effort, the Hiroshima Interpreters' and Guide's Association (HIGA) was established in 1992 in order to facilitate translation services for conferences, and the Hiroshima Peace Institute was established in 1998 within the
Hiroshima University. The city government continues to advocate the abolition of all
nuclear weapons.
Geography
Hiroshima has eight
wards (
ku):
| Emblem |
Ward |
Population |
Area (km²) |
Density
(per km²) |
|
Aki-ku |
78,176 |
94.01 |
832 |
|
Asakita-ku |
156,368 |
353.35 |
443 |
|
Asaminami-ku |
220,351 |
117.19 |
1,880 |
|
Higashi-ku |
122,045 |
39.38 |
3,099 |
|
Minami-ku |
138,138 |
26.09 |
5,295 |
|
Naka-ku |
125,208 |
15.34 |
8,162 |
|
Nishi-ku |
184,881 |
35.67 |
5,183 |
|
Saeki-ku |
135,789 |
223.98 |
606 |
| Population as of October 31 2006 |
Demographics
As of 2006, the city has an estimated
population of 1,154,391, while the total population for the metropolitan area was estimated as 2,043,788 in 2000. The total area of the city is 905.08 km², with a
density of 1275.4 persons per
km².
The population around 1910 was 143,000. Before
World War II, Hiroshima's population had grown to 360,000, and peaked at 419,182 in 1942.
Economy
Hiroshima is the center of industry for the
Chūgoku-
Shikoku region, and is by and large centered along the coastal areas. Hiroshima has long been a port city and Hiroshima port or
Hiroshima International Airport can be used for the transportation of goods.
Its largest industry is the manufacturing industry with core industries being the production of cars (Mazda) car parts and industrial equipment.
Mazda Motor Company, now controlled by the
Ford Motor Company, is by far Hiroshima's dominant company. Mazda accounts for 32% of Hiroshima's GDP. Mazda makes many models in Hiroshima for worldwide export, including the popular
MX-5/Miata and
Mazda RX-8. The
Mazda CX-7 has been built there since early 2006. Other Mazda factories are in
Hofu and
Flat Rock, Michigan.
General machinery and equipment also account for a large portion of exports. Because these industries require research and design capapilities, it has also had the offshoot that Hiroshima has many innovative companies actively engaged in new growth fields (for example, Hiroshima Vehicle Engineering Company [HIVEC]). Many of these companies hold the top market shares in Japan and the world, or are alone in their particular field. Tertiary industries in the wholesale and retail areas are also very developed.
Another result of the concentration of industry is an accumulation of skilled personnel and fundamental technologies. This is considered by business to be a major reason for location in Hiroshima. Business setup costs are also much lower than other large cities in the country and there's a comprehensive system of tax breaks, etc on offer for businesses which locate in Hiroshima. This is especially true of two projects: the Hiroshima Station Urban Development District and the
Seifu Shinto area which offer capital installments (up to 501 million yen over 5 years), tax breaks and employee subsidies. Seifu Shinto which translates as West wind, New town is the largest construction project in the region and is an attempt to build "a city within a city." It is attempting to design from the ground up a place to work, play, relax and live.
Hiroshima recently made it onto Lonely Planet's list of the top cities in the world. Commuting times rank amongst the shortest in Japan and the cost of living is lower than other large cities in Japan such as
Tokyo,
Osaka,
Kyoto, or
Fukuoka.
Culture
Hiroshima has a professional
symphony orchestra, which has performed at Wel City Hiroshima since 1963. There are also many museums in Hiroshima, including the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, along with several art museums. The
Hiroshima Museum of Art, which has a large collection of French
renaissance art, opened in 1978. The
Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum opened in 1968, and is located near
Shukkei-en gardens. The
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in
1989, is located near
Hijiyama Park. Festivals include
Hiroshima Flower Festival and
Hiroshima International Animation Festival.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which includes the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, draws many visitors from around the world, especially for the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, an annual commemoration held on the date of the atomic bombing. The park also contains a large collection of monuments, including the
Children's Peace Monument, the
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims and many others.
Hiroshima's rebuilt castle (nicknamed
Rijō, meaning
Koi Castle) houses a
museum of life in the
Edo period.
Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is within the walls of the castle. Other attractions in Hiroshima include
Shukkei-en, Fudōin,
Mitaki-dera, and
Hijiyama Park.
Cuisine
Hiroshima is known for
okonomiyaki, cooked on a hot-plate (usually right in front of the customer). It is cooked with various ingredients, which are layered rather than mixed together as done with the
Osaka version of okonomiyaki. The layers are typically egg, cabbage,
moyashi, sliced pork/bacon with optional items (mayonnaise, fried squid, octopus, cheese,
mochi,
kimuchi, etc.), and noodles (
soba,
udon) topped with another layer of egg and a generous dollop of okonomiyaki sauce (Carp and Otafuku are two popular brands). The amount of cabbage used is usually 3 - 4 times the amount used in the Osaka style, therefore arguably a healthier version. It starts out piled very high and is generally pushed down as the cabbage cooks. The order of the layers may vary slightly depending on the chef's style and preference, and ingredients will vary depending on the preference of the customer.
Media
The
Chugoku Shimbun is the local newspaper serving Hiroshima. It publishes both morning paper and evening editions. Television stations include
Hiroshima Home TV,
Hiroshima TV,
TV Shinhiroshima, and the
RCC Broadcasting Company. Radio stations include
HIROSHIMA FM,
Chugoku Communication Network,
FM Fukuyama,
ITSUKAICHI Community Broadcast, and
Onomichi FM. Hiroshima is also served by
NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, with television and radio broadcasting.
Sports
Hiroshima is home to several professional and non-professional sports teams.
Baseball fans immediately recognize the city as the home of the
Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Six-time champions of Japan's
Central League, the team has gone on to win the
Japan Series three times. Kohei Matsuda, owner of
Toyo Kogyo, was primary owner of the team from the 1970s until his death in 2002. The team is now owned by members of the Matsuda family, while
Mazda has minority ownership of the team. The Carp play at
Hiroshima Municipal Stadium, which was built in 1957. The stadium is located in central Hiroshima, near the A-Bomb Dome. The city is in planning stages for building a new baseball stadium near the JR Hiroshima Station, to be ready for the 2009 season.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima is the city's
J. League football team. In
1994, the city of Hiroshima hosted the
Asian Games.
Education
Hiroshima University was established in 1949, as part of a national restructuring of the education system. One national university was set-up in each
prefecture, including Hiroshima University, which combined eight existing institutions (Hiroshima University of Literature and Science, Hiroshima School of Secondary Education, Hiroshima School of Education, Hiroshima Women's School of Secondary Education, Hiroshima School of Education for Youth, Hiroshima Higher School, Hiroshima Higher Technical School, and Hiroshima Municipal Higher Technical School), with the Hiroshima Prefectural Medical College added in 1953.
Transportation
Local public transportation in Hiroshima is provided by a
streetcar system, operated by Hiroshima Electric Railway called for short. Hiroden also operates
buses in and around
Hiroshima Prefecture. Hiroshima Electric Railway was established on
June 18,
1910 in Hiroshima. While many other Japanese cities abandoned the streetcar system by the 1980s (during the 60s and the 70s, Japanese cities were anxious to get rid of their streetcar systems (Tram)), Hiroshima retained it because the construction of a subway system was too expensive for the city to afford, as it's located on a delta. During the 1960s,
Hiroshima Electric Railway, or Hiroden, bought extra streetcars from other Japanese cities. Although streetcars in Hiroshima are now being replaced by newer models, most retain their original appearance. Thus, the streetcar system is sometimes called a "Moving Museum" by railroad buffs. Of the four streetcars that survived the war, two are still in operation as of July 2006 . There are seven
streetcar lines, many of which terminate at
Hiroshima Station.
The
Astram Line opened for the
1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, with one line from central Hiroshima to
Seifu Shinto and
Hiroshima Big Arch, the main
stadium of the
Asian Games. Astram uses
rubber-tyred metro cars, and provides service to areas towards the suburbs that are not served by Hiroden streetcars. The
Skyrail Midorizaka Line is a
monorail that operates between Midoriguchi and Midori-Chūō, serving three stops.
The
JR West Hiroshima Station offers inter-city rail service, including
Sanyō Shinkansen which provides high speed service between
Shin-Ōsaka and
Fukuoka. Sanyō Shinkansen began providing service to Hiroshima in 1975, when the Osaka-Hakata extension opened. Other rail service includes the
Sanyō Main Line,
Kabe Line,
Geibi Line, and
Kure Line.
Ferries are operated by
JR Miyajima Ferry and
Miyajima Matsudai Kisen to
Miyajima. Hiroden provides service to
Miyajimaguchi Station, which is located near the ferry terminal for service to
Miyajima. Hiroshima Port is the main passenger ferry terminal for Hiroshima, with service to
Etajima,
Matsuyama, and other destinations. There is also an international ferry terminal which has service to
Busan and
Ulsan in
South Korea,
Shanghai,
Dalian,
Qingdao and
Ningbo in
China,
Keelung and
Kaohsiung in
Taiwan, as well as
Hong Kong.
There is also a boat taxi service that runs along the ota-gawa channels into the city center.
Hiroshima Airport, located nearby in the city of
Mihara, provides air service within Japan to
Tokyo,
Sapporo,
Okinawa, and
Sendai. International air service is provided to
Seoul,
Bangkok,
Guam,
Taipei,
Shanghai,
Beijing, and
Guangzhou. Commuter air service is also available at
Hiroshima-Nishi Airport.
Sister cities
Hiroshima has six overseas
sister cities:
Within Japan, Hiroshima has a similar relationship with
Nagasaki.
Further Information
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