(Redirected from Hiroshima, Hiroshima)
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 with the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
World War II by the
United States of America.
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 by
Mori Terumoto in
1589, on the coast of the
Seto Inland Sea, who made it his capital after leaving
Koriyama Castle in
Aki Province.
[1] Hiroshima castle (Rijo) 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.
[2] 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.
Asano's descendants continued to rule until the
Meiji Restoration in the 19th century.
Hiroshima served as the capital of Hiroshima
han during the
Edo period. After the han was abolished in 1871, the city became the capital of
Hiroshima prefecture. Hiroshima became a major urban center during the
Meiji period, as the Japanese economy shifted from primarily rural to urban. Ujina Harbor was constructed in the 1880s, allowing Hiroshima to become an important port city. The
Sanyo Railroad was extended to Hiroshima in 1894, and a rail line from the main station to the harbor was constructed for military transportation during the
First Sino-Japanese War.
New industrial plants, including
cotton mills, were established in Hiroshima in the late 1800s.
[3] 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, it's name was changed to Hiroshima Prefectural Product Exhibition Hall, and again to Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.
[4]
Atomic bomb
Atomic Effects- Hiroshima City
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.
[5]
During spring and summer of 1945,
firebombings of
Tokyo and other cities of Japan led to widespread destruction. There were numerous
air raids in Hiroshima. To protect against potential firebombings in Hiroshima, students were mobilized to demolish houses and create
firebreaks.
[6]
On
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 70,000 people. Approximately 69% of the city's buildings were completely destroyed, and 6.6 percent severely damaged.
In the following months, an estimated 60,000 more people died from injuries, and hundreds more from radiation.
[7][8]
On
September 17,
1945, Hiroshima was struck by the
Makurazaki Typhoon (Typhoon Ida), one of the largest typhoons of the
ShÅwa period.
Hiroshima prefecture suffered more than 3,000 killed or injured, about half the national total.
[9] More than half the bridges in the city were destroyed, along with heavy damage to roads and railroads, further devastating the city.
[10]
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.
[11]
After the war
Hiroshima at night
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.
[12] 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.
[13]
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.
[14][15]
Geography
Hiroshima (which means ''wide island'' in Japanese) is located on the broad, flat delta of the
ÅŒta River, which has 7 channel outlets dividing the city into six islands which project into Hiroshima Bay. Enkogawa and Kyobashigawa are river channels that pass through the eastern side of the city. The main downtown area lies between Kyobashigawa (on the east) and Motoyasugawa (on the west). Downtown districts include Nagarekawa, which is a popular entertainment district, though includes some dodgy sections.
[16] Naka-ku is the business and shopping central district and the main shopping areas run along and out from the covered mall, called Hondori, which is located to the west, between Nagarekawa and the
Peace Park. Aioi-dori goes past the main department stores and the A-bomb (Genbaku) dome, it is a primary east-west road through the center of Hiroshima. Hatchobori is located to the north of Aioi-dori, and north of Hondori and Nagarekawa.
Hiroshima Castle is a major landmark, to the north of Jonan-dori. Hiroshima's baseball stadium and arena (only at this location until 2008), as well as Chuo Park are located in the area between Hiroshima Castle and the
A-Bomb Dome.
Heiwa-o-dori (Peace Boulevard) is a major east-west artery through Hiroshima. The Peace Park in Hiroshima is located between Motoyasugawa and Kyuohotagawa. Eba is an area of Hiroshima, located on the west side of the city, between Kyuohotagawa (Honkawa) and Tenmagawa.
The city is almost entirely flat and barely above sea level. Hiroshima is sandwiched between the Chugoku Mountains to the north and the sea to the south. Numerous small islands are located in
Hiroshima Bay, including
Miyajima,
Etajima, and
Ninoshima. Hiroshima is located in a
seismically active region. On
March 24,
2001, a major earthquake with magnitude of 6.4 on the
Richter scale had its epicenter in Hiroshima Bay. Major earthquakes previously included one with magnitude 7.2 in 1857, another in 1905, and one in 1949 with a magnitude of 6.2.
[17] Hiroshima has mild winters with very little snowfall, hot and humid summers (up to 43 degrees C in August,2007), and generally abundant rainfall.
Wards
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
Hondori shopping arcade in Hiroshima
, 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.
[18] The total area of the city is 905.08 km², with a
density of 1275.4 persons per
km².
[19]
The population around 1910 was 143,000.
[20] Before
World War II, Hiroshima's population had grown to 360,000, and peaked at 419,182 in 1942.
Following the atomic bombing in 1945, the population dropped to 137,197.
By 1955, the city's population had returned to pre-war levels.
[21]
Economy
Hiroshima port and ferry terminal
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.
[22] 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.
Mazda 787B at the Mazda Museum in Hiroshima
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]).
[23] 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 is 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.
[24] 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
A-Bomb Dome
Hiroshima has a professional
symphony orchestra, which has performed at Wel City Hiroshima since 1963.
[25] 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, brings many visitors from all around the world, especially around the time of the annual commemoration called
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony. And there are
Children's Peace Monument and
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.
Hiroshima's rebuilt castle (nicknamed ''RijÅ'', 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,
Mitaki-dera, and
Hijayama.
Cuisine
A man prepares
okonomiyaki in a restaurant in Hiroshima
Hiroshima is known for
okonomiyaki, cooked on a hot-plate (usually right in front of you)
Japanese dish 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, batter, cabbage, pork, optional items (squid, octopus, cheese, mochi, kim-che, jalapenos (at Lopez) etc.), noodles (
soba,
udon) topped with another layer of egg and a generous dollop of okonomiyaki sauce (Carp or Otafuku). 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 Municipal Stadium
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.
[26] 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.
[27] Sanfrecce Hiroshima is the city's
J. League football team. In
1994, the city of Hiroshima hosted the
Asian Games.
Education
Satake Memorial Hall at 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.
[28]
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 is 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.(Hiroden model 650, . There are seven
streetcar lines, many of which terminate at
Hiroshima Station.
Hiroden streetcar
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.
[29] The
Skyrail Midorizaka Line is a
monorail that operates between Midoriguchi and Midori-ChÅ«Å, serving three stops.
The
JR West Hiroshima Station offers inter-city rail service, including
SanyÅ Shinkansen which provides high speed service between
Shin-ÅŒsaka and
Fukuoka. SanyÅ Shinkansen began providing service to Hiroshima in 1975, when the Osaka-Hakata extension opened.
[30] Other rail service includes the
SanyÅ 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.
[31]
There is also a boat taxi service that runs along the ota-gawa channels into the city center.
'Clean Transport'
Hiroshima is a great city to get around by bicycle, due to the many beautiful and convenient riverside paths that have been created to encourage pedestrians and cyclists. You can rent bicycles around the city, at some rental car companies, backpacker hostels, bicycle shops and other locations (see the GetHiroshima map (pick up at the station and hotels) for detailed locations). Most months in the year you can also pop across town in a Velo-taxi (bicycle taxi) for a few hundred yen. Locations for these bicycle taxi's are on Namiki-dori (next to Parco/Alice Garden) and on Miyajima island next to the ferry terminal. When parking your bicycle, you should use one of the many 100yen bicycle parking areas (find locations on the Gethiroshima map). Bikes not parked in these facilities are often picked up and taken to an area near Ujina port where you have to pay a fine to get your bike returned.
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:
[32]
Within Japan, Hiroshima has a similar relationship with
Nagasaki.
See also
★
Barefoot Gen
★
Kokura
★
Yoshito Matsushige
★
Masaharu Morimoto, celebrity chef born and raised in Hiroshima and perhaps the city's most famous former resident by way of the popular show ''
Iron Chef''
Notes
1. The Origin of Hiroshima
2. Hiroshima Peace Reader, Kosaikai, Yoshiteru, , , Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, ,
3. The Origin of Modern Capitalism and Eastern Asia, Jacobs, Norman, , , Hong Kong University, 1958,
4. Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), Sanko, , , The City of Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, ,
5. U. S. Strategic Bombing Survey: The Effects of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki United States Strategic Bombing Survey
6. Japan in the Modern Age and Hiroshima as a Military City
7. Dose estimation for atomic bomb survivor studies: its evolution and present status Cullings HM, Fujita S, Funamoto S, Grant EJ, Kerr GD, Preston DL Radiat Res 166(1):219-54, 2006
8. See also BEIR VII report from the National Academy of Sciences
9. Makurazaki Typhoon
10. Ishikawa and Swain (1981), p. 6
11. Ishikawa and Swain (1981), p. 5
12. Peace Memorial City, Hiroshima
13. Fifty Years for the Peace Memorial Museum
14. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/hiroshima.htm
15. http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/media-gallery/video/hiroshima-aftermath
16. And That's Official
17. Two killed in west Japan quake
18. Population of Japan, Table 92
19. 2006 Statistical Profile
20. Terry's Japanese Empire, Terry, Thomas Philip, , , Houghton Mifflin Co, ,
21. Post-conflict Reconstruction in Japan, Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, East Timor, de Rham-Azimi, Nassrine, Matt Fuller, and Hiroko Nakayama, , , United Nations Publications, 2003,
22.
23. http://www.hivec.com
24. http://www.seifu-shinto.jp/index_f.html
25. Wel City Hiroshima
26. Carp owner dies
27. New stadium in Hiroshima looking good for 2009 season
28. History of Hiroshima University
29. Astram Line
30. Shinkansen
31. Access-Sea Transport
32. http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/kikaku/joho/toukei/08_dijest/english/18/shisei-e18.html
References
★
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical, and Social Effects of the Atomic Bombings, Ishikawa, Eisei, David L. Swain, , , Basic Books, 1981,
★
Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures (Vol. II), Kowner, Rotem, , , Grolier, 2002,
Further reading
★ Pacific War Research Society, ''Japan's Longest Day'' (Kodansha, 2002, ISBN 4-7700-2887-3), the internal Japanese account of the surrender and how it was almost thwarted by fanatic soldiers who attempted a coup against the Emperor.
★
Richard B. Frank, ''Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire'' (Penguin, 2001 ISBN 0-14-100146-1)
★
Robert Jungk, ''Children of the Ashes'', 1st Eng. ed. 1961
★
Gar Alperovitz, ''The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb'', ISBN 0-679-76285-X
★
John Hersey, ''Hiroshima'', ISBN 0-679-72103-7
★
Michihiko Hachiya, ''Hiroshima Diary: The Journal of a Japanese Physician'',
August 6 -
September 30 1945 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1955), since reprinted.
★
Masuji Ibuse, ''Black Rain'', ISBN 0-87011-364-X
★
Hara Tamiki, ''Summer Flowers'' ISBN 0-691-00837-X
External links
★
Official website in English
★
Peace Declarations in English
★
Better World Links on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
★
Devotion to the Cause of Peace - The City of Hiroshima projects for male volunteers in the Red Cross Hiroshima Hospital and Kummanoto Hospital, caring for survivors of the atomic bomb
★
Hiroshima Hiroden Streetcars
★
Hiroshima City Travel and Event Guide
★
Japan In Your Palm Hiroshima Travel Guide - PDA and Web
★
Remembering the Korean Atom Bomb Victims
★
How many died at Hiroshima?, analysis of the conflicting estimates
★
Article on planning for the rebuilding of Hiroshima in 1946.
★
Peter Rance's 1951 Hiroshima Photographs
★
Satellite picture by Google Maps
★
CityMayors article
★
Nuclear Files.org Comprehensive information on the history, and political and social implications of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
★
CBC Digital Archives - Shadows of Hiroshima
★
[1]GetHiroshima.com: Events, Eating out, Articles, Cinema listings- Everything you need to know to survive a short trip or a lifetime in Hiroshima.
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