Hiroshima (広島市, Hiroshima-shi) is known to all of us as the first city to be hit by nuclear weapons. This happened at 8.15 a.m. on 6 August 1945, when the United States Air Force dropped the ‘Little Boy’ atomic bomb on the city. On 6 August 1945 most of the city was destroyed and by the end of the year the explosion and its aftermath had killed between 90 000 and 166 000 people. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a memorial to the bombing. However what do we know in detail about this unique city. Let us take a closer look.
Hiroshima was founded in 1589 as a castle city in the Ota Delta. Hiroshima was founded in 1589 on the shores of the Seto Inland Sea delta by the powerful warlord Mori Terumoto. Hiroshima Castle was quickly built in 1589 and Mori moved there in 1593. The name Hiroshima means wide island in Japanese.
After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Hiroshima quickly became a major industrial centre. During the imperial period, the city was a centre of military activity, playing an important role, for example, in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and the two world wars.
During the Second World War the bombing of Tokyo and other Japanese cities caused widespread destruction and hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties but there were no such air raids on Hiroshima.
On Monday, 6 August 1945, at 8.15 a.m. (Hiroshima time) an American Boeing B-29 Superfortress piloted by Paul Warfield Tibbets Jr., dropped the atomic bomb “Little Boy” on Hiroshima.”Little Boy directly killed at least 70 000 people including thousands of Korean slave labourers.Less than 10% of those killed were military personnel.By the end of the year, the total number of casualties due to injuries and radiation had reached between 90 000 and 140 000.The population before the bombing was around 345 000. About 70% of the city’s buildings were destroyed and a further 7% severely damaged.
During the Japanese occupation, there were restrictions on the public release of post-attack footage of the city and some of the Atomic Bomb Victims’ Commission’s studies on the effects of the attack on the people, and much of this information was censored until 1951, when the Treaty of San Francisco was signed, returning control to Japan.
After the war Hiroshima was rebuilt with the help of the national government under the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Construction Law of 1949.This law provided financial support for the reconstruction and also donated land that had previously belonged to the national government for use by the Imperial Army.
In 1949 the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park project was selected. The Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, the closest surviving building to the site of the bomb explosion was named the Genbaku Dome (原爆ドーム) or the “Atomic Dome”, part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was opened in Peace Park in 1955. The historic Hiroshima Castle was rebuilt in 1958.
Hiroshima was declared a City of Peace by the Japanese Parliament in 1949. In 1998 the Hiroshima Peace Institute was established at Hiroshima University. The city government continues to advocate the abolition of all nuclear weapons and the Mayor of Hiroshima is a member of Mayors for Peace an international organisation of mayors mobilising cities and citizens around the world to abolish nuclear weapons.
On 27 May 2016 Barack Obama became the first sitting President of the United States to visit Hiroshima since the atomic bombing.
Miyajima Island and Itsukushima Temple
Itsukushima (厳島神 (嚴島神, Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine on Itsukushima Island (popularly known as Miyajima) best known for its “floating” torii gate. The island is accessible from central Japan by ferry via Miyajimaguchi Station. The temple complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Japanese government has declared some of the buildings and grounds to be national treasures.
Itsukushima Temple is one of Japan’s most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its gates that rot in the ocean. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings as well as 17 other miscellaneous buildings and structures.
It is said to have been built in 593 by Saeki Kuramoto during the reign of Empress Suiko but the present shrine is popularly attributed to Taira no Kiyomori a prominent nobleman of the imperial court who contributed greatly to the construction of the shrine when he was governor of Aki Province in 1168.
In the 12th century, it was not uncommon for nobles to build temples or undertake other architectural projects to reflect their power and grandeur. The Taira family is particularly known for its involvement in maritime trade with the Song dynasty (960-1279) and its attempt to monopolise overseas trade along the Seton Sea.
Kiyomori was at the height of his power when he established Taira rule on the island. He ordered the construction of the main hall of Itsukushima Temple to pay homage to the patron god of shipping and to serve as a base for maritime activities. Miyajima soon became the Taira family temple. He showered Itsukushima with great riches and enjoyed showing the place off to his friends and colleagues and even royalty.
It is also said that Kiyomori rebuilt the temple because of a dream he had about an old monk. The monk promised him sovereignty over Japan if he built a temple on the island of Miyajima and paid homage to the gods immortalised there in return for success in life. The construction, financed by Taira, allowed Itsukushima to grow into an important religious complex.
Itsukushima Temple is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto: Ichikishimahime no mikoto, Tagorihime no mikoto and Tagitsuhime no mikoto. These Shinto deities, also known as sanjoshin or ‘three female deities’, are the goddesses of the sea and storms. Kiyomori believed that the goddesses were manifestations of Kannon so the island was seen as the seat of the bodhisattva. The Japanese word Itsukushima translates as “island for the gods”.
The island itself is also considered a god which is why a temple has been built on the edge of the island. The highest peak of Mount Miseno at around 535 metres also contributes to its sanctity. Tourists can climb to the top on foot or by cable car.
Among its treasures is the famous Heike Nokyo or “Sutra dedicated to the Taira Palace”. It consists of thirty-two scrolls on which the Lotus, Amida and Heart Sutras were transcribed by Kiyomori his sons and other family members. Each of them completed the rewriting of one scroll, and ‘with silver, gold and mother-of-pearl they were decorated by himself [Kiyomori] and the rest of his clan’.
Originally Itsukushima was a pure Shinto shrine where neither births nor deaths were allowed to be polluted. As the island itself was considered sacred for most of its history, ordinary people were not allowed to set foot on it to keep it clean. So important is it to keep the sanctuary clean that since 1878 no births or deaths have been allowed near it. To this day pregnant women should retreat to the mainland as they approach the day of childbirth as well as terminally ill or very old people whose death has become imminent. Burial is prohibited on the island. To allow pilgrims to approach the island, the shrine was built as a pier over the water. The temple was separated from the land to give the appearance of floating. The red entrance gate or torii was built over the water for the same reason. Ordinary people had to guide their boats through the torii before approaching the shrine.
The most recognisable and famous feature of Itsukushima Shrine is the vermilion-coloured otorii gate (‘great gate’), made of rot-resistant camphor wood. The placement of an additional leg in front of and behind each of the main pillars indicates that the torii reflects the Ryobu Shinto (Double Shinto) style, a medieval school of esoteric Japanese Buddhism associated with the Shingon sect. The torii appears to float only at low tide. At low tide it can only be accessed on foot from the island. It is popular to collect shellfish at the gate even at low tide. At night the torii is lit by powerful shore lights. Although the gate dates back to 1168 the present gate was only built in 1875.
Shinto architecture has many distinct parts, most notably the temple honden (main hall) and the unusually long haiden (main oratory) and the equally long heiden (sacrificial hall).
The noh stage, built in 1590, extends from the sides of the main temple’s haraiden. Noh theatre performances have always paid homage to the gods by ritually enacting the major events of Shinto myth.
On 5 September 2004, the temple was badly damaged by a typhoon. The boardwalks and the roof were partially destroyed and the shrine was temporarily closed for repairs. Today anyone can visit the temple for 300 yen.
Mount Misen
Mount Miseno is famous for its many attractions which are intertwined with various legends and stories. Here are some of the sights.
Kiezu-no-hi (Eternal Flame). This is a sacred fire said to have been lit by the Japanese Buddhist monk Kobo Daishi. It is still burning today and the holy water boiled in this fire is used to cure illnesses.
Shakujo-no-ume (Tin stick plum) The tin stick plum is said to be Kobo-Daishi’s cross, which took root in the place where the monk used to lean. The cross grew into a plum.
Mandara-iwa. Behind the Misenhondo Hall is a giant rock on which Kobo-Daishi’s handwritten letters and illustrations are carved. It is currently closed to visitors.
Kanman-iwa (tidal rock). This rock is elevated about 500 m above sea level, but within its cavity salt water rises and falls with the tides.
Hyoshigi-no oto (sound of wooden keys). Here, in the middle of the night, you can hear the sound of wooden keys “clink, clink” coming from nowhere. Legend has it that the source of the noise is the tengu, a long-legged goblin that lives inside Mount Miseno. People are warned to stay indoors if they hear the noise or risk being cursed.
Shigure-zakura (cherry blossom). This is a cherry tree which, even on a dry and sunny day, is always wet with dew as if it had rained. Unfortunately this tree has been cut down and can no longer be seen.
Ryuoto No Sugi (Sea Fire Japanese Cedar). This is a large cedar that could be seen as mysterious lights from the sea off the coast of Miyajima. The cedar is now dead, only the stump remains.
Mount Miseno’s primeval forest. The primeval forest of Mount Miseno covers the northern side of the mountain. Above 400 m there are various conifers including spruce and Japanese mountain pine as well as evergreen broad-leaved trees. The forest is protected and declared a natural monument by the Japanese government and is also included in the core area of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Itsukushima Temple while the rest of Mount Miseno is within the buffer zone.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Museum
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (広島平和記念碑, Hiroshima Heiwa Kinenhi) commonly referred to as the Genbaku Dome is part of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruins of the hall serve as a memorial to the more than 140 000 people who died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. It is a living reminder of the devastating impact of nuclear war.
To recall the history of the building it was a product exhibition building designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. The design included a distinctive dome at the top of the building. It was completed in April 1915 and named the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Centre. In 1933 the name was changed to the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The building stood in a large business district near the Aioi Bridge and was mainly used for art and educational exhibitions.
Atomic bombing
6 August 1945 at 8.15 a.m. from a B-29 “Enola Gay” bomber The first atomic bomb used in the war was dropped by the US Air Force. The force of the atomic bomb destroyed the city of Hiroshima.
Earlier on 25 July General Karl Spaatz Commander of the US Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific was ordered to launch a “special bomb” attack against selected Japanese cities. The first target chosen was Hiroshima, which was an important port on the southern tip of Honshu Island and the headquarters of Japan’s Second General Army with 40,000 troops serving there. The bomb, codenamed “Little Man” had a yield of 15 000 tonnes of TNT. A plane dropped Little Boy over the city at 8:15:17 local time on 6 August 1945. Approximately 43 seconds after the drop the bomb exploded over the city but the target was 240 m away. The bomb intended for the Aioi Bridge instead exploded directly over Shima Hospital which was very close to the Genbaku Dome. As the explosion occurred almost directly above the dome the building managed to keep its shape. The vertical columns of the building were able to withstand the almost vertical force of the explosion directed downwards while parts of the concrete and brick outer walls remained
Its stone and steel construction made it one of the few structures to survive in the vicinity of the bomb’s hypocentre. Due to the metal dome frame at the top, it was planned to be demolished along with the rest of the ruins, but most of the building was intact, so demolition plans were postponed. The dome became the subject of controversy, with some locals wanting it demolished and others wanting it preserved as a memorial to the bombing and a symbol of peace.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was established around the dome in 1950-1964. In 1966 the Hiroshima City Council passed a resolution to preserve the Genbaku Dome permanently, officially named the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome). The dome remains the main landmark of the park.
