Situated in the west of Japan's largest island, Hiroshima is
clearly best known for being destroyed after the United States Air
Force dropped an atomic bomb on the city on 6th August 1945. About
140,000 people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the
explosion, and a further 400,000 people died from the effects of
the bomb. Approximately 90% of the city was levelled in the sheer
destruction, and Hiroshima's busiest commercial district was
eradicated - leaving an open field. This was turned into the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which opened on 1st April 1954. The
city's annual memorial ceremony, held on the anniversary of the
destruction, always takes place in the park.
One of the park's most famous buildings is the A-bomb Dome. It
was the closest building to the hypocentre of the bomb that
remained at least partially standing. It was originally scheduled
to be demolished with the rest of the ruins around it, but this was
delayed by the fact that it was more intact than originally
thought. In 1966 Hiroshima decided they would keep the building
forever, and in 1996 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. The park's main purpose is to serve as a memorial to the
victims of the tragedy, and to advocate world peace at the same
time by making a visual representation of the horrors of nuclear
war.
The travel and hotel arrangements were excellent. One gripe for the elderly is having to constantly move cases at each hotel (with one exception, Thank you Granvia, Kyoto). The Tokyo tour had perhaps one too many historic visits (I personally would have passed on the Edo museum for a daytime look at Shibuya crossing).One day in Tokyo is simply not enough. Similarly, too much Kyoto in 1 day where a 'rest' day would have been priceless. In retrospect, I now query the value of the Hokkaido sector in the tour. Perhaps the time spent here would have served us better elsewhere as it is more of a specialist winter destination, just not enough content for 3+ days.