18th Oct 19 - Hiroshima

Moving visit to Hiroshima. Around 200,000 were killed as a result of the atomic bomb attack on 6th Aug 1945.

We had a private tour with guide Fukimo which included the Peace Memorial Park, Museum 'Hiroshima Castle and the Shukkei-en Japanese Gardens.

As you can see it was raining rather heavily at times!

The A-Bomb Dome. The Industrial Promotions Hall was one of the few buildings left standing in the city centre after the bomb fell. It is preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Euan rings the Peace Bell. Fukimo explains the significance of the atomic symbol on the bell that the hammer strikes.

The Memorial Mound. Said to contain the ashes of over 70,000 people incinerated when the bomb fell

Fukimo explains that the tree by the Memorial Mound is also on the One Yen coin.

Origami offerings on the memorial to the Koreans who died in the attack

Origami offerings

The Children's Peace Monument. A child victim of the attack believed that if she made 1000 origami cranes that she would recover. She died before completing the task. But her classmates continued the task. Now over 4 MILLION origami cranes are placed here each year. We all made our own offerings.

The Cenotaph. School children from throughout Japan come here and we saw many having their group photos on the steps in front of the Cenotaph.

Hiroshima Castle was destroyed by the bomb. It has been faithfully reconstructed and reopened in 1958

In the Shukkei-en Japanese Gardens.