hiroshima

For other uses, see Hiroshima (disambiguation).

The Japanese city of Hiroshima (広島市, Hiroshima-shi^?) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Honshu, the largest of Japan's islands. Geographical location 34°23′07″N, 132°27′19″E (City Hall). 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.

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 in 1589, on the coast of the Seto Inland Sea, and became a major urban center during the Meiji period. The city is located on the broad, flat delta of the Ota River, which has 7 channel outlets dividing the city into six islands which project into Hiroshima Bay. The city is almost entirely flat and only slightly above sea level; to the northwest and northeast of the city, some hills rise to 700 feet.

Hiroshima was founded by Mori Motonari as his capital. About a half century later, after the Battle of Sekigahara, his grandson and the leader of the West Army Mori Terumoto was on the losing side. The winner Tokugawa Ieyasu deprived Mori Terumoto of most of his fiefs including Hiroshima and gave Aki province to another daimyo who had supported him.

Finally Asano was appointed the daimyo of this area and Hiroshima served as the capital of Hiroshima han during the Edo period. After the han was abolished the city became the capital of Hiroshima prefecture.

Atomic Bombing

Main article: Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

During the First Sino-Japanese War, Hiroshima emerged as a major supply and logistics base for the Japanese military. This role continued until World War II, making it an important military target for hostile forces.

On August 6, 1945 the nuclear weapon Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima by Enola Gay, a U.S. Air Force B-29 bomber which was altered specifically to hold the bomb, killing directly an estimated 80,000 people and heavily damaging 80% of the city.^{citation needed]} In the following months, an estimated 60,000 more people died from injuries or radiation poisoning.^{citation needed]} Since 1945, several thousand more hibakusha have died of illnesses caused by the bomb. It was the second such device to be detonated (the first being the successful test at the Manhattan Project's desert test site, in New Mexico), and the first ever to be used in military action. It has been claimed that the American atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were major factors that led to the Japanese surrender, and the official end of World War II. However, many American leaders disagree, including General McArthur. See http://www.doug-long.com/quotes.htm that includes "When I asked General MacArthur about the decision to drop the bomb, I was surprised to learn he had not even been consulted. What, I asked, would his advice have been? He replied that he saw no military justification for the dropping of the bomb. The war might have ended weeks earlier, he said, if the United States had agreed, as it later did anyway, to the retention of the institution of the emperor." Ref.: Norman Cousins, The Pathology of Power, pg. 65, 70-71.

After the nuclear attack, Hiroshima was rebuilt as a “peace memorial city”, and the closest surviving building to the location of the bomb's detonation was designated the "Atomic Bomb Dome," a part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The city government continues to advocate the abolition of nuclear weapons, and has advocated more broadly for world peace. Since 1968 a formal letter of protest has been issued, by the city of Hiroshima, every time a nuclear explosive test has been conducted anywhere in the world.[1]

After the war

Hiroshima was rebuilt after the war, with new modern buildings rising all over the city. Several US civic leaders and scholars were consulted about the rebuilding plan. In 1949, Hiroshima was proclaimed a City of Peace by the Japanese parliament, at the initiative of its mayor, Shinzo Hamai (b. 1905–d. 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. In 1994, the city of Hiroshima hosted the Asian Games.

While many other Japanese cities had abandoned their streetcar systems by 1980s (during 60s to 70s, Japanese cities—like British ones—were anxious to get rid of their streetcar systems due to damage to the infrastructure), Hiroshima has retained its streetcar systems. This is because the construction of subway was too expensive for the city to build, as it is located on a delta. During 1960s, Hiroshima Electric Railway, or "Hiroden," bought extra streetcars from other Japanese. Since most of such street cars retain their original appearance, the streetcar system is called "Moving Museum" by some railroad buffs, although they are now being replaced by newer streetcars. Of four streetcars that survived the war, two of them are still in operation as of July 2006. (Hiroden model 650, Number 651 and 652.

Attractions

Hiroshima's rebuilt castle (nicknamed Rijō, meaning Koi Castle) houses a museum of life in the Edo period.

Itsukushima ("Miyajima") Shrine is in the town of Miyajima, on the island of Itsukushima, across from Hiroshima. Its large red "floating" gate is one of the best known sights of Japan. Although it lies outside the city of Hiroshima, it is accessible by streetcar or railroad (and ferry) from the central train station.

Hiroshima is known for its version of okonomiyaki, called "Hiroshima-yaki" or "Hiroshima pancake." The Hiroshima version of okonomiyaki is unique for its inclusion of yakisoba or udon noodles.

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. Other attractions include Shukkei-en and Mitaki-dera.

Sports

Hiroshima is home to several 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. Sanfrecce Hiroshima is the city's J. League football team.

Wards

Hiroshima has eight wards (ku):

Demographics

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 1,136,684 and the density of 1532.44 persons per km². The total area is 741.75 km².

Industry

Mazda Motor Company, now controlled by the Ford Motor Company, is by far Hiroshima's dominant company. Mazda makes many models in Hiroshima for worldwide export, including the popular MX-5/Miata and Mazda RX-8. The Mazda CX-7 is scheduled to be built there, starting in early 2006. Other Mazda factories are in Hofu and Flat Rock, Michigan.

Business

Hiroshima is the center of industry for the Chugoku-Shikoku region, and is by and large centered along the coastal areas. The Chugoku area has a GDP of approximately (US$)270 billion, making it economically larger than many countries including Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and Austria. Its largest industry is the manufacturing industry with core industries being the production of cars (Mazda) car parts and industrial equipment. 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] http://www.hivec.com) 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 (http://www.seifu-shinto.jp/index_f.html) area which offer capital installments (up to 500 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 has long been a port city and Hiroshima port or Hiroshima International Airport can be used for the transportation of goods.

As for workers, the lifestyle is considered to be good (if a little lacking in nightlife) and 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.

Information on all these matters can be received from Hiroshimas' Economic Affairs Bureau (http://www.business.econ.city.hiroshima.jp 082-504-2241) and is available in either English (James Clarke) or Japanese (Yamamoto-san).

Sister cities

Hiroshima has several sister cities[2]:

References

• Kowner, Rotem (2002). Hiroshima. In M. Ember & C. Ember (eds.), Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures, 4 vols. (II: pp. 341-348). Danbury (CT): Grolier. ISBN 0-7172-56987

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.
• 'Hiroshima bomb may have carried hidden agenda' - A Newscientist report on recent findings suggesting Japan was looking for peace, and US' ulterior motive for dropping the bomb.
• Richard B. Frank, Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire (Penguin, 2001 ISBN 0-14-100146-1), a thorough analysis of all the available contemporaneous intel from the perspectives of the various participants during the last months of the war. Uses newly declassified US military intelligence records and other primary sources from many countries to make the case that bombing had a huge net saving of lives, Japanese and American, over an invasion. The author shows why the Japanese were preparing to continue the fight for an indefinite period and why they expected that a bloody defense of their main islands would lead to something less than unconditional surrender and a continuation of their existing government.
• 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
• Masuji Ibuse, Black Rain, ISBN 0-87011-364-X
• Hara Tamiki, Summer Flowers ISBN 0-691-00837-X

See also

• Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Barefoot Gen
• Enola Gay
• Ground Zero
• Hiroshima Airport
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial
• Kokura
• Nagasaki
• 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

External links

Hiroshima travel guide from Wikitravel

• 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
• Remembering the Korean Atom Bomb Victims
• How many died at Hiroshima?, analysis of the conflicting estimates
• 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