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.

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.

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.

Attractions

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

Sports

Hiroshima is home to several professional sports teams.

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.

Sister cities

Hiroshima has several sister cities[10]:

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