Hiroshima (all images)

Hiroshima is the largest city in the Chugoku region, in the west of the Japanese island of Honshu. It is known for being the first city to be destroyed by a nuclear explosion. The city was founded in 1589 by Mori Terumoto and prospered over the next centuries due to the lack of military conflicts. Starting from the Meiji period at the end of the 19th century the city developed as a major industrial centre and harbour.
At the end of world war II, on August 6th, 1945, the USA dropped an atomic bomb on the city completely destroying the city centre and causing the direct and indirect death of 140000 people. Áfter the war the city was rebuilt and developed again into a major economic and industrial centre. The centre of Hiroshima, where the nuclear bomb exploded, has been dedicated to the Peace Memorial Park, an area with several monuments and memorials.