Hiroshima

1-1 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima Prefecture

Shukkeien was built by the lord of Hiroshima. It is in the typical style of the Edo period and is said to be constructed based on the architecture of the West Lake in China. The view of mountains and rivers, the spirit of Kyoto and the elegance of remote mountains are condensed in the courtyard, hence it gets the name "miniature landscape garden" (Shukkeien). There is a pond in the center of the park, in which there are small lands of different sizes, valleys, small bridges and pavilions cleverly arranged, and it is full of fun to watch around. Therefore, it is also called a parade garden. There are flowers in the courtyard all year round, and its charm is endless.

The first blast vault, otherwise called the Hiroshima Peace Monument, is situated on the banks of the Yuan Anchuan River in the focal point of Hiroshima. In 1945, the US military besieged Hiroshima with a nuclear bomb. About every one of the structures close to the blast focus were wrecked to the ground. Just the arch was scarcely standing and not dumped. The site of the building is presently safeguarded as a commemoration to the occasion and is incorporated into the World Heritage List. The inside of the building is not open and must be seen outside the fence around it. The semi-roundabout steel outline shape and broken dividers at the best are recorded witnesses.

Hiroshima City is situated on the delta of Ota River. Because it looks like a black carp, it is also known as "The Carp City". Its construction began in 1589 by the famous general Mouri Terumoto and took 10 years to complete. This beautiful city was completely destroyed in the 1945 atomic bombing. The current one was rebuilt in 1958. Standing on the top of the city, tourists can overlook the surrounding scenery. Besides displaying historical art and crafts, Hiroshima city is also a famous place for appreciating sakura, which attracts many tourists to visit it every spring.