The Hiroshima Peace Park is a large green oasis in the centre of what was once the thriving political and commercial heart of the Japanese city. On 6 August 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped over the centre of Hiroshima, decimating the city and its inhabitants. Four years later this area of the city was designated as a memorial zone.
Today, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, covers 12 hectares (30 acres) and is home to numerous memorial statues, monuments and the world-class Peace Memorial Museum. Among its exhibits is a pocket watch that stopped at 8.15am, the time of the detonation.
At the north end of the park, the Atomic Bomb Dome is a skeletal reminder of the impact of that historic day. When the bomb detonated in the air directly over the centre, it incinerated much of the city in its path but this building’s metal framework somehow remained intact.
Also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the dome is what remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. The Atomic Bomb Dome is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A sad reminder of that our species now has the power to completely and quickly destroy itself.