Hiroshima |
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images : alamy ; awl images |
Head to the interior of Hiroshima Castle to witness the resiliency of life , courtesy of the castle ’ s hibakujumoku , three trees that inconceivably survived the nuclear blast and are still alive today
Clockwise from top left : Sika
deer roaming the Todaiji Temple
grounds in Nara ; Itsukushima
Shinto Shrine ’ s iconic ‘ floating ’
torii gate , Hiroshima ; the
Dotonbori area of Osaka
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In August 2025 , it will be 80 years since the U . S . dropped its first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima , Japan , killing tens of thousands of people and forcing the Japanese to surrender . Today , relics of the devastation , such as the Atomic Bomb Dome ( the only structure remaining in the blast zone and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site ) can be found throughout Hiroshima . Take a walk through Hiroshima ’ s Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum , whose exhibits and artifacts are sobering reminders of the effects of war . After the bombing , many people were doubtful anything could ever grow in the city again . Head to the interior of Hiroshima Castle to witness the resiliency of life , courtesy of the castle ’ s hibakujumoku , three trees that inconceivably survived the nuclear blast and are still alive today . |
Architecture buffs should take a trip to Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni city . Built in 1673 , this famous structure features a series of five connected wooden arches , originally constructed without the use of nails . Get out onto the water by boarding the ferry to Miyajima Island , sliding into a window seat for prime views of Itsukushima Shinto Shrine ’ s iconic ‘ floating ’ torii gate . Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site , the shrine was constructed in 1168 and remains the only one in Japan built over the water , giving it an ethereal quality as it appears to float in high tide . Back on dry land , explore Miyajima ’ s many other Shinto and Buddhist shrines , temples and pagodas ; visit the Miyajima Traditional Crafts Center ; try to spot as many of the 500 Buddhas as you can in the Daisho- In Temple ; and take in a bird ’ s-eye view of the island with a ride on the Miyajima Ropeway . |
fall 2024 • 59 |