Hiroshima, Japan Cruise Vacations : Princess Cruises

Hiroshima, Japan

Now a modern city of broad avenues, the Peace Memorial Museum opens a window on the somber reality of Hiroshima's tragic past. Today Hiroshima is a monument not only to the destructive forces harnessed by men, but also to the indomitable will of the human spirit to overcome tragedy.

On August 6, 1945, human history was irrevocably altered when the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Its detonation left half the city in ruins and aflame. At the heart of the city lies the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome that commemorates this day. The gutted walls of the city's old Industry Promotion Hall and the skeletal remains that support its copper dome—vaporized in the blast—are instantly recognizable symbols of Hiroshima.

Hiroshima is also the jumping-off point for the picturesque island of Miyajima, known for its Itsukushima Shrine.

Hiroshima Castle

Originally built in the late 16th century and destroyed in the atomic blast, a perfect reproduction of the original was recreated.

Peace Memorial Park

At the epicenter of the atomic bomb explosion, the Peace Memorial Park commemorates the earth-shattering event. It is dedicated to the promotion of world peace.

Miyajima

This romantic little island lies about eight miles off the mainland in the Seto Inland Sea. Apart from its beautiful, steep wooded hills, the island is famous for its Itsukushima Shrine and massive red wooden torii (gate).