Hiroshima
As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 1,
154,391, while the total population for the metropolitan area was estimated as 2,043,788 in
2000.The total area of the city is
905.08 km², with a population density of 1275.4 persons per km².The population around 1910 was
143,
000. Before
World War II, Hiroshima's population had grown to
360,000, and peaked at 419,182 in
1942.
Following the atomic bombing in
1945, the population dropped to
137,197.By
1955, the city's population had returned to pre-war levels.
Hiroshima has a professional symphony orchestra, which has performed at Wel
City Hiroshima since
1963. There are also many museums in Hiroshima, including the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, along with several art museums. The
Hiroshima Museum of Art, which has a large collection of
French renaissance art, opened in 1978. The
Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum opened in
1968, and is located near
Shukkei-en gardens. The
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened in
1989, is located near Hijiyama
Park. Festivals include
Hiroshima Flower Festival and
Hiroshima International Animation Festival.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which includes the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, draws many visitors from around the world, especially for the
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, an annual commemoration held on the date of the atomic bombing. The park also contains a large collection of monuments, including the
Children's Peace Monument, the Hiroshima
National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Bomb Victims and many others.
Hiroshima's rebuilt castle (nicknamed Rijō, meaning Koi
Castle) houses a museum of life in the
Edo period.
Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine is within the walls of the castle. Other attractions in Hiroshima include Shukkei-en, Fudōin,
Mitaki-dera, and Hijiyama Park.
The atomic bombings of the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in
Japan were conducted by the
United States during the final stages of World War II in 1945. The two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.Following a firebombing campaign that destroyed many
Japanese cities, the
Allies prepared for a costly invasion of Japan. The war in
Europe ended when
Nazi Germany signed its instrument of surrender on 8 May, but the
Pacific War continued.
Together with the
United Kingdom and the
Republic of China, the United States called for a surrender of Japan in the
Potsdam Declaration on 26 July 1945, threatening Japan with "prompt and utter destruction". The
Japanese government ignored this ultimatum, and the United States deployed two nuclear weapons developed by the
Manhattan Project.
American airmen dropped
Little Boy on the city of Hiroshima on 6
August 1945, followed by
Fat Man over
Nagasaki on 9 August.
Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects killed 90,000--166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000--80,000 in Nagasaki, with roughly half of the deaths in each city occurring on the first day. The
Hiroshima prefecture health department estimated that, of the people who died on the day of the explosion, 60% died from flash or flame burns, 30% from falling debris and 10% from other causes. During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness. In a US estimate of the total immediate and short term cause of death, 15--20% died from radiation sickness, 20--30% from burns, and 50--60% from other injuries, compounded by illness. In both cities, most of the dead were civilians, although Hiroshima had a sizeable garrison.On
15 August, six days after the bombing of
Nagasaki, Japan announced its surrender to the Allies, signing the
Instrument of Surrender on
2 September, officially ending World War II. The bombings led, in part, to post-war Japan's adopting
Three Non-Nuclear Principles, forbidding the nation from nuclear armament. The role of the bombings in
Japan's surrender and their ethical justification are still debated.
- published: 18 Apr 2013
- views: 25910