Hiroshima広島県

The symbol of world peace, Hiroshima. Miya-jima Island symbolized by the Grand Torii Gate in the Sea.

Hiroshima is situated at the center of the Chugoku region in western Honshu, the main island of Japan. In'no-shima Island and 150 other islands are located in the in the nearby Seto Inland Sea.

The Chugoku Mountains, rising to a height of some 1,000 meters, extend from east to west in the northern part of Hiroshima, with highways and national routes crossing mountain passes to connect the prefecture with areas along the Sea of Japan. The plains are narrow and the coastlines are mostly saw-toothed coasts, with mountains drawing close to the shore.
Nature abounds in Hiroshima Prefecture, which is surrounded both by ocean and mountains. Attractions include Setonaikai (Seto Inland Sea) National Park, Hibadogo-Taishaku Quasi-National Park, and West Chugoku Mountains Quasi-National Park. Hiroshima City is known to the world as the first city ever attacked by an atomic bomb. There you will find the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome(Genbaku Dome), which symbolizes the importance of world peace. Adjacent to the Genbaku Dome, which has been inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site, is the Peace Memorial Park.

Itsuku-shima-jinja, the shrine inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage Site along with the Genbaku Dome in 1996, is located on Miya-jima Island. It is said to be one of the three most beautiful sights in Japan, and has been designated as a nation's historic site. Its symbol is the Great Torii Gate (shrine gate) that stands in the sea.