Hiroshima: It's more than a mushroom cloud   by Barry Hooper

The name "Hiroshima" usually conjures up a picture of the mushroom cloud that rose from the devastated city on August 6, 1945. It was the first time an atomic bomb had been employed over a populated area, and it hastened the end of World War II. But today's Hiroshima is a bustling city of a million people that boasts some of Japan's most well-known tourist attractions for both the history buff and the casual traveler.
The city's first must-see site, of course, is the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, located in the area around the atomic bomb explosion's epicenter. The focal point of the Park is the Atomic Bomb Dome, one of the few buildings that partially survived the blast, and the one building that has been allowed to remain standing as evidence of the devastation caused by the blast. In 1996, the Dome was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

The second must-see site is the island of Miyajima, located 40 minutes from the center of the city by train and ferry. Miyajima houses the Itsukushima Shrine, which sits on the water like a pier and is regarded as one of Japan's three most beautiful sights. You've probably seen post card pictures of the shrine's graceful vermillion-colored torii gate, which looks like a Japanese alphabet character rising out of the shimmering sea. A national treasure that is thought to date back to the sixth century, the shrine has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. If you go to Miyajima on August 14, you can see a brilliant display of 3,000 fireworks that takes place on the sea in front of the shrine, lighting up the night sky and the torii gate. You'll also enjoy colorful autumn foliage, clear skies and cool breezes.

The spring is also a beautiful time to visit here. You'll see the cherry blossoms for which Japan is famous, and from May 3-5 a parade of flower floats and other events draws over a million visitors to the Hiroshima Flower Festival.

So where is Hiroshima, and how do you get here? It's about 550 miles west of Tokyo, in the Chugoku Region, the westernmost region on Japan's main island of Honshu. To get there, take your choice - air, bus, local train or bus. If you're in a hurry, the flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport takes about 90 minutes. A trip on the direct nozomi train, Japan's famous bullet train, will take about four hours from Tokyo. If you want to experience some of Japan's countryside, take the local train, which takes about 15 hours and typically involves about six transfers. Or, you can take a night bus, which takes about 12 hours.

However you choose to get to Hiroshima, it's an experience that will make your visit to Japan truly special and historic.
 
 

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