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Japan  Anthem |
 image by Sgt. W.E.Burroughs U.S.M.C. 1960 | At the time of construction in 1589, Hiroshima Castle was the largest in western Japan, occupying an area many times its present size. Know as the "carp castle", it was built by the feudal lord Terumoto Mori. In 1931, the castle was designated as a national treasure. After its destruction in the atomic bomb blast of 1945, it was reconstructed as it stands today. Now a museum, its inner rooms convey a realistic feeling of Hiroshima's history. |
 Image by Anthony Vashro, taken at much later date as can be seen in the full grown trees |
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A city of southwest Honshu, Japan, on the Inland Sea west of Osaka. Founded in the 16th century, it was destroyed in World War II by the first atomic bomb used in warfare (August 6, 1945). Population, 1,044,130+. |
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A country of Asia on an archipelago off the northeast coast of the mainland. Traditionally settled c. 660 B.C., Japan's written history began in the 5th century A.D. During the feudal period (12th-19th century) real power was held by the shoguns, local warriors whose dominance was finally ended by the restoration of the emperor Mutsuhito in 1868. At about the same time the country was opened to Western trade and industrial technology. Expansionist policies led to Japan's participation in World War II, which ended after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945). Today the country is highly industrialized and noted for its advanced technology. Tokyo is the capital and the largest city. Population, 121,047,190+. |
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