Hiroshima in Focus

Hiroshima in Focus From Feudal Castle Town to a Symbol of Peace

Hiroshima has been world-famous for ~nearly 80 years~. Before 1945, the city was an important strategic location in central Japan.

During the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868), Hiroshima was an important castle town and the political, economic, and cultural centre of the Hiroshima Domain (Hiroshima-han), ruled by the Asano clan.

Hiroshima Castle & the Asano Clan

Hiroshima Castle was built in 1589 by Mōri Terumoto, one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s top generals. After the Battle of Sekigahara (1600), the Mōri were forced to move to Hagi, and the Tokugawa shogunate granted Hiroshima to the Fukushima clan. In 1619, Asano Nagaakira became the new daimyō (feudal lord), and the Asano family ruled Hiroshima for over 250 years.

Economic & Trade Hub

Hiroshima was a key centre for rice production and trade, with a port that connected it to Osaka and Edo (Tokyo). The city had a thriving merchant class involved in textile production, sake brewing, and salt production. It was part of the Seto Inland Sea trade network, which made it a strategic location for commerce.

Cultural & Architectural Growth

The Asano clan invested in castle town development, leading to organized streets, merchant districts, and samurai residences. Temples and shrines flourished, including Mitaki-dera and Gokoku Shrine. Hiroshima developed a unique cultural identity, influenced by Edo-period arts, poetry, and performance traditions like kagura (Shinto dance-drama).

Role in the Tokugawa System

As a fudai (hereditary) domain, Hiroshima had close ties to the Tokugawa but was still semi-autonomous. It maintained a military force of samurai but was more focused on administration and trade. The Asano family’s rule was stable and peaceful, avoiding the conflicts seen in other domains.

Hiroshima’s Status in the Edo Period

During the Tokugawa era, Hiroshima was a flourishing feudal city known for its castle, economic prosperity, and cultural development. It remained an important regional power until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, when the feudal system was abolished.

Hiroshima Today

The Bomb Dome

Today, it’s famous for one thing. The site of the first atomic bombing of humans. The mind cannot comprehend the scale of the devastation unleashed by an atomic weapon. TV, film, video games, can leave us with a sense of awe, but only when you walk across a city that was completely flattened, and see the images and videos of that actual moment, can you begin to appreciate the sheer magnitude. The museum has pictures and videos, as well as stories from survivors. I do not mean to trivialise it in any way, but if you’re having a bad day and remember that people were also having a similar bad day when a nuclear warhead nicknamed “Little Boy” was detonated 600m above what is now the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dōmu, 原爆ドーム). The “dome” is the preserved ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, one of the few structures that remained partially standing after the atomic bombing on 6 August 1945.

In the vicinity is the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima is dedicated to Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who became a symbol of the innocent lives lost to the atomic bombing.

Sadako was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. Though she survived the initial blast, she was later diagnosed with leukemia (often called “atomic bomb disease”) at the age of 12 in 1955. According to a Japanese legend, folding 1,000 origami cranes (senbazuru) grants a wish—Sadako began folding cranes in the hope of recovering, using whatever paper she could find. Inspired by her determination, her classmates continued folding cranes in her memory.

The Children’s Peace Monument

• In 1958, Sadako’s classmates and children across Japan raised funds to build a monument in her honour.
• The statue depicts Sadako holding a golden paper crane above her head.

The inscription reads: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. For building peace in the world.”

Even today, people from around the world send paper cranes to Hiroshima as a symbol of peace and hope. The story of Sadako and her cranes has inspired books, films, and peace movements worldwide.

There is far more to Hiroshima than the bomb, but it’s impossible to ignore its impact, 80 years after that initial impact. I first visited in 2006. I had much the same feelings again this time, but perhaps through a different light. 2006 feels like a lifetime ago (somehow it’s almost 20 bloody years), but the main point is that the world today is a very different place in my eyes, to the one of 2006. Bush had been re-elected as President, and I thought he was a bit of an imbecile, but “issues” were in Iraq (no WMDs, btw) and Afghanistan. Now it’s 2025, and the President serving a second term is a character known as Donald Trump, who I only knew from Home Alone 2 and a side-mention in American Psycho. There’s war between Russia and Ukraine, the internet has changed massively, social media exists, news outlets are completely changed, working from home is a thing, COVID is a memory, the UK has left the EU, Germany’s economy is in recession, and everyone and their mother is visiting Japan.

Thing is, Japan is a second home for me. When I am there, it feels like home. My real home is where my heart is, and where all my stuff is. But Japan fits me on a soul-level.

Hiroshima today is a vibrant town, and is well worth the visit. There are fantastic cafes, shops, restaurants, and cultural activities. Try out the okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) or Japanese pancake, and the grilled oysters (牡蠣焼き).

Hiroshima Castle

I’ll finish this post on Hiroshima with a photo and description of Hiroshima Castle.

Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshima-jō) was originally built in 1589 but was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945. Today, it has been reconstructed and serves as a museum and cultural site. It was rebuilt in 1958 using wood and concrete, replicating the original design. It houses a museum focused on samurai culture, Hiroshima’s feudal history, and castle architecture.

Despite its destruction, Hiroshima Castle today is a reminder of the city’s history and recovery. It stands as both a historical monument and a popular tourist attraction, reflecting Hiroshima’s legacy beyond the events of 1945.

Until soon.