Since I had some work in Hiroshima, I took a quick photo walk with my GF10, which I’d slipped into my bag. I figured I’d at least want to snap a photo of the streetcar in that city.
So, here’s Hiroshima Station.
Thanks to major construction in recent years, Hiroshima Electric Railway (Hiroden) tram cars now pull right into the JR station’s second-floor concourse. It’s a massive terminal station—not at street level, but elevated.
Several Hiroden lines weave through the city’s main streets, with trams from several generations intermingling as they crisscross the city.
The sleek new trams look great, but as someone born in the Showa era, I’m drawn to the nostalgic, “classic streetcar” design.
Snapped this at Kamiyacho-Higashi Station in the city center.
I’ve only been to Hiroshima a handful of times, and although it’s just a short visit, this is the first time I’ve had free time to spend in the city. I figured there was one place I absolutely had to see, so I headed for the Hirden’s “Genbaku Dome-mae” Station.
I didn’t realize until I visited that the Peace Memorial Park is located right in the center of town, right next to the bustling downtown area. On my way back, I walked through the underground shopping arcade that extends right up to the park, and when I saw a sign that read “Atomic Bomb Dome ↑,” as a first-time visitor, I was quite startled by the impact of those words.
Well, when I saw this scene for the first time in person, even I—a “Children who doesn’t know war”—couldn’t help but feel a sense of solemnity.
A symbol of the hypocenter standing against the sky of Hiroshima in the Reiwa era, embodying the pinnacle of peace and prosperity.
What struck me was the noticeable presence of junior and high school students in the area—perhaps on a field trip or school excursion—and, even more so, the large number of foreign tourists visiting. The Atomic Bomb Dome left a deep, lingering impression on my heart, but I wonder how it appeared in their eyes.
And so, that wraps up our 1.5-hour whirlwind photo walk through Hiroshima City.
