The Genbaku Dome Survived the
Hiroshima Bombing...
More or Less

TheGenbaku Dome, also called the Atomic Bomb Dome, is a well known symbol of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

When you visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, and see the A-Bomb Dome for the first time, it really is an eye opener. Standing in stark contrast to the surrounding area it has become, perhaps, the city`s most striking and powerful landmark.

Built in 1915, its European design was striking even back then.

Just before the end of WWII it was called the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall but was actually used as office space for everything from Internal Affairs to the Japan Lumber Control Corporation.

Although the building itself remained mostly standing due to being situated below the near center of the Hiroshima bomb's detonation point, those inside were killed instantly.

The Atomic Bomb Dome is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated as such to be a reminder of the Hiroshima bombing.

In the evening, this historic landmark is cast in a pale green light almost as if it was straight out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel.