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The online magazine HIGHLIGHTING JAPAN

APRIL 2023

THE CHARMS OF HIROSHIMA

Cover APRIL 2023

INDEX

  • The eyes of the world will be on Hiroshima from May 19 to May 21, 2023 as it hosts the G7 Hiroshima Summit. Hiroshima is a beautiful prefecture surrounded by the Chugoku Mountains and the calm Seto Inland Sea, with many scenic spots to visit and explore. These include Itsukushima Shrine, which is registered as a World Heritage Site, Hiroshima Castle, and the traditional Japanese garden Shukkeien. Hiroshima is also a place where a unique tea ceremony culture developed and continues to be nurtured. On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was destroyed by the first nuclear weapon used on a human population, but the city has recovered and the preserved ruin of the present-day Atomic Bomb (Genbaku) Dome is a World Heritage Site. In addition, the sake brewing district of Saijo, a new performing art called “Hiroshima Kagura,” and a cycling route with beautiful views of the islands in the Seto Inland Sea are popular attractions. In this month’s issue of Highlighting Japan, we introduce these charms of Hiroshima.

FEATURES

  • An interview with Ueda Sokei, 16th generation grandmaster of the Ueda Soko Ryu school of tea ceremony

  • Itsukushima Shrine is known around the world for its striking contrasts in color and form between mountains, sea and architecture.

  • The Genbaku Dome, a World Heritage Site, serves as an ongoing appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons and to emphasize the importance of a lasting world peace.

  • Shukkeien is a Japanese garden that has survived for 400 years despite damage from fires and the atomic bomb

  • Hiroshima Castle was largely destroyed by the atomic bomb but has been reconstructed and is loved by residents as a symbol of the city.

  • Saijo in Higashihiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, is a town with a tradition of sake brewing that goes back more than 300 years.

  • The oysters harvested in Hiroshima are prized for their plump flesh and rich flavor.

  • The Setouchi Shimanami Kaido is a popular cycling route over bridges and across islands in the beautiful Seto Inland Sea.

  • Hiroshima Kagura is a new form of kagura that has evolved from local performance arts that have been passed down for centuries.

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