Hiroshima (city)

Hiroshima (広島市 Hiroshima-shi) is a Japanese city which is the capital of Hiroshima prefecture in the Chugoku region of Honshu island, within the southerly Sanyo area. It was originally founded as a castle town in 1589, establishing a military presence over the southern coastline. The city developed on and around a number of islands, leading to the story that the city's name, literally 'large island', comes from the castle's position on the biggest of these. Land was gradually claimed from the sea over the centuries, and today the population is about 1.2 million. Within Japan, the city is well-known for its okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) - egg-based savoury pancakes with a variety of fillings.

Hiroshima's name is known worldwide as the site of the world's first atomic bomb attack, on 6th August 1945; approximately 140,000 people were killed by the explosion and its immediate radioactive effects.