Atomic Bomb Dome

The Atomic Bomb Dome is a building that was damaged by the atomic bomb—the first atomic weapon used in the world—on August 6, 1945. When it was built in 1915, it was called the "Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall," but it was later renamed, and at the time of the bombing it was known as the "Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall." In Hiroshima at that time, even in the city center most buildings were wooden two-story structures; by contrast, this was a European-style building with a five-story stairwell. Together with its riverside location, it was one of Hiroshima’s notable landmarks. After the war, because the steel frame at the top formed a dome-like shape, people naturally began calling it the "Atomic Bomb Dome."
Although it stood only 160 meters from the hypocenter, it did not collapse—this is thought to be because the blast pressure acted vertically rather than horizontally. However, the scene inside was horrific: all of the roughly 30 people who were inside died instantly. In 1996, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site as a structure that conveys the catastrophe of nuclear weapons. Access to the Atomic Bomb Dome is via streetcar, the Hiroshima city loop bus, or local bus—get off at "Genbaku Dome-mae" (Atomic Bomb Dome). It is also about a 5-minute walk from the "Hiroshima Bus Center" after getting off the airport limousine bus bound for the bus center.