@48 days until Hiroshima Summit: Hiroshima Castle
Apr. 1, 2023
by Aya Nishimura, Staff Write
The castle tower, which was destroyed by the atomic bomb, was restored as a symbol of reconstruction 65 years ago. The stately castle standing in the center of Hiroshima has gone through turbulent times.
Mori Terumoto, grandson of the warlord Mori Motonari, began construction of the castle in 1589. It was a large castle with one large tower, two smaller towers, and three moats. For most of the Edo period (1603-1868), the castle belonged to the Asano family, and after the Meiji period (1968-1912), it was used as a military facility.
Today, the only part of the castle that remains as an historic site is inside the inner moat. The castle tower has been restored in the main enclosure and the Omotegomon gate in the secondary enclosure. The interior of the castle tower has been made into a museum that shows samurai culture and is popular among foreign tourists. The castle is also known as “Rijo” (carp castle). Hence the name of the local professional baseball team: The Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
(Originally published on April 1, 2023)
The castle tower, which was destroyed by the atomic bomb, was restored as a symbol of reconstruction 65 years ago. The stately castle standing in the center of Hiroshima has gone through turbulent times.
Mori Terumoto, grandson of the warlord Mori Motonari, began construction of the castle in 1589. It was a large castle with one large tower, two smaller towers, and three moats. For most of the Edo period (1603-1868), the castle belonged to the Asano family, and after the Meiji period (1968-1912), it was used as a military facility.
Today, the only part of the castle that remains as an historic site is inside the inner moat. The castle tower has been restored in the main enclosure and the Omotegomon gate in the secondary enclosure. The interior of the castle tower has been made into a museum that shows samurai culture and is popular among foreign tourists. The castle is also known as “Rijo” (carp castle). Hence the name of the local professional baseball team: The Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
(Originally published on April 1, 2023)
