The city of Hiroshima (meaning "Wide Island" and nicknamed the "City of water") developed on the delta of the Ota river, where five fishing and farming villages existed 600 years ago. Formed from rich, fertile soil carried by the Ota river, the delta contains six rivers flowing through the heart of the city and into the Seto Inland Sea, part of the huge Seto Inland Sea National Park. The six rivers, which rise and ebb with the tide, are connected by many bridges that play an integral part in the life of people of the city. A good way to get to know Hiroshima is to stroll along its rivers and bridges.

Overall, the climate is warm and moist, with the highest humidity levels occurring during the summer. The rainy season in June and part of July and the typhoon season in the late August and early September are not as extreme or hazardous as they are in less protected areas of the country, but an umbrella is definitely a necessity. In the hot, muggy mid-summer days, 100% cotton clothing provides the most comfort. The best weather occurs during the spring, from cherry blossom time in late March through May, and the fall, from mid-September through November, with its clear skies and sunny days.

Ask any resident here what makes Hiroshima so special and different and they will give you a combination of answers that will confuse you, but perhaps will also intrigue you enough to make you want to return again and again. They will say it's big, but not too big. It's busy but not too busy. For a city of over one million people, the air is relatively unpolluted and the parks, streets and rivers are clean and adorned with the green of over increasing number of trees. Because of the abundant streetcars, taxis, buses, trains and terrain for bicycling, getting around town is easy. People are serious here, but they know how to enjoy life and how to go out of their way, sometimes to extraordinary lengths, to make visitors feel at home.

On August 6, 1945, one atomic bomb instantly destroyed almost all of the houses and buildings in Hiroshima. They caught fire immediately and were reduced to ashes. In the case of wooden houses, those which were within on kilometer of ground zero (directly below the burst point) were smashed at the moment of the explosion. Those in area 1 to 2 kilometers away were severely damaged. Even houses three to four kilometers from ground zero were badly damaged. It was thought at the time that nothing would grow in Hiroshima for seventy years, but with the help of people in Japan and abroad, the citizens of Hiroshima were able to achieve wonders in rebuilding the city. It has undergone a remarkable rebirth as the world-famous "City of Peace," a number of whose citizens are dedicated to educating the world about the danger of radiation and nuclear war. At the same time, many other residents of the area sincerely hope that the international community will see beyond the facts of this significant historical event in order to appreciate other aspects of the reality that is Hiroshima.

Hiroshima, the largest city on the western end (Chugoku district) of Honshu is continually expanding to meet the needs of the future, including the Asian Games in 1994, the 50th anniversary of the A-bomb in 1995, the National Athletic Meet and the coming 21st century. Evidence of this development can be seen in the construction of a new monorail system which is called Astram Line, new cultural facilities and an international airport. Hiroshima is the place that truly should not be missed by anyone who comes to Japan.

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