Hiroshima was founded in 1589 and grew to be a major urban area of the coast. On August 6th, 1945 at 8:15AM, the U.S. dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The hypocenter of the detonation is approximately 30 meters away from the A-Bomb Dome.

Today, Hiroshima has been rebuilt except for a few significant landmarks. The above photo is the remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industry Promotion Hall - Genbaku-domu-mae - now known as the "A-Bomb Dome".

The hypocenter of the detonation was 600 meters above this hospital. It was a hospital in 1945 and was rebuilt on the same site after the bombing.

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As we walked around the grounds we found many statues constructed to bring peace to Hiroshima and all over the world. This statue represents 3 different religions - Angel's wings for Christianity, The Face of Buddha for Buddhism and Shinto emblem on belt for Shintoism. It's purpose is to promote peace among all religions. The inscription in stone on this statue dedicated by the children of Hiroshima reads: 'This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world'. 1000 Cranes have been a symbol in Asian cultures representing good health, longevity, and fidelity. According to the Japanese traditions, anyone with the patients and commitment to fold 1000 cranes will be granted their most desired wish, because they have exhibited the cranes' loyalty and recreated their beauty. The Peace Flame is another monument to the victims of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, but it has an additional purpose. The flame will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. The Cenotaph was erected in memory of the victims of the bombing. The clock is surrounded by roof tiles and other objects unearthed in the vicinity while the Hall was under construction. The clock is on top of the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall that was constructed and dedicated to all of the Atomic Bomb Victims

Looking across the Motoyasu River at the A-Bomb Dome. Immediately following the bombing, many people who survived the initial blast jumped into this river in an attempt to cool their bodies which had been burnt by the blast and radiation.

The Monument to the Unknown Victims, modelled on an ancient burial mound, contains the ashes of about 70,000 unidentified A-Bomb victims. It stands on the site of some of the first cremations of A-Bomb victims, and became the resting place of ashes brought from other parts of the city.

If you would like more information regarding Hiroshima or any additional photos, please email me at cmjarboe@msn.com.

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Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji, also known as Fuji san, stands at 12,388 ft/3,776 m high and is surrounded by five lakes: Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Yamanaka, Lake Sai, Lake Motosu and Lake Shoji. They, and nearby Lake Ashi, provide excellent views of the mountain. It is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. It is also an active stratovolcano. More than 200,000 people climb to the top of Mt.Fuji in a year. 30% of them are foreigners. Want to get a live view of the mountain to see what the weather is today? Click here to view the Fuji cam in action.