Japan/Honshu: Hiroshima – Hiroshima Castle
Everything in Hiroshima center was wiped out completely during the atomic bomb explosion. The Hiroshima Castle, originally built in 1590, was totally destroyed. The castle was fully reconstructed in 1958, including the surrounding park, the moat, and all the buildings. The museum inside show what Hiroshima was like before the atomic bombing. Interestingly, while the castle was about 740m from the blast epicenter, the crumbling walls helped preserve three trees that survived the explosion and now grow inside the castle walls – a eucalyptus, a willow, and a holly. Also, the castle premises was also the location of the first radio signal that came from Hiroshima after the explosion, from a basement below the castle.
