Fukuyama Castle

Fukuyama Castle (Fukuyama-jo) was built by the daimyo Mizuno Katsunari and was completed in 1622. It subsequently became the castle of the Mizuno family until the end of the 17th century. Abe Masahiro, who was the lord of the Fukuyama domain, became the governor in the middle of the 18th century. Many of the buildings were destroyed by fire at the end of WWII, but buildings such as the donjon and the moon viewing turret were reconstructed in 1966. The rebuilt donjon is a five-tiered steel-reinforced building which houses a museum.

Hiroshima Castle

Hiroshima Castle (Hiroshima-jo) was built in 1589 by the daimyo Mori Terumoto. The five-tiered donjon was completed in 1591 and became his home base. It was an elegant castle, but all was lost in the atomic bombing of 1945. The existing ferroconcrete, five-tiered donjon was built in 1958 and commands a panoramic view of the city. The stone fortress and moat remain as they were in the old days and the entire castle is designated a Historic Site.

Innoshima Suigun Castle

The naval force called "Murakami suigun" was active mainly in the Seto Inland Sea. The island of Innoshima was one of their bases. It is said that they had such power that they were given police authority from the Muromachi shogun, which ruled Japan in the 15th century. Inno-shima Suigun Castle was built by the Murakami suigun. The construction used back then was more just a structure for protection from the weather and could hardly be called a castle. The existing Innoshima Suigun Castle (Innoshima Suigun-jo) was built for tourism in 1983. It houses a museum which exhibits information relating to Murakami suigun.

Shukukei-en Garden

Shukukei-en was created in 1620 by Asano Nagaakira, then ruler of this region, as a garden for his villa. The garden is said to have been modeled exactly on Lake Xihu, a sightseeing resort in Hangzhou, China. In the center of the garden is a lake known as Takuei-chi with more than ten islets. As the garden is strategically arranged with valleys, bridges, little houses and other structures, visitors can enjoy changing views while walking along a path. Designed to represent scenic views such as high mountains, deep valleys, and broad expanses of beach, the garden gives the impression of being far larger than it actually is.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

At 8:15 a.m., August 6, 1945, the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. The fierce blast wind and heat rays completely or partially destroyed or burnt down 90% of the city's 76,000 buildings. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum lies within the Peace Memorial Park close to the hypocenter of the bomb. The East Building shows a history of Hiroshima before and after the bombing, and the West Building exhibits articles left by the victims, a-bomb-exposed materials, and photographs. The primary objective and mission of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum are the same as those of the museum in the city of Hiroshima: the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of genuine and lasting world peace.

Itsukushima-jinja Shrine

Itsuku-shima is a small island in the Inland Sea, in southwest Hiroshima Prefecture. It is also known as Miya-jima. The entire island is thought to have been an object of religious devotion, and it is said that the sanctuary was built around the end of the 6th century. When the Heike, a samurai family who wielded great power some 800 years ago, started worshipping here, sanctuaries were built one after the other, and the shrine flourished. After the fall of the Heike, Itsukushima-jinja enjoyed the close protection of the Genji, who were another samurai family. This sanctuary, which was influenced by the Heike family and court nobles of Kyoto, features the Shinden-zukuri style of residential architecture popular among court nobles of the 12th century. Two fires at this shrine at the beginning of the 13th century heralded a period of ruin. Around the middle of the 16th century, however, the shrine came under the protection of Mori Motonari, a regional daimyo, and the shrine once again flourished. In 1996 Itsukushima-jinja was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site.

Jodo-ji Temple

Jodo-ji is believed to have been built at the beginning of the 7th century by Prince Shotoku, a regent who was active in the propagation of Buddhism. Although it went through a period of decline, around the beginning of the 14th century, a number of structures, including the main hall (the building which enshrines the main deity) and the Taho-to (a pagoda that enshrines the Buddha, among others), both of which are designated as National Treasures, were rebuilt one after the other, and this temple was visited by many people.There are many records from this period which indicate that these buildings were built through donations of great amounts of money by people engaged in shipping on the Inland Sea. The main gate, which serves as the entrance to the temple, and the Amida-do, are both designated by the national government as Important Cultural Properties.

Myo-o-in Temple

It is said that the Myo-o-in was built at the beginning of the 9th century by the priest Kobo Daishi (Kukai), who studied Buddhism in China and worked to spread Buddhism in Japan. The main hall, which is designated as a National Treasure, was rebuilt in 1321. The architectural style of this building is a combination of distinct features of traditional Japanese architecture and architecture from China.The main gate, which serves as the entrance to this temple, is also called Hagi-mon. It is said to have been made from one piece of bush clover wood. The five-storied pagoda, a type of architecture that has existed in Japan since ancient times, was built in 1348. This five-storied structure is designated as a National Treasure. Standing 31 m high, it is the fifth oldest in Japan of the five-storied pagodas that are designated as National Treasures. Although many Buddhist temples and pagodas were built by the rulers of their respective locales and times, this five-storied pagoda was built through donations collected from the people.