Day 1：
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Shukkeien Garden was constructed by Soko Ueda (who is known as a famous master of the tea ceremony) as the garden of the villa for the Asano clan. Its name (literally "shrunken-scenery garden") expresses the idea of collecting and miniaturizing many scenic views (mountains, rivers, thoroughfare in Kyoto, etc.), and according to tradition, the miniature landscape is modeled on Xihu (West Lake), a world-famous scenic spot in China. |
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Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum, located in the downtown area of Hiroshima City, is one of the largest class of art museums in Western Japan. This urban-style art museum is adjacent to green-rich Shukkeien Garden, designated as a place of scenic beauty by the national government. The collection of the museum includes art works of local masters and arts/crafts of Japan and Asia. This museum is also famous for its collection of art works dating from the 1920's to 1930's. |
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Hiroshima Castle is also known as "carp castle". The exterior of its donjon was restored to the former condition in 1958. The exhibits in the castle tell us how the castle was constructed and what was going on in Hiroshima during the Edo Era. War helmets and armor, used by Hiroshima-based feudal lords and warriors, are on exhibit in the castle. The second compound was reconstructed in 1994. |
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Hiroshima Museum of Art was built with "love and relaxation" as its theme and with the citizens' sincere desire for peace. This museum houses art works created by foreign artists, ranging from the French Romanticists (in the mid-19 century) to the Ecole de Paris, as well as those created by Japanese artists, dating from the Meiji era to the present. Hiroshima Museum of Art is also famous for its distinguished collection of art works created by the French Impressionists, such as Cezanne, Manet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. A horse chestnut tree presented by the son of Picasso is growing in the courtyard of the museum. This museum was built in memory of and to express condolence for the victims of the A-bomb. |
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The A-bomb Dome is the skeletal remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, which was completed in 1915 and served as a facility to exhibit specialties of Hiroshima and to hold various events. At that time, citizens of Hiroshima entertained friendly sentiments toward this hall, designed by the Czech architect Jan Letzel, due to its modern structure. Citizens began to call the remains the "A-bomb Dome" after the atomic bomb exploded in the air above the building. Since then, the A-bomb Dome has become known to the world as a symbol of "No More Hiroshimas". With the passage of time, however, the dome began to suffer deterioration due to constant exposure to the weather. Two large-scale preservation works were thus conducted, with the costs covered by fund-raising carried out at home and abroad. It was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in December 1996. |
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Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims was constructed by the national government in order to have the sufferings of atomic bomb victims engraved on people's mind, pay tribute to the victims, and pray for everlasting peace. This peace memorial hall is expected to serve as a facility to convey the horrors of the atomic bombing to the entire world and to hand "what people in Hiroshima experienced after the atomic bombing" down to future generations. |
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Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has collected and exhibited articles left by atomic bomb victims and photos/data showing the horrors of the atomic bombing. The exhibits tell us not only about Hiroshima's history before and after the atomic bombing, but also about the situation with regard to the nuclear age. |
Day 2：
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Itsukushima Shrine Viewed at high tide, Itsukushima Shrine appears to be floating on the water. The wooden structure on the sea, which was designed with consideration given to the ebb and flow, makes the shrine unparalleled in the world. Itsukushima Shrine, which is a truly remarkable example of the integration of architecture into nature, is registered as a World Cultural Heritage. The solemn and magnificent architectural beauty created by the masterpiece of the Shinden-style architecture, together with the majestic figure of Mt. Misen rising behind the shrine and the magnificent view of the Seto Inland Sea spreading out in front of the shrine, conveys the court culture of bygone days to visitors. |
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Momijidani Park Momijidani Park, located at the foot of Mt. Misen, is noted for its splendid autumnal view of scarlet tinged maple leaves (momiji), as its name signifies. Although it looks like a natural valley, it is in fact an artificial valley. Since Itsukushima Shrine had been frequently hit by avalanches of earth and rocks, the location of the original valley was changed, and the current artificial valley was created, with consideration given to keeping its shape as natural as possible, when disaster restoration work was carried out. |
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Five-storied Pagoda The cypress bark-roofed five-storied pagoda, approximately 27.6 meters high, rises on the hill. It is said to have been built in 1407. Each pillar has a gold-brocaded decorative painting at the top. On the inner walls, Buddha and other sacred images are painted in vivid colors. The pagoda shows a splendid structural beauty created by skillfully combining Japanese and Chinese styles. |
| Senjoukaku Hideyoshi Toyotomi started construction of Senjoukaku, Buddhist Hall, in 1587 in order to read the sutras and console the war dead. However, due to his death 10-plus years later, part of the building remains unfinished. Votive pictures of a horse, dedicated to Itsukushima Shrine in the past, hang from the beam. |
Day 3： (1) "Relaxing Tour" Course
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Miyajima Island is properly called "Itsukushima (sacred island), because it is believed to be a sacred island in which the spirits of deities dwell. The entire island has been an object of worship since ancient times. Nature has been preserved well and many legends have been handed down over the centuries on the island. Mt. Misen, the highest mountain on the island, is covered with primeval forests. Valleys at the foot of the mountain, which create beautiful scenery with various aspects of nature as it changes from season to season, have fascinated many people. Miyajima Island, which forms part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, is designated as a place of special scenic beauty, a place of special historic interest, a special scenic zone, a natural monument, etc. Miyajima Island, whose scenic beauty created by varied shapes of the mountains and the sea around the island has been loved by many people, is renowned as one of the three most beautiful scenic spots in Japan, together with Matsushima and Amanohashidate. |
Day 3： (2) "Kintaikyo Bridge" Course
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Miyajima Island is properly called "Itsukushima (sacred island), because it is believed to be a sacred island in which the spirits of deities dwell. The entire island has been an object of worship since ancient times. Nature has been preserved well and many legends have been handed down over the centuries on the island. Mt. Misen, the highest mountain on the island, is covered with primeval forests. Valleys at the foot of the mountain, which create beautiful scenery with various aspects of nature as it changes from season to season, have fascinated many people. Miyajima Island, which forms part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park, is designated as a place of special scenic beauty, a place of special historic interest, a special scenic zone, a natural monument, etc. Miyajima Island, whose scenic beauty created by varied shapes of the mountains and the sea around the island has been loved by many people, is renowned as one of the three most beautiful scenic spots in Japan, together with Matsushima and Amanohashidate. |
3rd floor, International Conference Center Hiroshima,
1-5 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
TEL：082-244-6156 ／FAX：082-244-6138
E-MAIL：hcvb@hiroshima-navi.or.jp
http://www.hcvb.city.hiroshima.jp/e_navigator/hcvb/