Hiroshima is well known as the first city in the history of the world to be bombed with a nuclear weapon (atomic bomb). After the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945, Hiroshima's population has decreased by nearly 20%, but after the war it has revived brilliantly, centered on the heavy industry and the automobile industry such as Mazda, and is now one of the major industrial cities in Japan. 

The population exceeded 1 million in 1985, and is now the 10th largest population in cities nationwide. Hiroshima is the only city in which the subway does not run. Instead trams run the city, making Hiroshima the number one tram city in Japan.

One of the most famous local foods in Hiroshima is “Hiroshima-yaki”, the Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki. Unlike Okonomiyaki in the Kansai region, where ingredients and dough are mixed and then baked, Hiroshima-yaki is a "layered yakimono" in which a thin crepe-like dough is first baked and then the ingredients are placed on top to form a layer.

Miyajima, a World Heritage Site, is an island with a very unique Itsukushima shrine with a red temple built in the Heian period floating in the water. The island has a primeval forest that has been almost untouched by people. Misen, the highest peak on the island, has three mountain trails, the Omoto course, the Daishoin course, and the Momijidani course, which is another popular way to enjoy Miyajima.

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