![]() ![]() ![]() This move by conservative groups to rehabilitate the castle initiated much debate. I argue that the reconstruction of Hiroshima Castle in 1958, as with other castles throughout Japan, was carried out as a way to demilitarize and disassociate the castle from a modern military role. Yet, the castle continued to serve as a reminder of Hiroshima’s past. After the war, the castle’s and Hiroshima’s long engagement with the imperial military was forgotten as Hiroshima rebuilt itself as a “city of peace.” Significantly, it was now the Atomic Bomb Dome, rather than the castle which served as the city’s symbol. ![]() Promotion of tourism played an important role in cementing this identity. The castle was long used to promote Hiroshima’s identity as a military city. The bomb destroyed not just the physical space of the castle but also the symbolism associated with the site. ![]() Tens of thousands of Japanese Imperial Army soldiers perished in the castle, which served as the headquarters for Japan’s Western Army. In 1945 Hiroshima Castle, together with most of central Hiroshima, was incinerated and turned into a graveyard. ![]()
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