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Monday, 27th January 2014
In General Japan News,
Hiroshima to reinforce A-bomb dome
One of the few buildings to remain almost completely intact in Hiroshima after the atomic bomb detonated in the Japanese city will receive reinforcement to help it cope against strong earthquakes, it has been reported.
The so-called Atomic Bomb Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands as a testimony to the terrible destruction that reigned down on Japan at the end of the Second World War and caused the government and subsequent prime ministers to renounce violence.
As of the fiscal year of 2015, work will begin in order to reinforce the structure against particularly powerful earthquakes, in order to protect what has come to be known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
Previously, work carried out on the distinctive domed building saw it infused with resins to help it cope with aging, but next year will be the first time it has been reinforced against earthquakes.
The municipal government said that this year will involve a design phase exploring how best to strengthen the aging skeletal outline, which is all that remains of the construction.
Hiroshima's Peace Memorial is one of the most prominent attractions of the city, with thousands of tourists each year flooding to the area that commemorates the many thousands who died in the explosion.
Those wishing to visit Hiroshima are advised to visit the Peace Memorial Museum on the same site, which displays many interesting artefacts related to Hiroshima's unique history and reminds us that peace should not be taken for granted.
It is also worth snapping a photo of the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, an arched tomb that remembers those who died from the explosion - either from being within its radius or from radiation poisoning in the months and years that followed.
Each year, on August 6th at the exact anniversary of the early morning detonation, a ceremony is held at the Memorial Park that involves laying wreaths and making speeches and promises to aid the disarmament of nuclear weapons.
Written by Mark Smith
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