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Gobenden Square (Site of the Former Gobenden Building)
With the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War, an extraordinary session of the Imperial Diet was held in Hiroshima and a provisional Diet Building and Gobenden, a building to be used as lodging for the Emperor, were built. The Diet Building was taken down in 1898; however, Gobenden was moved to north side of Hijiyama.
Courtesy of Hiroshima Municipal Archives.
Even before the war, Hijiyama Park was bustling with people enjoying hanami parties during the cherry blossom season. Once Gobenden was completed, however, it became the symbol of Hijiyama Park.
Courtesy of Hiroshima Municipal Archives.
Godenden was completely lost to fires caused by the atomic bombing. To escape the firestorm that engulfed the center of Hiroshima City, many victims fled to Hijiyama Park, which lay two kilometers from the hypocenter. It is said that the bodies of the dead and the wounded covered the park trails and lay in the shade of trees. Currently, not even the ruins of Gobenden remain on site.
The former site today.
Information
Gobenden Square (Site of the Former Gobenden Building)
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- Address
- Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima City
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- Access
- Streetcar: Take the 5 streetcar line headed for Hiroshima-kō (広島港) and get off at Hijiyama-shita (比治山下); it's about a one minute walk from there.
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- Distance from the hypocenter
- 2000
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- MAP
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