The Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall was constructed in 1915 as a center for trade and exhibition of new products. Further industrialization in Hiroshima was stimulated during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, which required development and production of military supplies. New industrial plants, including cotton mills, were established in Hiroshima in the late 19th century. The significance of Hiroshima for the Japanese government can be discerned from the fact that the first round of talks between Chinese and Japanese representatives to end the Sino-Japanese War was held in Hiroshima, from February 1 to 4, 1895. During that war, the Japanese government moved temporarily to Hiroshima, and Emperor Meiji maintained his headquarters at Hiroshima Castle from September 15, 1894, to April 27, 1895.
The San'yō Railway was extended to Hiroshima in 1894, and a rail line from the main station to the harbor was constructed for military transportation during the First Sino-Japanese War. Ujina Harbor was constructed through the efforts of Hiroshima Governor Sadaaki Senda in the 1880s, allowing Hiroshima to become an important port city. During the 1870s, one of the seven government-sponsored English language schools was established in Hiroshima. Hiroshima became a major urban center during the imperial period, as the Japanese economy shifted from primarily rural to urban industries. Meiji and Showa periods (1871–1939) Īfter the Han was abolished in 1871, the city became the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture. From 1619 until 1871, Hiroshima was ruled by the Asano clan. The winner of the battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu, deprived Mōri Terumoto of most of his fiefs, including Hiroshima and gave Aki Province to Masanori Fukushima, a daimyō (Feudal Lord) who had supported Tokugawa. Terumoto was on the losing side at the Battle of Sekigahara. The name Hiroshima means wide island in Japanese. Hiroshima Castle was quickly built, and in 1593 Mōri moved in. Hiroshima was established on the delta coastline of the Seto Inland Sea in 1589 by powerful warlord Mōri Terumoto. This new prosperity was partly caused by the increase of trade with the rest of Japan under the auspices of the Taira clan. From the 12th century, the village was rather prosperous and was economically attached to a Zen Buddhist temple called Mitaki-Ji. The region where Hiroshima stands today was originally a small fishing village along the shores of Hiroshima Bay. See also: Timeline of Hiroshima Early history Since being rebuilt after the war, Hiroshima has become the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) serves as a memorial of the bombing. Most of the city was destroyed, and by the end of the year between 90,000 and 166,000 had died as a result of the blast and its effects. This occurred on August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., when the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped the atomic bomb " Little Boy" on the city. Hiroshima was the first city targeted by a nuclear weapon. The city was a center of military activities during the imperial era, playing significant roles such as in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the two world wars. In 1889, Hiroshima officially gained city status.
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Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Hiroshima rapidly transformed into a major urban center and industrial hub. Hiroshima was founded in 1589 as a castle town on the Ōta River delta.
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Kazumi Matsui has been the city's mayor since April 2011. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. As of June 1, 2019, the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. Hiroshima ( 広島市, Hiroshima-shi, / ˌ h ɪr oʊ ˈ ʃ iː m ə/, also UK: / h ɪ ˈ r ɒ ʃ ɪ m ə/, US: / h ɪ ˈ r oʊ ʃ ɪ m ə/, Japanese: ) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan.