Shukkei-en Garden

Built in 1620 at the order of Asano Nagaakira, a powerful feudal lord (Daimyo) of the Hiroshima clan, the Shukkein-en garden later served as the villa of the Asano family during the Meiji period. Shukkeien, which can be translated into English as “shrunken-scenery garden”, includes valleys, mountains and forests represented in miniature all across the garden.

It was donated by the Asano family itself to Hiroshima Prefecture in 1940. Unfortunately, lying pretty close to ground zero during the nuclear attack on the city, the garden suffered extensive damage and later became a refuge for the victims of the war. It was only after a long renovation process that the garden reopened to the public in 1951.

Note that only the garden stone bridge featured on this video was still standing after the nuclear blast.