Iconic dome left after Hiroshima bomb marks 100th anniversary

The iconic domed building which was gutted by, but survived, the atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima has marked its centenary.

City officials are considering ways to preserve the aging building, while handing down memories of the devastation caused by the 1945 atomic bombing to future generations.

The building was completed in 1915 and was used as a venue for trade events. It was almost completely gutted in the atomic bombing on 6th August 1945. The steel frame of the dome and parts of the walls survived and became a lasting memorial to the destruction and death caused by the bomb.

The iconic building was designated as a World Heritage site in 1996. Many people visited the site over the weekend, taking photos and reading signs about the history of the building.

City officials have decided to keep the building in its current form while reinforcing it to make it resistant to earthquakes. They will decide on how to protect the structure month with work due to start in August.

The Japan Confederation of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Sufferers Organizations organised an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the bombing. An 82-year-old hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivor, Seiko Ikeda, spoke to about 230 university and senior high-school students at a conference hall in Hiroshima City.

Ikeda said the Hiroshima survivors, including herself, suffered from illnesses caused by radiation exposure and experienced discrimination for 10 years after the attack. She said she did not receive any public help until the confederation was established in 1956. She said all the survivors could do was to try to encourage each other. She said they were even monitored by the police.

She said: "I believe young people can sympathize with the survivors, who are calling for the eradication of nuclear weapons and war so that no one will ever suffer like this again."