Shirajinja

Shirajinja is a shrine enshrined in Naka-cho, Chuo Ward, Hiroshima, affectionately known by local people as "Shira-san." As its former status of gōsha indicates, it was once a large shrine connected to the former Kokutaiji temple, but was temporarily destroyed by the atomic bomb in August 1945. Rebuilt on a reduced scale, the shrine today stands quietly among modern buildings along the Peace Boulevard. Within the grounds, rocks bear the red discoloration caused by the intense heat of the atomic blast, and a hibaku (atomic-bombed) camphor tree stands as a living witness to that day. The rocks also record the historical movement of the Hiroshima delta coastline, making this an important site for both atomic bomb memory and natural history.