I turned a corner and went from walking down a busy street to being confronted by a symbol of atomic destruction that is known the world over - the skeleton of the Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall now known as the Atomic Dome.

The building is now a scheduled ancient monument, and is carefully kept in its state of disrepair.

The Peace Park and Museum are kept in spotless condition.

The flame here will be extinguished when the last nuclear weapon is destroyed.

The Children's Memorial is dedicated to all the children killed by directly by the explosion and by radioactive effects in the years afterwards.

Origami cranes are a symbol of peace. Children from all over Japan make them and send them to Hiroshima.

More cranes decorate the memorial to the mobilised students. At the time of the bomb, many young children had been evacuated out of the town, but some older boys and girls stayed to help prepare the town for conventional bombing raids by demolishing buildings to create firebreaks. Of course this work was pointless against the atomic bomb. Some of the stories of these children are told in the museum along with their clothes and other items.

Other memorials are scattered around the Peace Park. Cranes add spots of colour everywhere.

As you can see here, a busy city has grown out of the ashes of atomic destruction.