Former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch

Only 380 meters from the atomic bomb hypocenter, this 1936 bank building survived the August 6, 1945, blast largely because its steel-frame reinforced concrete construction and closed first-floor metal shutters absorbed much of the shockwave. Eight of the eighteen employees working on the open third floor were killed. The bank resumed operations just two days later, the vault and its contents intact. The roof held because the manager had added a meter of sand as fire protection. Designated an Important Cultural Property in 2000, the building now hosts volunteer-guided tours and community exhibitions, with the third floor partially reconstructed.