Kure

Kure (呉) is a city in Japan. It is located within the Hiroshima Prefecture. The city is located to the far south of the prefecture. It is a coastal city. Just to the left is the Yamaguchi Prefecture and just to the north is the Shimane Prefecture. The city is within viewing distance of Mount Haigamine. The population of the city is 210,000 over 353 square kilometers.

Since the city is located on the coast a major part of the industry is fishing for various sea creatures and trade within and outside of Japan. The city is known for its delicious seafood and native brewed sake.

This area is also known for its ship building. This area used to be the naval base of Imperial Japan. There is also steel manufacturing in this area.

History

In 1889 Kure army base was founded. This helped turn this area into the city it had become before World War II. This helped promote the growth in the area and bring many more industries to the area.

In 1903 the Naval Arsenal was established. This was the beginning of what turned into one of the most powerful naval bases in the world. The good thing did not last too long because on July 1, 1945 the area was bombed very heavily and the casualties were great. Then not too long from there the Battle of Kure occurred on the 24th of July. The remaining Japanese fleet was destroyed in this area.

Since then the city has been rebuilt and only little remains of the great naval base that this city once was. The population is getting smaller and smaller as time goes by.

Points of Interest

• Great Festival of Kameyama Shrine is from October 9 through October 10. This is the oldest festival in all of Kure. This festival is often called the Crowded Festival because of the heavy crowd and stream of heavy worshipers. Often times if A powerful battle scene is re-enacted is the battle between Yabus and a group of people carrying Tonbo a portable shrine that represents the forces of good. The Yabus wait in the way of the shrine trying to prevent the deity from reaching it.
• Yamato Museum is named after the worlds largest battleship which was made at this port during the war. It is said to be a tribute to the skills and science of area workers that created marvels such as the Yamato. The ship was named after the Yamato Prefecture. The museums centerpiece is a 1/10 scale of the battleship itself. The museum was opened up in 2005 and attempts to use people’s interest of the ship and its time by creating an experience around it. Honoring symbols of Japans imperialistic past is often not welcomed, but this museum has been a success despite it.

External Links

• Kure Official Website (English)
• Kure Official Website (Japanese)