The Former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch is one of the city's more sobering pieces of everyday architecture. Built in 1936, it was close enough to the hypocentre of the atomic bomb that its survival still feels improbable, especially when you stand in front of its solid classical facade and remember how little of central Hiroshima remained.
It is not as emotionally overwhelming as the Peace Memorial Museum, and that is partly its value. The building shows what the city looked like before 1945, and how a commercial landmark was pulled into the story of the bombing simply by being there. It works well as a short stop while walking south from the Peace Memorial Park through the old commercial centre.