Zenboji Temple and Main Hall (exploded building)

At the time, the personnel department of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Hiroshima Machinery Works had evacuated to Zenpoji Temple in Koihonmachi, Nishi Ward, and carried out their work in the main hall as an office. The atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945, 2.74 kilometers from the hypocenter. The blast caused most of the roof and ceiling of the main hall and the temple's kitchen to collapse, injuring many of the staff members who were in the main hall. After the bombing, the temple came to serve as a first-aid station for the injured and as a place to collect bodies. Although it has undergone several restoration works since the war, the main hall still retains its pre-war appearance.