Honkawa Public Lavatory, Public toilet and A-bombed building in Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan.
Honkawa Public Lavatory is a functional restroom facility located near the Kyū-Ōta River in Hiroshima. The simple structure served the local community with basic sanitary accommodations.
The building was struck by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945, located roughly 480 meters from ground zero, yet it survived the blast. Its preservation became a testament to resilience in one of the 20th century's gravest disasters.
The lavatory represents the intersection between everyday municipal facilities and the profound historical events that shaped modern Hiroshima.
The location is easily reached on foot and situated in a centrally accessible area of the city. Visitors can find it readily near the local tram network and main thoroughfares.
This is one of the few functioning structures from that era that continues to serve its original purpose today. The duality of everyday use alongside its role as historical witness creates a rarely experienced connection to the past.
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