How Hiroshima, formerly a humble castle town, and Pearl Harbor, once an ancient Hawaiian fishing spot, went from WWII-era enemies to being united as sister parks to promote peace

Elias ChavezSep 9, 2023, 01:44 IST

A side-by-side of Pearl Harbor and HiroshimaRight: Photo by Epics/Getty Images Left: Getty Images

Pearl Harbor was an ancient Hawaiian fishing spot before becoming a key US naval base. It was attacked in 1941.
The US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945.

Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor officially became sister parks in June as a way to amend the relationship between the United States and Japan after World War II.

The agreement serves to forge a bond between two historic sites that were critical during World War II. The two countries aim to share best practices surrounding historic restoration, youth education, and tourism management.

This is the second sister park agreement between the United States and Japan. The first is a relationship between the Gettysburg National Military Park and Gifu Sekigahara Battlefield Memorial Museum. The two sites were large parts of the American and Japanese civil wars, respectively.

Before either was involved in World War II, they had their own rich histories as places of industry, learning, and culture. Take a look back at how these two islands in the Pacific ended up being some of the most pivotal points in World War II.

Pearl Harbor was initially a fishing and diving area called Wai Momi, which translates to "Water of Pearl" in ancient Hawaiian.

Aerial view of Pearl Harbor naval base.US Navy/Interim Archives/Getty Images

Because Pearl Harbor was originally blocked by coral reefs, it was impossible to use as a port.

A diver swims in the Caves of Lava Tubes, Cathedrals of Lanai, Maui.Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images

The US gained exclusive rights to Pearl Harbor in 1887.

U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Pearl City PeninsulaLibrary of Congress

However, it wasn't until the Spanish-American War that the US Navy realized the importance of Pearl Harbor.

Soldiers smile on deck of the "Rio de Janeiro" as it leaves for Manila during the Spanish-American war.Archive Photos/Getty Images

In 1902, the channel for the entrance to Pearl Harbor was dredged, deepened, and widened to create the entrance for Pearl Harbor.

Ships fill Pearl Harbor before the Bikini Atoll atom bomb test.Underwood Archives/Getty Images

Pearl Harbor officially became a Naval base in 1908, but the first large armored ship didn't enter and anchor there until the USS California in 1911.

U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Waterfront Facilities, Various locations throughout baseFranzen, David via Library of Congress

Thirty years after the first ship crossed into Pearl Harbor, it was bombed by Japanese pilots on December 7, 1941.

The American destroyer USS Shaw explodes during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Image

The attack killed 2,403 people and destroyed or damaged 19 US Navy ships.

Smoke rises from the burning buildings on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor.Epics/Getty Images

In place of the sunken USS Arizona now stands a memorial commemorating the sunken ship and Pearl Harbor.

The USS Arizona Pearl Harbor memorial sits atop the wreckage of the USS ArizonaKevin Winter/Touchstone Pictures/Getty Images

Hiroshima began as a castle town surrounded by inner and outer moats.

A photo of Hiroshima Castle in the Hiroshima Prefecture of Japan.Martha Barreno/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In the 19th century, Hiroshima became the Hiroshima prefecture during the Edo period and was established as a city in 1889.

A police officer scans the street by the Atomic Bomb Dome memorial in Hiroshima.Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

For a brief moment, Hiroshima served as the provisional capital in 1895 during the Sino-Japanese War.

Itsukushima Shrine on Myajima Island in Hiroshima, Japan.Jose-Fuste RAGA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb is estimated to have killed between 90,000 and 166,000 people in the four months after the initial explosion.

An aerial photograph of Hiroshima shortly after the "Little Boy" atomic bomb was dropped in 1945Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb is estimated to have killed between 90,000 and 166,000 people in the four months after the initial explosion.

After the bomb was dropped, the ruins of the Museum of Science and Technology were one of the only buildings left standing.

The wrecked framework of the Museum of Science and Industry as it appeared shortly after the blast.Getty Images

The site of the museum now serves as the site of the Peace Memorial Park of Hiroshima City.

Paper lanterns on the river in front of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

In June 2023, more than 75 years after the acts of violence in Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, the US and Japanese governments signed a sister park agreement.

A side by side of the Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor memorials.Left: David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Right: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

7 ways the monarchy has changed under King Charles III

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

How Hiroshima, formerly a humble castle town, and Pearl Harbor, once an ancient Hawaiian fishing spot, went from WWII-era enemies to being united as sister parks to promote peace

Pearl Harbor was initially a fishing and diving area called Wai Momi, which translates to "Water of Pearl" in ancient Hawaiian.

Because Pearl Harbor was originally blocked by coral reefs, it was impossible to use as a port.

The US gained exclusive rights to Pearl Harbor in 1887.

However, it wasn't until the Spanish-American War that the US Navy realized the importance of Pearl Harbor.

In 1902, the channel for the entrance to Pearl Harbor was dredged, deepened, and widened to create the entrance for Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor officially became a Naval base in 1908, but the first large armored ship didn't enter and anchor there until the USS California in 1911.

Thirty years after the first ship crossed into Pearl Harbor, it was bombed by Japanese pilots on December 7, 1941.

The attack killed 2,403 people and destroyed or damaged 19 US Navy ships.

In place of the sunken USS Arizona now stands a memorial commemorating the sunken ship and Pearl Harbor.

Hiroshima began as a castle town surrounded by inner and outer moats.

In the 19th century, Hiroshima became the Hiroshima prefecture during the Edo period and was established as a city in 1889.

For a brief moment, Hiroshima served as the provisional capital in 1895 during the Sino-Japanese War.

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb is estimated to have killed between 90,000 and 166,000 people in the four months after the initial explosion.

After the bomb was dropped, the ruins of the Museum of Science and Technology were one of the only buildings left standing.

The site of the museum now serves as the site of the Peace Memorial Park of Hiroshima City.

In June 2023, more than 75 years after the acts of violence in Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, the US and Japanese governments signed a sister park agreement.