The Chūgoku region (Japanese: 中国地方, Hepburn: Chūgoku-chihō; [tɕɯꜜː.ɡo.kɯ, -ŋo.kɯ, tɕɯː.ɡo.kɯ̥ tɕiꜜ.hoː, -ŋo.kɯ̥-]), also known as the San'in-San'yō (山陰山陽地方, San'in-San'yō-chihō) region, is the westernmost region of Honshū, the largest island of Japan. It consists of the prefectures of Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, Tottori and Yamaguchi. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 7,328,339.
Hiroshima (広島市, Hiroshima-shi; English: /ˌhɪroʊˈʃiːmə/, also UK: /hɪˈrɒʃɪmə/, US: /hɪˈroʊʃɪmə/, Japanese: [çiɾoɕima] ) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. As of June 1, 2019, the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has been the city's mayor since April 2011. The Hiroshima metropolitan area is the second largest urban area in the Chugoku Region of Japan, following the Okayama metropolitan area.
Hiroshima was founded in 1589 as a castle town on the Ōta River delta. Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Hiroshima rapidly transformed into a major urban center and industrial hub. In 1889, Hiroshima officially gained city status. The city was a center of military activities during the imperial era, playing significant roles such as in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the two world wars.