June 14, 2015

HIROSHIMA--An inspirational symbol, one of the few remaining streetcars that survived the August 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima has been repainted its original gray and blue colors to mark the 70th anniversary of the world’s first use of a nuclear weapon.

As it departed JR Hiroshima Station for its maiden trip after restoration on time at 10:30 a.m. on June 13, local residents and train buffs trained their cameras on the train.

One of the passengers, Shoichi Kato, a 22-year-old student of Hiroshima University, said that the "A-bomb trains" are precious assets of the city.

“They must be preserved for future generations,” he said.