The Hiroshima Municipal Government plans to reinforce the Hiroshima Peace Memorial to prevent any damage from earthquakes, city sources said Friday.
The memorial, also known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, a symbol of the August 1945 atomic bombing of the city, was the only structure left standing in the area. It is designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The city will earmark funds for the project in its budget for fiscal 2014 from April and plans to start work in or after fiscal 2015.
It will be the first time work has been undertaken to safeguard the monument against quakes. Past reinforcements — in 1967 and 1989 — were limited to filling cracks in the walls with bonding resin.
