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Hoaxes and Urban Legends: Hiroshima 64 years later (is actually Yokohama)

A chain letter has been making the rounds that compares old pictures showing the devastation of Hiroshima by the 1945 atomic bombing with colorful night time pictures claiming to show it's current state. The same pictures and text have been republished on numerous blogs and personal websites.

The truth is, the email is a blatant fake. The set of 10 current pictures does not show Hiroshima at all. The pictures were taken in Yokohama, a wealthy port city near Tokyo, some 670 km (420 miles) east of Hiroshima. Specifically, the pictures show the Minato Mirai 21 district, which is a part of Yokohama harbour redeveloped as a tourist attraction. It's one of the main sights of Yokohama, after Yokohama Chinatown, which is not far from it. For example, the second pictures shows the Minato Mirai ferris wheel and the Yokohama World Porters shopping mall to its right. The building with the rounded roof shape to its left, across the bridge is the Yokohama Grand Intercontinental Hotel. Based on the angle, the picture was most likely taken from the "Sky Garden" viewing platform on the 69th floor of Landmark Tower, the highest building in Yokohama, which is the tallest of the skyscrapers on the ninth picture.

I can't even begin to understand why someone would fabricate such a blatant fake. It's a bit like contrasting pictures of Pearl Harbour in 1941 with shots of Las Vegas in 2009, claiming it was the same city (I know it's not a good comparison because of what happened there, but I can't think of a better analogy right now).

Please review:

Known email hoaxes:
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The "809" area code hoax
The burned baby hoax
Amy Bruce / Make A Wish hoax
The "Invitation" virus hoax
The "Life is beautiful" virus hoax
The Oliver North / Osama bin Ladin / Al Gore hoax
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Sheryl Crow / John Hopkins Cancer update about plastic bottles
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Missing child - Regina George Muñoz
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Hiroshima 64 years later (is actually Yokohama)
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Missing child - Regina George Muñoz
Papaya Juice - (NOT!) A Cure for Dengue
Hiroshima 64 years later (is actually Yokohama)
Lou Dobbs video on Immigration/Amnesty bill (dead since 2007)

One version of the chain letter:


THESE PICTURES ARE VISUALLY EXTRAORDINARY

HIROSHIMA 64 YRS LATER...

Hiroshima, Nagasaki?

1945

We all know that Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed in August 1945 after explosion of atomic bombs.

However we know less about the progress made by the people of that land during the past 62 years.

Here are some photos...

HIROSHIMA THE COLORFUL CITY

Now

Hard to believe isn't it???

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