Hiroshima is a traditional center of the Chugoku region and was the seat of the Mori clan until the Battle of Sekigahara.
On March 22, 2005, the town of Daiwa from the former Kamo District (dissolved by this action), the town of Kui from Mitsugi District, and the town of Hongo from Toyota District merged into the expanded city of Mihara.
Hiroshima's main industries include automobiles (Mazda is headquartered in Hiroshima Prefecture) and shipbuilding (Kure was one of the main naval bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy and remains a major commercial yard).