Most of the memorials related to the atomic bomb are in and around the Peace Memorial Park (平和公園 Heiwa-kōen) , reachable by tram line 2 or 6 to Genbaku Dome-mae. Coming from JR Hiroshima Station, you'll see the Peace Park on your left just before crossing the T-shaped Aioi Bridge, which is thought to have been the target of the bomb.
Once part of the busy Nakajima merchant district, this area was destroyed almost in its entirety by the bomb. Today, there are more than fifty memorials, statues, and other structures in the Park. Some will be obscure in their meaning; others are immediate and devastating. There is no entry fee, save for the Peace Memorial Museum, and access to the grounds is not restricted at night.
The skeletal remains of the A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム Genbaku Dōmu) are the most recognizable symbol of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. In another lifetime, the building was one of the city's best-known sights for an entirely different reason; designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel in 1915, the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall (and its fanciful green dome) had a bold European style in a grimy, crowded city with few modern flourishes. Because the explosion took place almost directly above the building, the walls remained largely intact, even as the dome shattered and the people inside were killed by the heat of the blast. Initially, as the city rebuilt, it was left alone simply because it was more difficult to demolish than other remains in the area; gradually, the A-Bomb Dome became the symbol it is today. The "Hiroshima Peace Memorial" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996 amid some controversy ? the United States and China both voted against the nomination for reasons related to the war. Today, the benches around the Dome are a favorite spot for Hiroshima natives to read, eat lunch, or simply relax.
One block east of the A-Bomb Dome (outside Shima Clinic) is a plaque which marks the hypocenter, the exact point above which the bomb exploded.
Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students
The Children's Peace Monument (原爆の子の像 Genbaku no ko no zou) is perennially draped in thousands of origami paper cranes folded by schoolchildren across Japan in the memory of the young bomb victim Sadako Sasaki (see Literature).
The Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students commemorates the 6,300 students who were conscripted to work in munitions factories and killed in the atomic bomb. There are statues of doves scattered throughout its five levels; at the base is a beautiful Kannon statue, always draped with origami cranes.
Tens of thousands of forced laborers from Korea were working in Hiroshima at the time of the attack. But the Monument in Memory of the Korean Victims of the A-Bomb was erected outside the Peace Park in 1970, and only moved within its boundaries in 1999. Today, the turtle at the base of the monument ? symbolically carrying the dead to the afterlife ? tends to be draped in his fair share of colorful origami cranes and flowers.
The Peace Bell is engraved with a world map, drawn without borders to symbolize unity. The public are welcomed to ring the bell ? not coincidentally, the log is aimed to strike an atomic symbol. (Ring the bell gently, so as not to damage it.)
The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound holds the ashes of 70,000 bomb victims who were unidentified or had no living relatives to claim them. Services are held in their memory on the 6th of every month.
The Rest House was known as the Taishoya Kimono Shop at the time of the explosion. Only one employee, who was in the basement at the time, survived. However, the reinforced concrete building stayed mostly intact. (The interior has been entirely refurbished, but the preserved basement is possible to visit with advance request.) Today, it holds a gift shop, some vending machines, a helpful tourist information office, and ? as the name would suggest ? a place to rest.
Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims
Inside the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims is a stone chest with a registry that is intended to contain the names of every known person who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality. (Names are added as hibakusha pass away from diseases thought related to the radiation of the bomb.) The Japanese inscription reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." Note how the arch frames the A-Bomb Dome in the distance.
At the other end of the pond from the Cenotaph is the Flame of Peace (平和の灯). It is said that the fire will burn until the last nuclear weapon is gone from the earth.
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, 1-6 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, ☎ +81 082-543-6271, . Mar-Jul 8:30AM-6PM, Aug 8:30AM-7PM, Sep-Nov 8:30AM-6PM, Dec-Feb 8:30AM-5PM, closed Dec 29-Jan 1. The Peace Memorial Hall is dedicated to collecting names and photographs of people who died in the blast. The entrance of the museum leads downward to a quiet hall for contemplation, and then back up again to a set of kiosks with compelling stories and recollections from survivors (in English and Japanese). Like the Cenotaph and the Peace Memorial Museum, it was designed by architect Kenzo Tange.Free. �
Peace Memorial Museum (平和記念資料館 Heiwa Kinen Shiryōkan), 1-2 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, ☎ +81 082-242-7798, . Mar-Jul 8:30AM-6PM, Aug 8:30AM-7PM, Sep-Nov 8:30AM-6PM, Dec-Feb 8:30AM-5PM, closed Dec 29-Jan 1. This heart-wrenching museum documents the atomic bomb and its aftermath, from scale models of the city "before" and "after" to melted tricycles and other displays and artifacts related to the blast. Some are extremely graphic, evocative, and quite disturbing. The rest of the museum describes the post-war struggles of the hibakusha and an appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world today. Be warned: a visit here, while absolutely worthwhile, will ruin your day. Allow plenty of time afterward to decompress.¥50 adults, ¥30 students and children, audio guides cost extra. �
International Conference Center, 1-5 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, ☎ +81 082-242-7777, . 9AM-9PM daily. At the south end of the Peace Park, this complex of buildings has an International Exchange Lounge with English-language publications and city information; it also has the Restaurant Serenade (☎ +81 082-240-7887, 10AM-7PM). �
The Statue of Mother and Child in the Storm, completed in 1960 by artist Shin Hongo, is among the most powerful works of art created in response to the atomic bomb. It depicts a woman shielding her child from the black rain. It's in front of the Fountain of Prayer just south of the Peace Memorial Museum.
The Gates of Peace were installed in 2005 on Heiwa-o-dori, just south of the Peace Park, by a pair of French artists. On the sidewalk and the surface of the gates, the word "peace" is written in 49 languages. The ten gates are meant to represent the nine circles of hell from Dante's Inferno, plus a new one: the hell created by the atomic bombing.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Hiroshima
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Hiroshima - updated May 2024
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