Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was established not far from the center of the nuclear explosion on August 6, 1945, and about 70 monuments are located here, like the cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims and Children's Peace Monument. Beyond that, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims show rich documents and videos about the victims of nuclear explosion.

Must-sees in Peace Memorial Park

1. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The museum was established in 1955, ten years after the nuclear explosion, and it contains two buildings, the main building and the east building.

The main building displays a large number of victims' belongings, like clothes, meal boxes, cups, school badges, bags, and wallets. What’s more, you can learn all kinds of damages caused by nuclear explosions, such as photothermal radiation damage, shock wave damage, and radiation damage. Furthermore, the daily lives of survivors of the nuclear explosion are presented here.

The east building has three floors and a basement. Free exhibitions are held on the basement floor. The second floor and third floors show the history of Hiroshima and indicate the danger of nuclear weapons. Besides, the third floor hosts a video area that plays the actual sound of the victims.

The museum provides about 70-minute audio guide service in English to help you know about different exhibitions. You can rent it at the Rental Counter on the first floor of the East Building, and the rental fee is 400 yen.

Opening Time

Months	Time
March to July; September to November	7:30 – 19:00
August	7:30 – 20:00
December to February	7:30 – 18:00

Notes:
On August 5th and 6th, the museum will close at 21:00.
Closed Days: December 30th – 31st and three days in the middle of February.

Ticket
Under 65 years old: 200 yen;
Over 65 years old: 100 yen.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

East Building of the Museum

2. Children's Peace Monument

It is a statue of a girl holding a thousand paper cranes, and it was established to memorize a 12-year-old girl named Sadako Sasaki, who suffered from leukemia due to nuclear radiation. Sadako Sasaki experienced a nuclear explosion when she was two years old, and she was diagnosed with leukemia nine years later. The girl believed that if she had a thousand paper cranes, she could be cured. However, she still left the world eight months after being diagnosed with leukemia. You can see countless paper cranes hanging around the statue.

Children’s Peace Monument

A Monument in Hiroshima Peace Memorial

3. Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims

The monument was designed in the form of an arch in order to protect the souls of the victims of the atomic bombing from the rain. There is a stone room under the monument, which stores a list of about 300,000 victims. The words "Rest in peace. Mistakes will not be repeated." were printed on it. Standing in the front of the cenotaph, you are able to see the Atomic Bomb Dome behind.

Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims

One of Monuments in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

4. Peace Bell

When walking in the park, you can hear the sound of the bell. The surface of the Peace Bell is a borderless map of the world, which symbolizes the world is whole. You also can try to knock on the bell to listen to the sound standing for peace.

Peace Bell

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall

5. Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims

The hall was established to record and memorize victims of nuclear explosion, and you can see the images and names of these victims. On the first basement level, the hall will host special exhibitions featuring 30-minute videos about nuclear explosion with English subtitles.

Opening Time:

Months	Time
March 1-July 31; September 1-November 30	8:30-18:00
August 1-August 31	8:30-19:00
December 1 - Last day of February	8:30-17:00

Notes:
1. Open until 20:00 on August 5th and 6th.
2. Closing Days: December 30th, December 31st.

Ticket: free

How to Get to Peace Memorial Park

From JR Hiroshima Station

You can take the city bus, like Maple Loop Line, No.24 Bus, No.25, and No.101, and get off at Peace Memorial Park, which takes about 15 minutes. Or you can walk here, which takes about 30 minutes.

From Hiroshima Airport

You can take the airport bus, and get off at Hiroshima Bus Center, then walk for about 8 minutes. The single way takes about 75 minutes.

Adjacent Attractions to Visit

1. Atomic Bomb Dome was the sole building that survived in the nuclear explosion center, and it reflects the strong destructive power of nuclear weapons. Almost no concrete remains on the roof of the building, except for a circular support. Besides, looking carefully on the reinforcing steel bar of the building, you can find some birds standing here.

2. Hondori Street is adjacent to Peace Memorial Park, where you can find over 200 stores here. The street is about 577 meters (631 yards) long and 9 meters (9.8 yards) wide, hosting varied department stores, supermarkets, large mass retailers, and restaurants. You can taste delicious Hiroshima okonomiyaki, fresh oysters, and gourmet ramen.

See more: