The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is dedicated to documenting and displaying the tragic events of the atomic bombing the city endured in 1945, as well as promoting a message of peace. Opened in 1955, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum aims to explain the atomic bomb’s political, historical and social impact, offering insight into the horror of the event through personal stories, victim’s artifacts and scientific recordings. The museum’s overwhelming message, however, is a plea for international peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons all over the world.
The modern building was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange as a major section of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Begin your visit to the museum at the building’s main western section, which has a focus on the damage caused by the bomb. Both civic damage and human suffering are poignantly observed through displays of clothing and personal effects that belonged to victims. Note the extent of the damage on different materials, including stone and metal. Learn about the damage caused by the aftermath of the blast, including the poisonous irradiated black rain that fell on survivors. One section focuses on the catastrophic effects radiation has had on the community, which continues to this day.
The newer, eastern section of the museum presents the political and historical sphere of the bombing through picture panels, atomic bomb survivor interviews, informative text and testimonials by leading figures on the devastating impacts of nuclear weapons. This section makes an international appeal for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is located at the southern end of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The museum is open daily until the early evening and has an admission fee. Brochures in several different languages are provided upon arrival. The nearest tram stations are Genbaku Dome-Mae and Heiwa Kinen Koen.
Discovering the extent of human suffering experienced as a result of the bomb may be very difficult to endure, but this museum marks an important site for Hiroshima’s remembrance, resilience and mission not to let nuclear disaster happen again. Allow yourself plenty of time to explore the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and to decompress your experience at the site.
