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Peace Memorial Park

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is dedicated to a hope for lasting world peace. Now a tranquil, spacious refuge at the center of Hiroshima City, this was a busy commercial and residential downtown area until the atomic bomb razed everything. After World War II, famed Japanese architect Kenzo Tange's design turned the land into the Peace Memorial Park. Its buildings and monuments commemorate those who perished and express prayers for peace.

Most famously, it contains the A-Bomb Dome, symbol of the "peace city," Hiroshima. Originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, it was located only around 160 meters from the hypocenter. All those inside the building died in the blast. However, the building itself was not destroyed completely because the atomic bomb exploded in midair almost directly above it, allowing the vertical columns to bear the direct downward blast without totally collapsing. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum gives people an opportunity to learn the consequences of the A-bomb attack through photographs, panels, videos, artefacts and panorama models showing Hiroshima before and after the bomb attack.