Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

A place for learning about the war and the atomic bomb, and for contemplating on peace

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Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is a place filled with people’s prayer for peace. The park is situated on the opposite side of the river from the Atomic Bomb Dome. Praying for eternal world peace, this park was established near the hypocenter of the atomic bomb explosion.
Address
1 Nakajimacho, Naka-ku Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima
Phone
(082) 504-2390

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Peace Memorial Park is located near the hypocenter

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is on the opposite side of the Atomic Bomb Dome across a river. Praying for eternal world peace, this park was established near the hypocenter of the atomic bomb explosion. A large number of monuments to the atomic bomb victims and peace monuments are set up in the vast grounds of the park. The monument at the center of the park dedicated to the atomic bomb victims is shaped in a form of a house to protect the souls of the victims from rain and wind. When looked at from the front, you can see the Atomic Bomb Dome in the distance just under the “roof” of this house-shaped monument. The engraving on the stone plate inside this monument reads “Please rest in peace; for we shall never repeat the error.” The rock chamber in the center contains 107 booklets that list the names of atomic bomb victims (292,325 people).

The Bell of Peace is used annually at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony

The model for the girl of the Children’s Peace Monument is Sadako Sasaki who had been exposed to the atomic bomb radiation at the age of 2 and died of leukemia at the age of 12. Prompted by the suggestion of a young man who found out about Sadako’s death from a newspaper article, funds were raised and this monument was built to commemorate the souls of the children who lost their lives due to the atomic bomb. The Bell of Peace built in the park in 1964 is used every year at the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony held on August 6. Also, it has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 sound-related spots people wish to preserve for future generations. In addition to the annual ringing of this bell, a chime is played every morning at the park at 8:15, the time when the atomic bomb was dropped. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is also located in this park. This museum collects and displays the belongings of the atomic bomb victims as well as images and materials that depict the horrors caused by the bomb.

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Reviews

8 years ago
Peaceful. Serene.
Hiroshima peace park is a very beautiful park. Like the name implies, the park is very peaceful despite heavy pedestrian traffic from tourists and school groups. Like the A-Bomb Dome and the Museum. This is one of the must-see sights of Hiroshima. There are many lovely statues and memorials within the park. All paying respect to different things, some are decorated with colorful origami cranes. Its a very heavy, but at the same time, lovely place. If history is not really your thing, or all the war memorials make you too sad, the park is always good for a stroll or to relax.
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8 years ago
Heartbreaking
The wander through Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is hard to put into words. Sadness engulfs the area, and a strange aura exists seventy years after the atomic bomb was dropped. A reminder of suffering, a memorial for the dead, and a strange overwhelming calm shimmers across the park. I visited with a friend, and neither of us spoke as we walked around. Buddhist monks were chanting close to the epicentre, and everyone walked with sombre expressions.
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