Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The Peace Memorial Museum’s main purpose is to sustain the memory of the events of August 6th, 1945. In meeting that purpose, it features exhibits educating visitors about the buildup to the war and the development of nuclear weapons, the city both before and in the days following the atomic bombing, and the continuing threat of nuclear warfare. The museum, though it has not been without controversy, strives to be even-handed in its presentation of the material it treats. It’s an important stop on any first trip to Hiroshima, of course, but be warned that exhibits of melted children’s toys and elementary school uniforms burned to rags may necessitate some recovery time. It’s well worth renting one of the audio tours, available in 17 languages.

If you happen to be in Hiroshima on the August 6th anniversary of the bombing, you’ll hear a siren sound at 8:15 a.m, the precise time the bomb detonated. This is the signal for a moment of silence, and you may see people fold their hands briefly in prayer. On the evening of the 6th, a memorial service is held at Peace Park, in which 10,000 paper lanterns are released in memory of the dead on the waters of the Motoyasugawa River, which bounds the park to the east.

Matt Mangham

Bus
Hiroshima Station====(Hiroden bus (green bus No. 3, 4, or 6), 15min.)====Hondori=====(on foot, 15min.)====Peace Memorial Museum

Streetcar
Hiroshima Station====(No. 2, or 6), 20 min.)====Genbaku Dome Mae (A-bomb dome)=====(on foot, 10min.)====Peace Memorial Museum

March - November: 8:30 - 18:00 （August: 8:30 - 19:00） , December - February: 8:30 - 17:00, Holidays: December 29th - January 1st

Adult（College students or older）50 yen
Elementary, Junior high, and High school students: 30 yen

Peace Memorial Park: http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/