Hiroshima Sights: Peace Memorial Park

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A-Bomb Dome

Most of the memorials related to the atomic bomb are in and around the Peace Memorial Park (平和公園 Heiwa-kōen) www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html, reachable by tram line 2 or 6 to Genbaku Dome-mae (this is clearly marked on the JR Hiroshima Station signs). Coming from JR Hiroshima Station, you'll see the Peace Park on your left just before crossing the T-shaped Aioi Bridge, which is thought to have been the target of the bomb.

Once part of the busy Nakajima merchant district, this area was destroyed almost in its entirety by the bomb. Today, there are more than fifty memorials, statues, and other structures in the Park. Some will be obscure in their meaning; others are immediate and devastating. There is no entry fee, save for the Peace Memorial Museum, and access to the grounds is not restricted at night.

• The skeletal remains of the A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドー� Genbaku Dōmu) are the most recognizable symbol of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. In another lifetime, the building was one of the city's best-known sights for an entirely different reason; designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel in 1915, the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall (and its fanciful green dome) had a bold European style in a grimy, crowded city with few modern flourishes. Because the explosion took place almost directly above the building, the walls remained largely intact, even as the dome shattered and the people inside were killed by the heat of the blast. Initially, as the city rebuilt, it was left alone simply because it was more difficult to demolish than other remains in the area; gradually, the A-Bomb Dome became the symbol it is today. The "Hiroshima Peace Memorial" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996 amid some controversy — the United States and China both voted against the nomination for reasons related to the war. Today, the benches around the Dome are a favorite spot for Hiroshima natives to read, eat lunch, or simply relax.

• One block east of the A-Bomb Dome (outside Shima Clinic) is a plaque which marks the Hypocenter, the exact point above which the bomb exploded.

Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students

• The Children's Peace Monument is perennially draped in thousands of origami paper cranes folded by schoolchildren across Japan in the memory of the young bomb victim Sadako Sasaki (see Literature).

• The Memorial Tower to the Mobilized Students commemorates the 6,300 students who were conscripted to work in munitions factories and killed in the atomic bomb. There are statues of doves scattered throughout its five levels; at the base is a beautiful Kannon statue, always draped with origami cranes.

• Tens of thousands of forced laborers from Korea were working in Hiroshima at the time of the attack. But the Monument in Memory of the Korean Victims of the A-Bomb was erected outside the Peace Park in 1970, and only moved within its boundaries in 1999. Today, the turtle at the base of the monument — symbolically carrying the dead to the afterlife — tends to be draped in his fair share of colorful origami cranes and flowers.

• The Peace Bell is engraved with a world map, drawn without borders to symbolize unity. The public are welcomed to ring the bell — not subtly, the log is aimed to strike an atomic symbol.

• The Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound holds the ashes of 70,000 bomb victims who were unidentified or had no living relatives to claim them. Services are held in their memory on the 6th of every month.

• The Rest House was known as the Taishoya Kimono Shop at the time of the explosion. Only one employee, who was in the basement at the time, survived. However, the reinforced concrete building stayed mostly intact. (The interior has been entirely refurbished, but the preserved basement is possible to visit with advance request.) Today, it holds a gift shop, some vending machines, a helpful tourist information office, and — as the name would suggest — a place to rest.

Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims

• Inside the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims is a stone chest with a registry that is intended to contain the names of every known person who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality. (Names are added as hibakusha pass away from diseases thought related to the radiation of the bomb.) The Japanese inscription reads, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." Note how the arch frames the A-Bomb Dome in the distance.

• At the other end of the pond from the Cenotaph is the Flame of Peace. It is said that the fire will burn until the last nuclear weapon is gone from the earth.

• Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, 1-6 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, ☎ +81 082-543-6271, www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/english. 8:30AM-6PM March-July, Sep-Nov; Dec-Feb to 5PM, Aug to 7PM, closed 12/29-1/1. The Peace Memorial Hall is dedicated to collecting names and photographs of people who died in the blast. The entrance of the museum leads downward to a quiet hall for contemplation, and then back up again to a set of kiosks with compelling stories and recollections from survivors (in English and Japanese). Like the Cenotaph and the Peace Memorial Museum, it was designed by architect Kenzo Tange. Free.

• Peace Memorial Museum (平和記念資料館 Heiwa Kinen Shiryōkan), 1-2 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, ☎ +81 082-242-7798, www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html. 8:30AM-6PM March-Nov, to 5PM Dec-Feb, to 7PM Aug, closed 12/29-1/1. This heart-wrenching museum documents the atomic bomb and its aftermath, from scale models of the city "before" and "after" to melted tricycles and other displays and artifacts related to the blast. Some are extremely graphic, evocative, and quite disturbing. The rest of the museum describes the post-war struggles of the hibakusha and an appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons in the world today. Be warned: a visit here, while absolutely worthwhile, will ruin your day. Allow plenty of time afterward to decompress. Entry costs a token ¥50 adults, ¥30 school students/kids; audio guides are available for an additional donation.

• International Conference Center, 1-5 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, ☎ +81 082-242-7777, www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/icch/english.html. 9AM-9PM daily. At the south end of the Peace Park, this complex of buildings has an International Exchange Lounge with English-language publications and city information; it also has the Restaurant Serenade (☎ +81 082-240-7887, 10AM-7PM).

• The Statue of Mother and Child in the Storm, completed in 1960 by artist Shin Hongo, is among the most powerful works of art created in response to the atomic bomb. It depicts a woman shielding her child from the black rain. It's in front of the Fountain of Prayer just south of the Peace Memorial Museum.

• The Gates of Peace were installed in 2005 on Heiwa-o-dori, just south of the Peace Park, by a pair of French artists. On the sidewalk and the surface of the gates, the word "peace" is written in 49 languages. The ten gates are meant to represent the nine circles of hell from Dante's Inferno, plus a new one: the hell created by the atomic bombing.

• As you explore the city and outskirts, keep an eye out for maroon-colored marble historical markers such as the one outside the A-Bomb Dome or the one marking the Hypocenter, which have photographs and text in both Japanese and English. You'll come across markers as far as a few miles away from the Peace Park — which lends perspective to the distance and extent of the damage.

• Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum (本川小学校平和資料館), 1-5-39 Honkawa-cho, Naka-ku (Genbaku Dome-mae tram stop), ☎ +81 082-291−3396, www.honkawa-e.edu.city.hiroshima.jp/peace/peacetop.htm. Open during school hours. Of the more than 400 students and teachers who were in the school when the bomb exploded, only one student and one teacher survived. After a new school was built, this section of the original structure was kept as a museum, housing a small collection of photos and artifacts. Free.

• Fukuro-machi Elementary School Museum (袋町小学校平和資料館), 6-36 Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku (Fukuro-machi tram stop), ☎ +81 082-541-5345, www.fukuromachi-e.edu.city.hiroshima.jp/shiryoukan-index.htm. 9AM-5PM daily. Like Honkawa, part of the original school building that remained standing after the atomic bomb has been converted into a museum. In the days after the explosion, survivors used the school's chalk to leave messages for lost friends and family members on its blackened walls. Free.

• After the A-Bomb Dome, the former Bank of Japan at 5-16 Fukuro-machi, Naka-ku (Fukuro-machi tram stop) is the best-known pre-bomb structure in Hiroshima. Built in 1936, the city's main branch of the Nippon Ginko was only 380 meters from the hypocenter; although its exterior remained intact, all 42 people inside the bank were killed by the heat of the blast. Remarkably, the bank was back in service only two days after the bomb and continued operation until 1992, when it was acquired by the city. Occasional art exhibitions are now held there. Hours of access are irregular, but it's worth stopping by to check.

• Somewhat incongruously, the 1925 Hiroshima Mitsui Bank at 7-1 Hon-dori, Naka-ku (Hon-dori tram stop) also survived the blast, and now serves as home of a busy Andersen Bakery. The ground-level renovations and the ceiling of the Hon-dori arcade combine to obscure its age, but there's a historical marker on the corner. Stepping out of Hon-dori to the side street gives a better view of the building — and how the city rebuilt around it.

• There is a fascinating, little-known pre-bomb house on the outskirts of Hijiyama Park. Walk up toward the park on the street branching upward from the Hijiyamashita tram stop. You'll see a temple on your left with a historical marker out front. Just past the temple is a set of stone steps, leading up to a small house and explanatory plaque. (Notice the vane at the top of the house, warped from the heat of the bomb.) Please note that while visitors are welcome in the front yard, the rest of the area is private property, including the house itself.

• From the Shinkansen side of JR Hiroshima Station, you'll see an enigmatic silver tower on Futaba-yama, the mountain ahead. That's the Peace Pagoda (Busshari-to), built in 1966 in memory of those killed by the atomic bomb. To reach it, simply head uphill on the main street facing away from the station. You'll pass through a quiet, pleasant neighborhood of cafes and hillside houses, climb steps, and eventually reach Toshogu Shrine. Follow the road around the shrine and you'll reach the red lanterns and torii of Kinko Inari Shrine. Head through the gates and up the steps to reach the Peace Pagoda. It's an even more impressive sight from the top of the mountain; inside the Pagoda are two gifts containing ashes of the Buddha, which were a gift to Hiroshima from India and a group of Mongolian Buddhists, along with thousands of prayer stones. You'll also be able to see the whole jumble of the city below.

• Korakuen, 139 km (87 miles)

• www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html
• www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/english
• www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/top_e.html
• www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/icch/english.html
• www.honkawa-e.edu.city.hiroshima.jp/peace/peacetop.htm
• www.fukuromachi-e.edu.city.hiroshima.jp/shiryoukan-index.htm