Why go
A careful account of 1945 gives context to the Peace Memorial Museum, the Atomic Bomb Dome and the memorials around the park. It also keeps the people affected in view. The preserved sites and survivor testimony explain more than a single date or casualty estimate can convey.
The full story
During World War II, Hiroshima housed army headquarters, military stores and shipping facilities linked to Ujina port. Children were among those mobilized to clear buildings for firebreaks against possible air raids. At 8:15 a.m. on 6 August 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb over the city. The blast, fires and radiation killed many people and destroyed much of central Hiroshima. Its effects continued long after that morning. The former commercial exhibition hall survived as a damaged shell and became the Atomic Bomb Dome. Peace Memorial Park occupies part of the former Nakajima district, where homes and businesses had stood. At the museum and memorial hall, photographs, names and personal accounts bring the history back to individuals. Allow time to read them rather than treating the surviving buildings as a quick photo stop.