Hiroshima Peace Memorial

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, is the skeletal ruin of a building left standing almost beneath the atomic bomb dropped on the city in August 1945. Preserved as it stood after the blast, it is the centrepiece of the Peace Memorial Park and its museum and a memorial to the people who died; UNESCO, which lists it, describes it as a symbol of the hope for world peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

What you'll find

• The Atomic Bomb Dome - the preserved skeletal ruin near the hypocentre.
• The Peace Memorial Museum - the museum of the bombing and its victims.
• The Cenotaph and eternal flame - the memorial arch and flame in the park.
• The Children's Peace Monument - the memorial hung with paper cranes.

When to go

Year-round; the park is open at all times and the dome is floodlit at night. The anniversary on 6 August brings a memorial ceremony and lantern floating.

Things to know

It is a place of mourning, and the museum shows the effects of the bomb directly; some exhibits are distressing, especially for children.

Nearby

The floating shrine of Miyajima is a short train and ferry away; the city of Hiroshima surrounds the park.

Key facts