Peace Park & A-Bomb Dome

Peace Memorial Park lies between two rivers like a defiant statement reminding visitors of life after Hiroshima’s tragic bombing. Refreshingly atmospheric and vividly verdant, it is everything opposite of death. Its central monument is the illuminated Pond of Peace, stretching from one end to the other. The austere style of the cenotaph anchors the walk, bearing the names of all the recorded victims of the bomb. If you look through it, you will see that it embraces the Flame of Peace and the A-Bomb Dome, which poses as an iconic photographic shot.

Further along the pond, the statue of the Flame of Peace strikes visitors with heavy and heart-wrenching symbolism. Ever since it was lit in 1964, the flame has burnt without interruption, to be distinguished only when the world is purified of all the nuclear weapons. It seems a remote possibility today; still, the monument does a good job instilling hope in its spectators. Several other monuments, such as the Children’s Peace Monument and the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound, tell equally piercing stories of the bombing. Your walk in the park will not be a peaceful one. However, this is the best place to understand the weight of war and take it all in.

The destruction of the atomic bomb is embodied in a single stark body at the A-Bomb Dome. Formerly the Industrial Promotion Hall of the prefecture, it now sits at the other side of the Peace Memorial Park with its unabashed wracked state. It is one of the few buildings that remain standing in such proximity to the hypocenter of the explosion. As a national memorial monument, it signifies the collective tragedy faced by the nation and humanity. Its symbolic significance has earned it ranks among UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.