Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall — Attraction in Hiroshima

This is one of the memorials in Hiroshima that is easily missed when you are visiting the area.

The remembrance hall is not to be confused with the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Museum, the modern multi-storey building at the end of the Pond of Peace. The Memorial Hall is in the gardens to the side of the Pond of Peace. At ground level there is a curved marble wall with a small, grassed courtyard and pond behind it - the centre of which is a raised glass skylight. The entrance itself is set down below ground level and you can either take a glass elevator or the stairs to get to the atrium entrance.

The Memorial Hall is free to visit and is open between 8:30am and 6:00pm. Because it is not as well-known it is not as busy or noisy as the Peace Museum. I found it was more moving because of the silence and lack of people - more time to reflect. The Memorial Hall is all about quietly remembering the thousands of people who died that day. Walking down the gently sloping ramp to the circular memorial hall gave me time to reflect. The walls on the large circular hall provide a 360-degree panorama of the cityscape after the atomic bombing and the monument in the centre represents the time of the atomic bombing, 8:15 am. It is such a simple and stark reminder.

Going back up there is large monitor screen in the portrait corner, which displays the names and images of all of the victims. The Memorial Hall also has a testimonial reading room, which houses more than 140,000 A-bomb testimonials and memorials from the victims and their families. They also have a special exhibition room, which displays experiences of the atomic bomb based on specific themes (which when we visited was about the Akatsuki Corps, children that were recruited and trained to be suicide boat captains, who after the atomic bomb explosion were redeployed in the rescue and recovery mission.

I would thoroughly recommend visiting here after going to Peace Museum as it provides you with a tranquil space to contemplate the enormity of the impact that the detonation of the atomic bomb had on the people...

This memorial hall is beautifully designed and leaves a deep emotional impact. Located within Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, it was completed in 2002 as a national tribute to those who lost their lives in the atomic bombing of, 1945.

The architecture is circular and impressive to represent harmony and unity, guiding visitors into a quiet, contemplative space below ground level. As you descend, the environment becomes silent and solemn. The central Hall of Remembrance is powerful, featuring a 360-degree panorama created from tiles that depict Hiroshima just after the bombing, based on photographs taken from the hypocenter.

At the center is a water basin meant to symbolize the countless victims who died crying out for water. The entire space encourages reflection and remembrance without the need for words.

Surrounding the main chamber are digital displays and a library preserving names, photographs, and personal records of victims. It’s a place not just of mourning, but of resolve, to ensure such tragedies never happen again.

This is a must-visit...

I guess history isn't taught much anymore. It seems many people have either never learned why US President Harry S. Truman ordered the two atomic bombs dropped on Japanese cities. Japan was loosing the war. The Emperor of Japan was defiant and would not let his nation surrender hostility and declare defeat. He swore and demanded every Japanese would fight to the death.... with bamboo poles if needed. President Truman knew if that were to happen, close to a million loves would be lost. So Truman informed the Japanese Emperor that he had a weapon that would devastate his nation. The Emperor would not give up. So the first bomb was dropped. Still no surrender. So the second bomb was dropped. What is very important for everyone to know is the Emperor was never injured during the war. Such is the case with many wars. The lesson is never allow your nation's leader push you into a war that their risk is...