The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, at the southern end of the Peace Park, is one of the most important and affecting museums in the world. Extensively renewed in 2019, it presents the atomic bombing of 6 August 1945 not through statistics but through the human beings who lived and died that day: a child’s scorched tricycle, a stopped watch, tattered school uniforms, photographs of the ruined city and the personal testimonies of survivors, the hibakusha. It is deliberately hard to bear, and meant to be — its purpose is to make the reality of nuclear war undeniable and to argue, without anger, for its abolition. Almost everyone leaves changed.
🗓️ At a Glance
| Location | Naka-ku, Hiroshima |
| Hours | ~8:30–18:00 (seasonal, later in summer) |
| Admission | ~¥200 |
| Time needed | 1.5–2.5 hours |
| Best time | Year-round; go earlier to avoid crowds |
What to See
- Survivors' belongings — a child’s tricycle, a stopped watch.
- Photographs of the ruined city and the moment of the blast.
- The testimonies of the hibakusha survivors.
- The renewed exhibitions on nuclear weapons and peace.
Combine Your Visit
- Combine with the Peace Memorial Park around it.
- Pair with the A-Bomb Dome at the park’s north end.
- Read our Hiroshima overview .
Getting There
- By tram: Chuden-mae or Genbaku Dome-mae stops, a short walk.
- On foot: at the southern end of the Peace Memorial Park.
Tips
Allow more time than you expect and go earlier in the day, as it gets busy and the exhibits deserve unhurried attention. It is genuinely distressing, especially the sections on individual victims — consider carefully before bringing young children, and give yourself a quiet moment in the park afterwards. Audio guides in many languages add valuable context to the exhibits.
