HIROSHIMA -- The site of the present-day Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park here was a bustling urban district until the atomic bombing on Aug. 6, 1945, and is now a place to pray for the victims and for peace, with a museum building serving as the gate to the park.
After passing the Atomic Bomb Dome and crossing Motoyasu Bridge, one will see the Peace Flame and the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims on the left. Behind them lies an elongated structure -- the main building of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It celebrated its 70th anniversary on Aug. 24, 2025.
Designed by architect Kenzo Tange (1913-2005), the reinforced concrete two-story structure measures 82 meters east to west and 18 meters north to south. The first floor consists solely of 20 columns, creating an open space beneath the elevated building. The design features louvers on the north and south facades of the second floor, which are its most distinctive traits. The building was designated as an important cultural property in 2006.
Before the atomic bombing, the area around Peace Memorial Park, including the museum site, was one of Hiroshima's busiest commercial districts. Tange envisioned this space as both a tribute to the victims and a declaration of world peace, aligning Peace Boulevard from east to west with the museum, cenotaph, and Atomic Bomb Dome in a straight line. This north-south vista is called the "axis of peace," with the museum's open first floor also serving as the park's gateway.
With permission to take photos, this reporter ascended to the rooftop of a hospital south of the park. From there, I observed many people paying their respects to the victims in front of the cenotaph, silently watched over by the Atomic Bomb Dome.
(Japanese original by Kenjiro Sato, Osaka Photo and Video Department)
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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on Sept. 14, 2025.
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