56 Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims
Date of completion August 1, 2002
Established by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Designed by Kenzo Tange Associates
Shape
One story above ground and two stories underground
Total floor area: 3,099 m2
Motive for the foundation
The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims is an effort by the Japanese government to remember and mourn the atomic bomb victims, to pray for eternal peace, to deepen world public understanding of the horrors of atomic bombs and to convey the A-bomb experience to later generations.
Noteworthy characteristics
1. Monument to 8:15
In the center of the above-ground area is the Monument to 8:15 − the moment the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. The monument is surrounded by water, an offering for victims who died craving water, and A-bombed roof tiles unearthed from the premises during construction of the monument.
2. The Hall of Remembrance
In the second basement of the building is the Hall of Remembrance, a cylindrical space with a high ceiling. Here is a place to quietly mourn A-bomb victims and reflect on peace. To show visitors the magnitude of the damage caused by the atomic bomb, the hall presents a panoramic view of the A-bombed city from Shima Hospital, located close to the atomic bomb hypocenter, with 140,000 roof tiles?equal to the number of people estimated to have died as a result of the atomic bomb by the end of 1945.
From the first basement, which has an entrance to the building, a counterclockwise spiral slope leads to the Hall of Remembrance. This slope represents travel from the present to the past, when the atomic bomb was dropped.
3. Various activities, including collecting and making public memoirs of A-bomb survivors, and names and photographs of A-bomb victims
As a means of conveying the reality of the damage caused by the atomic bombing, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims collects memoirs of A-bomb survivors and names and photographs of A-bomb victims, and makes them available in the Victims' Information Area (only names and photographs) and Library. Visitors can view the photographs of Hiroshima before and after the bombing, and videotapes in which survivors tell their stories.
In the Temporary Exhibition Area, theme exhibitions are held with collected memoirs of A-bomb survivors. In addition, volunteers give public readings of A-bomb survivors' memoirs inside this building.
