Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims

A deeply moving experience—5 stars for a place of remembrance and reflection.Tip: Slow down. Let the silence speak. Read the memoirs. Watch the testimonies. And when you step outside, take a moment to look at the Dome and the river—it’s all part of the story.

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 in Hiroshima.

This is the best museum I’ve visited so far. It was crowded in the summer, so it moved very slowly, but still worth a stop. The artifacts left behind from the atomic bomb droppings are mind blowing. So many sad stories. They have a section on the evolution/history of nuclear weapons since Hiroshima as well, which is really good and educational! Very relevant to the world we live in. Like they say, “let’s not have another Hiroshima”. Definitely a must-stop while in Hiroshima!

A quiet and respectful place for personal reflection. There’s no photography ban, and everyone naturally spends as much time as they feel they need. One interesting detail: the Hall features a 360° panoramic display made from over 100,000 individual tiles recreating the destroyed cityscape as it looked right after the bombing — based on real survivor sketches. Powerful, moving, and deeply human. A must-visit.

A very emotionally moving experience at this memorial museum. It is a must to view and see while in Hiroshima. It is sad, but also a very good learning experience to understand the history of this great city. The museum is free to enter.

Entrance is free. It's a little hidden away and therefore many people don't come here. But there's lots of useful information nicely presented here. There's a video demonstration in a separate room. Leaflets are available in multiple languages.

Respectfully preseented reminder of the horrors of human kind. The human stories were very powerful.

The design of the memorial hall was excellent in all aspects. The hall truly solidifies the souls lost in Hiroshima during the Second World War. During my visit, there was a short documentary video which provided insights about some of the survivors stories. It is highly recommended to the visit the memorial hall after visiting the museum noting that it is free of charge. Overall all visit duration is about fifteen (15) to thirty (30) minutes.

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for Atomic Bomb Victims / Hiroshima -- This was the one Hiroshima memorial I had never been to before because it was built in 2002, two decades after my last visit. It's a quietly moving mausoleum dedicated to collecting atomic bomb memories and stories from the survivors to mourn the victims as the number of survivors dwindles. Designed by revered architect Kenzo Tange, the cloistered circular building allowed us a few minutes of contemplation about those curtailed lives. Admission is free. RELATED - Exploring Japan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3ebRKbk

While the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is a wonderful place to visit, not far from it is another location that remembers the victims of the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima, which took place on August 6, 1945. The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall was founded by the Japanese national government to mourn the victims back in 2002 and was designed by Tange Kenzo. The Hall is open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and has free admission. The difference from the Hall vs. the museum, is that the hall is mostly digital. With computer work stations, one can view testimonies from atomic bomb survivors, read about memories and see photos from family members and more. While the main exhibit is digital, there is a hall where people can see the names. A similar hall was created in Nagasaki ala the National Peace Memorial Hall of the Atomic Bomb Victims in Nagasaki. To get to this location, you must go across the Motoyasu River via the Motoyasu Bridge to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. But it's definitely a location worth visiting after you have visited the museum.