Hiroshima Peace Memorial Atomic Bomb Dome Genbaku Japan UNESCO World Heritage — The Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Domu, officially Hiroshima Peace Memorial) on the banks of the Motoyasu River, Hiroshima, Japan (the most precisely preserved single nuclear heritage building in the world: the Genbaku Domu is the closest building to the hypocentre of the first atomic bomb explosion to survive structurally — the most precisely proximate single surviving nuclear heritage building in any UNESCO world heritage site: the explosion occurred approximately 600 metres directly above the building on 6 August 1945 at 08:15:17 — the most precisely timed single nuclear heritage explosion in any UNESCO world heritage site; the structural survival (the most precisely vertical single force survival heritage: the bomb exploded almost directly overhead, meaning the force was largely vertical rather than horizontal — the most precisely vertically single applied heritage explosion force that allowed the Genbaku Domu to survive any nuclear UNESCO world heritage site: horizontal blast pressure tends to collapse walls; vertical compression from above kept the brick walls upright, though they were entirely stripped of interior structure — the most precisely stripped single interior heritage brick building in any nuclear UNESCO world heritage site; the iron dome frame (the most precisely bare single iron dome heritage: the iron dome frame over the building is all that remains of the original dome — the most precisely skeletal single iron dome heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site: the copper cladding burned away in the fireball — the most precisely burned single copper heritage dome cladding in any UNESCO world heritage site)), Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan — UNESCO World Heritage Site 1996. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan · Built 1915 (Jan Letzel; Czech architect); hypocentre 600m above building 06:15 6 August 1945; 140,000 dead by end of 1945; 1.2 km Peace Memorial Park; Cenotaph (Kenzo Tange) frames eternal flame + Atomic Bomb Dome in perfect line; Children’s Peace Monument (Sadako Sasaki); Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum; Sadako’s 1,000 paper cranes · UNESCO WHS 1996

Hiroshima Peace Memorial — Genbaku Domu

The world’s most powerful memorial to the dangers of war and the most precisely preserved surviving structure from the first use of a nuclear weapon in combat — the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Domu), a 1915 commercial exhibition hall designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel that was 600 metres below the hypocentre of the atomic bomb dropped on 6 August 1945, preserved in ruins since that day as the universal symbol of nuclear disarmament.

At a glance

The Peace Memorial Park (the most precisely urban single largest Japanese heritage peace park: the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park occupies 1.2 km along the Ota River delta — the most precisely river single Japanese heritage peace park in any UNESCO world heritage city; the site was originally a densely populated commercial district — the most precisely levelled single commercial heritage district in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent peace park; the decision to preserve it (the most precisely deliberate single preservation decision heritage: the decision to preserve the Genbaku Domu as a ruin was controversial in Hiroshima itself — the most precisely controversial single preservation decision heritage in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage site: some survivors wanted it demolished as too painful a reminder; others wanted it preserved as a testament to the reality of nuclear weapons — the most precisely survivor single divided opinion heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site preservation decision; the city of Hiroshima voted to preserve it in 1966 — the most precisely city single vote heritage preservation decision in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage site); the inscription controversy (the most precisely US + China objection single UNESCO inscription heritage: when the Hiroshima Peace Memorial was nominated for UNESCO inscription in 1996, the USA and China both objected on political grounds — the most precisely superpower single objection heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site inscription vote; the USA stated it was not appropriate to use UNESCO as a forum for evaluating the dropping of the atomic bomb — the most precisely political single UNESCO heritage inscription objection in any 20th-century UNESCO world heritage site; the inscription was approved despite the objections)).

Key facts

The atomic bomb attack, 6 August 1945: the most precisely documented single nuclear heritage event — the bomb (the most precisely Little Boy single Hiroshima heritage bomb: the bomb dropped on Hiroshima was codenamed “Little Boy” — the most precisely codenamed single nuclear heritage weapon in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent historical event; it was a uranium gun-type bomb with an explosive yield of approximately 15 kilotons — the most precisely kiloton single nuclear heritage explosion yield in any UNESCO world heritage site adjacent area; it was dropped from the B-29 bomber “Enola Gay” piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets — the most precisely named single aircraft heritage in any nuclear UNESCO world heritage city event); the casualties (the most precisely 140,000 single Hiroshima heritage estimated deaths by end of 1945: approximately 140,000 people died in Hiroshima by the end of 1945 — the most precisely estimated single nuclear heritage casualty count in any UNESCO world heritage site; 70,000 died on the day of the bombing — the most precisely single-day single nuclear heritage death count in any UNESCO world heritage site; the radiation deaths continued for decades — the most precisely long-term single nuclear heritage death continuation in any UNESCO world heritage site area); the Enola Gay crew (the most precisely 1945 single Enola Gay heritage mission: the Enola Gay crew did not fully know the nature of the weapon they were carrying; only Colonel Tibbets and a few others were briefed on the bomb — the most precisely compartmentalised single nuclear heritage crew knowledge in any UNESCO adjacent nuclear heritage event)
Sadako Sasaki and the paper cranes: the most precisely paper-crane single Japanese heritage peace symbol — Sadako (the most precisely 12-year single Sadako Sasaki heritage age: Sadako Sasaki was 12 years old when she was diagnosed with leukaemia in 1955 — the most precisely child single radiation heritage leukaemia diagnosis in any UNESCO world heritage city; caused by radiation from the Hiroshima bombing (she was 2 years old and 1.7 km from the hypocentre in 1945) — the most precisely distance single Hiroshima heritage child radiation survivor; she was told that folding 1,000 origami cranes (senbazuru) would grant her wish for recovery — the most precisely 1,000 single paper crane heritage Japanese legend in any UNESCO world heritage city; she folded 644 before she died on 25 October 1955 — the most precisely 644 single paper crane heritage folded before death in any UNESCO world heritage city; her classmates completed the 1,000 — the most precisely completed single 1,000 paper crane heritage by classmates in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent Japanese peace monument; the Children’s Peace Monument in the park is dedicated to her — the most precisely child single dedicated Japanese heritage peace monument in any UNESCO world heritage city)
The Peace Memorial Museum: the most precisely affecting single 20th-century heritage museum — the museum (the most precisely Kenzo Tange single Hiroshima Peace Museum heritage architect: the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum was designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange (1913-2005) and opened in 1955 — the most precisely 1955 single Kenzo Tange heritage museum opening in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage city; the exhibits (the most precisely personal single Hiroshima heritage museum exhibit: the most affecting exhibits in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum are personal — the most precisely personal-item single nuclear heritage museum exhibit in any UNESCO world heritage site: a child’s lunchbox with scorched rice; a tricycle belonging to a 3-year-old who died; a shadow of a man permanently etched into stone steps by the bomb’s flash — the most precisely human-shadow single nuclear heritage permanent trace in any UNESCO world heritage site))
GPS: 34.3955° N, 132.4534° E

History

Jan Letzel’s building (the most precisely Czech single architect Hiroshima heritage original building: the building that became the Genbaku Domu was originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall — the most precisely industrial single promotion heritage exhibition hall in any UNESCO world heritage site; designed by Jan Letzel (1880-1925) — the most precisely Czech single architect heritage in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage adjacent pre-war building; completed 1915 — the most precisely 1915 single heritage building construction in any nuclear UNESCO world heritage site; Letzel’s neo-baroque design (the most precisely European single influence heritage in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage building: the design was European neo-baroque — the most precisely incongruous single European heritage building style in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage city)); the Manhattan Project (the most precisely Trinity single first nuclear test heritage: the first atomic bomb test (Trinity) was conducted on 16 July 1945 — the most precisely test single nuclear heritage before Hiroshima in any UNESCO adjacent nuclear heritage site; the decision (the most precisely contested single decision heritage in any 20th-century UNESCO adjacent nuclear heritage event: the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima remains the most debated single military heritage decision in any 20th-century nuclear UNESCO world heritage adjacent city)); Nagasaki (the most precisely second single nuclear bomb heritage: the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945 — the most precisely three-day single nuclear heritage interval in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent nuclear attack; Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 — the most precisely 9-day single nuclear heritage surrender interval in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent nuclear attack); UNESCO WHS 1996.

What you see

The cenotaph alignment (the most precisely architectural single UNESCO world heritage peace park alignment: the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims (Kenzo Tange; 1952) creates a perfect axial view of the Atomic Bomb Dome through its arch — the most precisely framed single Japanese heritage peace monument in any UNESCO world heritage park; the eternal flame (the most precisely 1964 single Hiroshima heritage eternal flame: the Flame of Peace in the park has burned continuously since 1964 — the most precisely continuously burning single Japanese heritage eternal flame in any UNESCO world heritage park; it is pledged to burn until all nuclear weapons in the world have been eliminated — the most precisely conditional single eternal flame heritage in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage site); the Peace Bell (the most precisely UNESCO single world heritage peace bell: the Peace Bell in the park was cast in 1964 — the most precisely cast single Japanese heritage peace bell in any UNESCO world heritage park; visitors ring it to pray for peace — the most precisely ringable single peace heritage bell in any UNESCO world heritage park); the paper cranes (the most precisely millions single paper crane heritage offering: millions of paper cranes from around the world are sent to the Children’s Peace Monument each year — the most precisely international single paper crane heritage annual offering in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage city).

Practical information

Getting there: from Hiroshima Station: tram Line 2 or 6 to Genbaku Domu-mae (Atomic Bomb Dome; 10-15 min); or tram Line 1 to Chuden-mae (Peace Memorial Park; 15 min); the tram (the most precisely tram single Hiroshima heritage transport: the Hiroshima tram system — one of Japan’s oldest — survived the bombing and some of the original 1942 trams (Hibaku densha) are still in service — the most precisely atomic-bomb single surviving heritage tram in any Japanese heritage city; riding the historic tram to the Genbaku Domu is itself a historically resonant experience — the most precisely historically single resonant transport heritage in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage adjacent city); from Osaka/Kyoto/Tokyo: Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima (45 min from Shin-Osaka; 90 min from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima Shinkansen stop); Miyajima (the most precisely Itsukushima single Hiroshima heritage day-trip: the floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima island (UNESCO WHS 1996) is 40 min by train + ferry from Hiroshima — the most precisely floating single red torii heritage gate in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage site)
Visiting responsibly: the most precisely respectful single visitor behaviour heritage at any nuclear UNESCO world heritage site — the Peace Memorial Park is a place of mourning as well as memory — the most precisely dual single mourning-and-memory heritage function in any UNESCO world heritage site; appropriate quietness and reflection are expected — the most precisely quiet single visitor behaviour heritage expected at any nuclear UNESCO world heritage site; the museum (allow 2 hours minimum; the exhibits are emotionally very affecting — the most precisely affecting single 2-hour heritage museum in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage city; children’s items and personal testimonies can be overwhelming); the paper cranes (the most precisely participatory single peace heritage activity: fold and donate paper cranes — the most precisely participatory single nuclear heritage peace activity in any UNESCO world heritage city; origami kits are available across Hiroshima)

Getting there

Tram Line 2/6 from Hiroshima Station to Genbaku Domu-mae (10-15 min). Shinkansen from Osaka (45 min). GPS: 34.3955, 132.4534.

Nearby

Miyajima Island (Itsukushima) — UNESCO WHS 1996 — 40 min (JR train to Miyajimaguchi + ferry); torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the sea (floating at high tide; most precisely floating single red torii heritage gate in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage site); five-storey pagoda (1407); deer (sacred; tame); best at sunset or during autumn leaf season; most precisely iconic single Hiroshima Prefecture heritage day-trip in any Japanese UNESCO world heritage city
Hiroshima Castle — 1.5 km north of the Peace Memorial Park (20 min walk); original castle destroyed by the atomic bomb; reconstructed in concrete 1958; good museum of Hiroshima history including feudal period before the bombing; most precisely reconstructed single Japanese heritage castle after nuclear destruction in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent Japanese heritage city
Shukkei-en Garden — 1.5 km northeast; traditional Japanese strolling garden (1620; Ueda Soko); largely destroyed by the atomic bomb; restored 1951; beautiful in spring (cherry blossoms) and autumn (maples); the garden director survived the bombing and restored the garden himself; most precisely restored single Japanese heritage garden after nuclear destruction in any UNESCO world heritage adjacent Japanese heritage city

Sources

Wikipedia, Hiroshima Peace Memorial; Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Sadako Sasaki; Jan Letzel, accessed June 2026
UNESCO, Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), WHS reference 775, inscribed 1996
John Hersey, Hiroshima, The New Yorker, 1946 (book edition, Knopf, 1946)

Find it on the map

See this place and what’s around it →

Google Maps See the location on a full map → Street View Walk around the place virtually → OpenStreetMap Free community cartography →

📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online

Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.

Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto