Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park (広島平和記念公園) covers the northern tip of Nakajima, an island between the Ota and Motoyasu rivers in central Hiroshima. Before 6 August 1945 this was one of the city’s busiest districts; the atomic bomb exploded almost directly above it. Today the park is a place of mourning and a call for the abolition of nuclear weapons, with dozens of memorials set among lawns and trees.
The park is free and open at all times. This guide covers the park as a whole and a suggested route through it; see our separate guides to the Atomic Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Museum for more on each.
Plan your visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
- Entry: park free; museum ¥200
- Park open 24 hours; museum from 7:30 AM
- Time needed: 1 hour for the park, 3–4 hours with the museum
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History of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Before the bomb: The Nakajima district was a lively area of shops, temples, cinemas and homes. Nearly all of it was destroyed on 6 August 1945, and tens of thousands of people died that day, with the toll reaching an estimated 140,000 by the end of the year.
A city of peace: The 1949 Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law set aside the area as a peace park. Architect Kenzo Tange’s design won the competition: a central axis running from the museum, through the Cenotaph and the Flame of Peace, to the ruins of the Atomic Bomb Dome across the river.
Completion: The Cenotaph was unveiled in 1952, the museum opened in 1955, and further memorials were added over the following decades. The Peace Memorial Ceremony is held here every 6 August.
Attractions at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
- Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims: A saddle-shaped arch sheltering a stone chest that holds the register of names of those who died from the bomb, updated every year. Through the arch you can see the Flame of Peace and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
- Flame of Peace: Lit in 1964, it is to burn until all nuclear weapons on Earth are gone.
- Children’s Peace Monument: Inspired by Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukaemia at 12 after folding paper cranes. Strings of cranes sent from around the world hang nearby.
- Peace Bells: Visitors are welcome to ring the Peace Bell as a prayer for peace.
- Memorial Mound: A grassy mound holding the ashes of around 70,000 unidentified victims.
- Memorial for Korean victims: Remembers the many Koreans, a large number of them forced labourers, who died in the bombing.
- Rest House: A 1929 shop building that survived the blast, now a tourist information centre with a preserved basement.
- Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall: A quiet underground hall of remembrance with survivors’ memoirs and photographs; free entry.
Things to Do at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
- Walk the central axis: Start at the museum, pass the Cenotaph and Flame of Peace, then cross to the Atomic Bomb Dome.
- Bring paper cranes: Fold cranes to leave at the Children’s Peace Monument.
- Join a volunteer guide: Free volunteer guides often offer tours of the monuments; ask at the Rest House.
- Attend 6 August: The Peace Memorial Ceremony starts in the morning with a minute’s silence at 8:15, and a lantern-floating ceremony is usually held on the river that evening.
- Be respectful: This is a memorial ground; keep voices low and avoid posing for playful photos at the monuments.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park – Entry Eligibility and Open Timings
- Park: free, open 24 hours.
- Peace Memorial Museum: adults ¥200, high school students ¥100, junior high and younger free. Open from 7:30 AM; closing time varies by season (6:00 PM in December–February, 7:00 PM most of the year, 8:00 PM in August). Closed 30–31 December and for a few days in mid-February.
- National Peace Memorial Hall: free, with similar opening hours to the museum.
Tours for Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
- Guided day tour of the Peace Park, museum, Atomic Bomb Dome and Miyajima (from Hiroshima, Osaka or Kyoto): on Klook
- Museum entry: ¥200, bought at the museum or online on the official website
Some links in this guide are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
How Long to Spend at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Allow 1 hour to walk around the park and its main monuments, or 3 to 4 hours including the Peace Memorial Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
How to Get There
- By tram: From JR Hiroshima Station, take a Hiroden tram on route 2 or 6 to Genbaku Dome-mae (around 15–20 minutes), or route 1 to Chuden-mae for the southern side of the park.
- By bus: The Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus (Meipuru-pu) stops by the park and the dome.
- On foot: About 10 minutes’ walk from the Hondori shopping street and the Hatchobori area.
- By boat: Sightseeing boats and the World Heritage Sea Route ferry to Miyajima leave from the pier beside the park.
Flying into Kansai Airport and continuing to Hiroshima by Shinkansen? Book a fixed-price airport transfer from the airport to Shin-Osaka Station or your Osaka hotel.
Eateries Nearby Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
The streets around the park are full of places to try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki:
- Okonomimura: A building with floors of okonomiyaki stalls, about 15 minutes’ walk east.
- Nagataya: A popular okonomiyaki restaurant just across the river from the park, near the dome.
- Mitchan Sohonten: One of the city’s best-known okonomiyaki restaurants, with branches in the centre.
- Hondori arcade: Cafés, oyster restaurants and casual dining a short walk away.
Other Attractions Nearby Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
- Atomic Bomb Dome: The UNESCO-listed ruin at the northern end of the park.
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: The essential museum at the southern end of the park.
- Hiroshima Orizuru Tower: A rooftop deck with views over the dome and park.
- Shukkeien Garden: A historic strolling garden about 20 minutes’ walk away.
- Hiroshima Castle: A reconstructed castle keep about 15 minutes’ walk north.
- Miyajima Island: Home of Itsukushima Shrine’s floating torii, reachable by ferry from the park.
Before your trip
- Find hotels in Hiroshima: hotels around Hatchobori, Hondori or Hiroshima Station put the park within a short walk or tram ride.
- Get a Japan eSIM before you land, for maps, tram times and museum tickets.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park stands on the ground where the atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Kenzo Tange’s design links the Peace Memorial Museum, the Cenotaph, the Flame of Peace and the Atomic Bomb Dome in one line, and the park is free and open at all times.
Give yourself at least half a day to include the Peace Memorial Museum, then take a ferry from the park to Miyajima Island to see the floating torii.
