Hiroshima — Peace Park & Atomic Bomb Dome

Hiroshima is a city that has reinvented itself from total destruction — and today stands as a symbol of peace and reconciliation. On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 a.m., the first atomic bomb used in war, "Little Boy," detonated 580 meters above the city. Within seconds, 80,000 people were dead, over 140,000 by the end of the year. Today, Hiroshima is a vibrant, modern city with one of the world's most important memorials.

The Peace Park (Heiwa Kinen Kōen) stretches on the island between two river arms — right at the epicenter of the explosion. The centerpiece is the Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dōmu), the ruin of the former Chamber of Industry and Commerce — the only building that (partially) remained standing because the bomb detonated almost directly above it. The skeletal dome is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most haunting war memorial one can see.

The Peace Museum (¥200) was completely renovated in 2019 and tells the story through personal fates — burnt clothing, melted lunch boxes, drawings by survivors (Hibakusha). It is emotionally overwhelming and absolutely necessary. Plan 1.5–2 hours.

In front of the museum stands the Peace Flame, which burns until the last nuclear weapon is destroyed, and the Children's Peace Monument for Sadako Sasaki — the girl who developed leukemia from the radiation and folded 1,000 paper cranes in the hope of healing. Today, millions of origami cranes from around the world are hung at her monument each year.