The Atomic Bomb Dome, located in Naka Ward, Hiroshima City, is one of the surviving ruins of the atomic bombing and is also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
Originally completed in 1915, the building first opened as the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall, intended to showcase and promote products from across Hiroshima Prefecture. During the war, it was renamed the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, continuing to serve as a venue for exhibitions and industrial promotion. On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima, approximately 160 meters from the building. The blast and intense heat instantly destroyed most structures in the city, but because the hypocenter was nearly directly overhead, the central framework and steel dome of the building remained partially intact, making it a stark symbol in the aftermath of the bombing.
After the war, the Atomic Bomb Dome was preserved as a witness to the devastation caused by war and nuclear weapons. In 1996, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site under the name “Hiroshima Peace Memorial,” making it one of the rare examples of a “negative heritage” site, intended to remind the world of the horrors of war and the preciousness of peace.
Today, together with the nearby Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome stands as an important symbol of Hiroshima, attracting visitors from around the globe to mourn, reflect, and share the common hope that such a tragedy will never be repeated.
