Hiroshima- Peace Memorial Park
10th July 2009
Visiting the park was a harrowing experience. Built very close to the epicentre of the atomic bomb 'little boy' which was dropped on Hiroshima on the 6th August 1945, in order to commemorate the victims. Hiroshima's Peace Park is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and contains a variety of memorials to the victims of of the first ever nuclear attack in 1945. We first visited the peace Memorial Museum, which is an interesting looking building at the Southern end of the park, by architect Kenzo Tange. Kenzo Tange was also responsible for the Memorial Centograph and Peace flame, towards the opposite end of the park to the building (all shown above- the Flame in the foreground, the saddle shaped Centograph behind that, and the memorial museum in the background). The Centograph represents figurine clay saddles found in ancient tombs in Japan, and underneath its arch is a chest containing the names of those who died in the atomic bombing with the inscription: "Repose ye in peace, for the error shall not be repeated." The Peace Flame will stay lit until all nuclear bombs are decommissioned and the threat of another Hiroshima is over for ever. It is here that a memorial service is held on August 6 each year when white doves are released. The shock of green space in the centre of such a bustling busy Japanese city creates a space perfect for reflection on such a tragic event and acts as a constant reminder to visitors of the awesome and horrendous nature of nuclear warfare. The design of the park is very linear, directing people through and amongst various memorials and tributes to victims, to either the A-Bomb Dome (at the Northern end) or the the Memorial Peace Museum (at the Southern end of the park). The simple lawns and well small well kept gardens and well pruned topairy are unintrusive and enhance the other elements of the park.
At the Southern end of the park close to the Aioi bridge which is a T- shaped bridge and the target for the attack, is the A-Bomb Dome (Gembaku Domu). It is on the opposite side of the river to the park, and nearly directly under the epicentre of the A-bomb. Before the bomb was dropped it was the Industrial Promotion Hall, now its ruins are held up s a reminder of the destruction visited upon Hiroshima, it was declared a UNESCO world Heritage site in 1996.
