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Hiroshima Insight

Hiroshima Peace Volunteers

Serve as guides to Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park

The Hiroshima Peace Volunteers provide free guides to Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park. In 1999, the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, which oversees the museum, established a registry of volunteers to hand down the reality of the devastation caused by the atomic bombing.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and available to work at least twice a month. After undergoing training, they can then serve as guides. As of April 1, 2012, 197 volunteers from the ages of 21 to 85 have joined the registry and 10-15 people are working as guides each day. Some volunteers also serve as guides in English, Chinese, and sign language.

Keiko Ogawa, 65, lives in the city of Hatsukaichi and became a Hiroshima Peace Volunteer five years ago. At the museum, when she sees students from elementary school through high school, she approaches them and explains about A-bomb orphans, whose parents were killed in the bombing. “When they imagine such a thing happening to themselves, their faces become very solemn,” she said. “I want to convey to them the importance of peace.”

The volunteers wear green jackets in the winter and green shirts in the summer. If you see a Hiroshima Peace Volunteer, don’t hesitate to ask them questions about the atomic bombing. You can also reserve a guide in advance.