Visitors to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum reach 60 million
Sep. 7, 2010
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
The number of visitors to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museums has topped 60 million. This figure was reached on September 5, a total of the 55 years since the museum opened in August 1955.
The 60 millionth visitors were the Kitamuras from Fukuoka City. They were presented with such items as a pictorial record published by the museum entitled "The Spirit of Hiroshima," from Koichiro Maeda, the director of the museum.
Ryo Kitamura, 33, is visiting Hiroshima to attend the wedding ceremony of a relative. He visited the museum with his wife Emi, 36, and his daughter Yuzuki, 2. He said he came to the museum because he wanted his daughter to feel the importance of peace. Mr. Kitamura expressed delight at the unexpected gifts. After they were presented with the items as the 60 millionth visitors, the Kitamura family studied the exhibits closely, including a model of central Hiroshima after the annihilating blast.
The number of visitors to the museum reached 50 million on August 19, 2002. Though visitors decreased in fiscal years 2003 and 2004, attendance recovered after those years and fiscal year 2009 saw 1,400,543 people tour the museum. This year important figures such as Jose Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were notable visitors.
Mr. Maeda said with satisfaction: "We were able to reach this total at a swift pace. This is the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing. With fewer people having direct knowledge of the bombing, the museum's role becomes even more significant. We want to make efforts in the display of the exhibits so that people can easily comprehend the devastating consequences of the bombing."
(Originally published on September 6, 2010)
The number of visitors to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museums has topped 60 million. This figure was reached on September 5, a total of the 55 years since the museum opened in August 1955.
The 60 millionth visitors were the Kitamuras from Fukuoka City. They were presented with such items as a pictorial record published by the museum entitled "The Spirit of Hiroshima," from Koichiro Maeda, the director of the museum.
Ryo Kitamura, 33, is visiting Hiroshima to attend the wedding ceremony of a relative. He visited the museum with his wife Emi, 36, and his daughter Yuzuki, 2. He said he came to the museum because he wanted his daughter to feel the importance of peace. Mr. Kitamura expressed delight at the unexpected gifts. After they were presented with the items as the 60 millionth visitors, the Kitamura family studied the exhibits closely, including a model of central Hiroshima after the annihilating blast.
The number of visitors to the museum reached 50 million on August 19, 2002. Though visitors decreased in fiscal years 2003 and 2004, attendance recovered after those years and fiscal year 2009 saw 1,400,543 people tour the museum. This year important figures such as Jose Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were notable visitors.
Mr. Maeda said with satisfaction: "We were able to reach this total at a swift pace. This is the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing. With fewer people having direct knowledge of the bombing, the museum's role becomes even more significant. We want to make efforts in the display of the exhibits so that people can easily comprehend the devastating consequences of the bombing."
(Originally published on September 6, 2010)
