Facility for exhibit of A-bombed structural remnants opens its doors, shows how people lived in what is now Peace Memorial Park
Mar. 26, 2022
by Junji Akechi, Staff Writer
A facility for the exhibit of unearthed structural remnants from the former Nakajima district, an area of the city that now lies under Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, will open on the grounds of Peace Park on March 26. Through the exhibited remnants of houses and shops that once lined the streets, visitors can have a sense of the horror of Hiroshima’s atomic bombing, which instantly took the lives of people in the area. A ceremony marking the opening of the facilities was held on March 25.
The facility comprises a one-story steel-frame structure. On display inside is an area measuring about 3.2-square meters of burned houses and other remnants found during a Hiroshima City excavation survey. Visitors can take a close look at the actual items, including stones used as the foundation of a house, scorched soil and roof tiles, and asphalt road surface material. Carbonized tatami mats and lumber materials deteriorate rapidly, and for that reason only replicas of such items are on display. A video of roughly 2.5 minutes explaining the remnants is shown, and panels have also been set up to display what the area was like before the bombing and describe the A-bombing experiences of former residents in the district.
The exhibit was initially part of the city government’s plans to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing in 2020, but the facility opening had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said in his remarks at the opening ceremony, “I hope visitors will remember in their hearts the inhumanity by which the lives of people who lived here were lost in an instant.” Masayuki Miura, professor emeritus at Hiroshima University and a specialist in architectural history, served as chair of the city’s advisory expert panel. “For preservation of the remains, it would be preferable to rebury them and display replicas. We chose, however, to show the actual items to convey the horror of the atomic bombing to the people of today. I hope the remnants can be used to promote peace,” said Mr. Miura.
The facility will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through the end of July, and until 7:00 p.m. during the month of August. Admission is free.
(Originally published on March 26, 2022)
A facility for the exhibit of unearthed structural remnants from the former Nakajima district, an area of the city that now lies under Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, will open on the grounds of Peace Park on March 26. Through the exhibited remnants of houses and shops that once lined the streets, visitors can have a sense of the horror of Hiroshima’s atomic bombing, which instantly took the lives of people in the area. A ceremony marking the opening of the facilities was held on March 25.
The facility comprises a one-story steel-frame structure. On display inside is an area measuring about 3.2-square meters of burned houses and other remnants found during a Hiroshima City excavation survey. Visitors can take a close look at the actual items, including stones used as the foundation of a house, scorched soil and roof tiles, and asphalt road surface material. Carbonized tatami mats and lumber materials deteriorate rapidly, and for that reason only replicas of such items are on display. A video of roughly 2.5 minutes explaining the remnants is shown, and panels have also been set up to display what the area was like before the bombing and describe the A-bombing experiences of former residents in the district.
The exhibit was initially part of the city government’s plans to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing in 2020, but the facility opening had to be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said in his remarks at the opening ceremony, “I hope visitors will remember in their hearts the inhumanity by which the lives of people who lived here were lost in an instant.” Masayuki Miura, professor emeritus at Hiroshima University and a specialist in architectural history, served as chair of the city’s advisory expert panel. “For preservation of the remains, it would be preferable to rebury them and display replicas. We chose, however, to show the actual items to convey the horror of the atomic bombing to the people of today. I hope the remnants can be used to promote peace,” said Mr. Miura.
The facility will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through the end of July, and until 7:00 p.m. during the month of August. Admission is free.
(Originally published on March 26, 2022)
