Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum will reopen on June 1 after three-month closure, limiting number of daily visitors to 1,800
May 27, 2020
(by Junji Akechi, Staff Writer)
On May 26, the Hiroshima City government decided to reopen the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, (in the city’s Naka Ward) which is now closed on a temporary basis due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. It will open to the public on June 1 for the first time in about three months since the initiation of its temporary shutdown on February 29. Avoiding overcrowding by limiting the number of visitors, the museum aims to still convey the damage caused by the atomic bombing and prevent infection at the same time.
The museum is one of the key destinations for tourists who visit Hiroshima Prefecture from both Japan and overseas. Some senior officials of the city government want to convey what the atomic bombing brought about to as many people as possible in this, the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Other voices of concern are also heard regarding the high risk of becoming infected with coronavirus when the museum reopens. After giving careful consideration to the time of the museums reopening, the city government’s decision followed in tandem with the complete lifting of the state-of-emergency declaration by the national government.
The museum will limit entry to a maximum number of 100 visitors per 30 minutes, and total daily visitors to 1,800, making it difficult to cause overcrowding and close contact, in order to help prevent the spread of infection in the museum. Specifically, the ticket-vending machines, which have been newly installed at the entrance of the museum, will distribute 100 pieces of numbered tickets each every 30 minutes during its opening hours. The museum will not limit the amount of time the visitors may spend in the museum.
As a tentative measure, the museum asks visitors not to visit it with five people or more, except for family groups. The lending of audio guides and tours given by peace volunteers will be cancelled. A project to touch A-bombed materials, including A-bomb damaged roof tiles, will be cancelled, and the Museum Shop will be closed.
In the future, the city government will consider relaxing a limitation on the number of visitors to the museum and extending the opening hours (from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) of the museum, taking into account crowding conditions and the nationwide situation surrounding the spread of infection. A person in charge of the A-bomb Experience Preservation within the Peace Promotion Division said, “While the basic premise is that infection must be prevented, we want as many people as possible to do their tours of the exhibits.”
Like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims in Naka Ward, which has been temporarily closed since February 29, will also reopen on June 1.
The city government will gradually reopen its city-operated 54 facilities which have been temporarily or partly closed, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, from May 29. It will reopen 44 facilities, such as libraries in every ward, on May 29, and six facilities, including Hiroshima Castle in Naka Ward, on June 1. The last one is the Hiroshima City Museum of History and Traditional Crafts, which is located in Minami Ward and is under air conditioning equipment construction. It is expected to reopen on June 23.
(Originally published on May 27, 2020)
On May 26, the Hiroshima City government decided to reopen the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, (in the city’s Naka Ward) which is now closed on a temporary basis due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. It will open to the public on June 1 for the first time in about three months since the initiation of its temporary shutdown on February 29. Avoiding overcrowding by limiting the number of visitors, the museum aims to still convey the damage caused by the atomic bombing and prevent infection at the same time.
The museum is one of the key destinations for tourists who visit Hiroshima Prefecture from both Japan and overseas. Some senior officials of the city government want to convey what the atomic bombing brought about to as many people as possible in this, the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings. Other voices of concern are also heard regarding the high risk of becoming infected with coronavirus when the museum reopens. After giving careful consideration to the time of the museums reopening, the city government’s decision followed in tandem with the complete lifting of the state-of-emergency declaration by the national government.
The museum will limit entry to a maximum number of 100 visitors per 30 minutes, and total daily visitors to 1,800, making it difficult to cause overcrowding and close contact, in order to help prevent the spread of infection in the museum. Specifically, the ticket-vending machines, which have been newly installed at the entrance of the museum, will distribute 100 pieces of numbered tickets each every 30 minutes during its opening hours. The museum will not limit the amount of time the visitors may spend in the museum.
As a tentative measure, the museum asks visitors not to visit it with five people or more, except for family groups. The lending of audio guides and tours given by peace volunteers will be cancelled. A project to touch A-bombed materials, including A-bomb damaged roof tiles, will be cancelled, and the Museum Shop will be closed.
In the future, the city government will consider relaxing a limitation on the number of visitors to the museum and extending the opening hours (from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) of the museum, taking into account crowding conditions and the nationwide situation surrounding the spread of infection. A person in charge of the A-bomb Experience Preservation within the Peace Promotion Division said, “While the basic premise is that infection must be prevented, we want as many people as possible to do their tours of the exhibits.”
Like the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims in Naka Ward, which has been temporarily closed since February 29, will also reopen on June 1.
The city government will gradually reopen its city-operated 54 facilities which have been temporarily or partly closed, including the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, from May 29. It will reopen 44 facilities, such as libraries in every ward, on May 29, and six facilities, including Hiroshima Castle in Naka Ward, on June 1. The last one is the Hiroshima City Museum of History and Traditional Crafts, which is located in Minami Ward and is under air conditioning equipment construction. It is expected to reopen on June 23.
(Originally published on May 27, 2020)
