Modern up to date facilities which can get very crowded and a museum with a questionable approach and lack of structure.
The building the ticketing and the staff are excellent. When I visited crowds were an issue, often so heavily packed that it was impossible to approach exhibits. This should be regulated through the tickets.
The museum repeated it self quite often showing a lack of structure a cohesion.
My biggest complaint is this is a museum that forced you to mourn and be sad, sharing heart breaking stories instead of focusing on a more critical approach it goes full on a cathartic one. The political climate, the Japanese empire, the discussion of the allies about the bombing are missing. We only focus on individual sob stories.
Detailed description of tragedy that happened in 6th of August 1945. Most likely the darkest day in human mankind.
Lot of stories of victims and survivals. You need atleast 2 hours to read through.
Very sad, but important to see!
This is a tough museum to visit, nevertheless it's important that we don't forget the past and that we honor the lives of all those that died in one of the darkest moments of WWII. The museum is structured to take you through a narrative that includes the level of destruction (pre explosion then post explosion), artifacts of the countless victims, the horrific after effects of the radiation poisoning, and it ends with an explanation of all the efforts since to drive towards peace and de-nuclearization (weapons wise). Unfortunately for us, we got there when bus loads of tourists poured in, making the experience inside the very narrow exhibit halls extremely uncomfortable...to the point of claustrophobia. The air circulation was very poor that day. It definitely impacted our experience, so I highly recommend you go early, don't wait until early afternoon. There are lockers to store your backpack (not suitcases) for 100 yen.
I have revisited after 10 years and I am happy to see improvements: less political-biased statements and more representation of the overseas minority groups affected by the A-bomb have made this museum a better experience.
It was genuinely delightful to connect with the A-bomb survivors volunteers and hear their stories, especially meeting 81y.o. English-speaking Michiko Kawano. Thanks a lot for sharing so much, including personal details, about the A-bomb and a tragedy that all humanity should remember so as not to repeat ever again.
A place full of emotion.
I visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and I can say it is one of the most meaningful and moving places in the entire city. I highly recommend buying tickets online – they cost less than 2 euros per person and let you skip the long queue at the entrance, saving you precious time.
The visit takes about two hours, walking through rooms rich with historical testimony. Inside, numerous artifacts, personal belongings, and remnants from that tragic day are displayed and explained, portraying the horror of the atomic bomb with stark clarity.
More than once I struggled to hold back my tears in front of the documented atrocities. This is an absolute must for anyone visiting Hiroshima – not just as a tourist, but as a human being. This museum stands as a powerful warning to all of humanity, so that such cruel and indiscriminate acts may never happen again.
