Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)
Japan ·
Description
The Genbaku Dome is the world's most eloquent silence. On August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb exploded 600 meters above, just above this building. Miraculously, the steel skeleton survived while 80,000 people died instantly. Today, Sadako's paper cranes and fresh flowers turn the ruin into a peace sanctuary.
Why It's a World Heritage Site
The Genbaku Dome is the most powerful symbol of atomic destruction and world peace. It's the only building that survived near the hypocenter. The Memorial remembers the consequences of nuclear war.
UNESCO Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions
For being the most powerful symbol of nuclear destruction and aspiration for world peace.
It was inscribed in 1996 under criterion (vi); China and US abstained.
The memorial park includes the Museum, Cenotaph, Flame of Peace and Peace Bell.
A girl who died of leukemia from radiation; she folded paper cranes believing they would cure her.
Minimum half day; the Museum is extensive and emotionally intense.