Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

▶Chronology of the Museum
1945 (Showa 20)
August 6: The world’s first atomic bomb exploded about 600 meters above the center of Hiroshima, causing catastrophic damage to the city.

1949 (Showa 24)
May: The “Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law” was unanimously passed by both houses of the Diet.
August 6: The “Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law” was promulgated with support from more than 90% of the votes in a referendum of Hiroshima citizens. On the same day, the joint work by Kenzo Tange and others was selected as the design plan for Peace Memorial Park.
September: Based on atomic bomb-related materials such as rubble collected by geologist Shogo Nagaoka and others, the “Atomic Bomb Reference Material Exhibition Room” was established at Hiroshima City Central Community Center, and public exhibitions of materials related to the atomic bomb damage began.

1951 (Showa 26)
February: Construction began on the “Peace Memorial Exhibition Hall” (now the Main Building of the Peace Memorial Museum).

1955 (Showa 30)
August 6: The “Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Ordinance” was promulgated.
August 24: The Peace Memorial Museum opened (with Shogo Nagaoka as its first director). The collection of materials related to atomic bomb damage was supported by many citizens, including the Atomic Bomb Materials Collection Support Association, a volunteer civic group (now the Atomic Bomb Materials Preservation Association).

1958 (Showa 33)
April–May: The “Hiroshima Great Reconstruction Exposition” was held, using the Peace Memorial Museum and other venues.

1975 (Showa 50)
August: To address the aging of the building and deterioration of the materials, the first major renovation was carried out, and the museum reopened with a completely renewed exhibition.

1991 (Heisei 3)
August 1: The museum reopened after a second major renovation, introducing large-scale models and large-screen video displays.

1994 (Heisei 6)
June 1: To enhance exhibition and storage functions and provide a place for peace education, the Peace Memorial Hall was rebuilt and opened as the “Peace Memorial Museum East Building.”

East Building: Exhibits Hiroshima before the atomic bombing, from the development of the atomic bomb to its use, the reality of the nuclear age, and Hiroshima’s efforts toward peace.
Main Building: Exhibits belongings, photographs, and other items of atomic bomb survivors.

2006 (Heisei 18)
July: The Main Building was designated as an Important Cultural Property by the national government, the first postwar building to receive this designation.

2012 (Heisei 24)
November: The “Schmoe House” was opened as an affiliated exhibition facility in Eba Ninomatsu 1-chome, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City.

2014 (Heisei 26)
March: Renovation work began on the East Building and Main Building.

2017 (Heisei 29)
April: The East Building reopened after renovation.
East Building: Exhibitions are organized into three zones: “Introductory Exhibits,” “The Dangers of Nuclear Weapons,” and “The History of Hiroshima.”

2019 (Heisei 31)
April: The Main Building reopened after renovation.

▶Architectural Features of the Main Building
The Main Building was designated an Important Cultural Property by the national government on July 5, 2006, as the first postwar building in Japan to receive this distinction. Designed by Kenzo Tange, it was the first postwar building in Japan to receive high international acclaim and is the work that marked the starting point of his career.

▶Architectural Features of the East Building
The building was reconstructed from the “Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall,” which opened in 1955, and opened in June 1994 as the “Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (East Building).”
Subsequently, renovation work was carried out from March 2014, and it reopened in April 2017.
Compared with the Main Building, which plays the leading role, the East Building was designed to play a supporting role and given a restrained design. It is connected to the Main Building by a corridor, and is symmetrical with the International Conference Center around the Main Building. In contrast to the Main Building, which serves as a gateway, the East Building was designed as a somewhat more substantial structure, with the ground-level columns and beams finished in stone and enclosed by freestanding stone-clad walls.