Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome)

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The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome or Atomic Bomb Dome, is the ruin of a building in Hiroshima, Japan. It is one of the few buildings left standing near the spot where the first atomic bomb used in war exploded on 6 August 1945.

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At a glance

Country: Japan
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Built: 1915
Height: 25 m
Type: Monument

Quick answers

Where is Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome)?

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome) is in Hiroshima, Japan.

When was Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome) built?

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome) was built in 1915.

How tall is Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome)?

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome) is about 25 m tall.

The skeletal ruin that survived near the hypocentre of the 1945 atomic bomb, preserved as a memorial to peace.

The ruin is kept just as it is, as a reminder of the terrible effects of nuclear weapons and as a memorial to the more than 140,000 people killed in the bombing. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and is part of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

The building before the bomb

The building was designed by the Czech architect Jan Letzel and finished in April 1915. It was first the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition Hall, and its name changed over the years. By 1933 it was called the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall. It had a distinctive dome on top and was used for art and educational exhibitions.

It stood in a busy business district next to the Aioi Bridge.

6 August 1945

At 8:15 in the morning the bomb exploded almost directly over the building, about 600 metres up and 150 metres sideways from the dome, and it missed its target, the Aioi Bridge, by about 240 metres. Everyone inside was killed instantly.

Because the blast came from nearly overhead, parts of the walls and the dome frame survived. The ruin has been kept in a preserved state ever since.

Fun facts

It was one of the few buildings left standing near the centre of the 1945 atomic bomb blast.
It was designed by a Czech architect and finished in 1915.
The bomb exploded about 600 metres above the ground, near the building.
The ruin is kept just as it was after the bomb, with repairs only to keep it from falling down.
It became a World Heritage Site in 1996.