Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Rest House

On July 1, 2020, the Peace Memorial Park Rest House reopened. [History of the Rest House] The Rest House was built in 1929 (Showa 4) as the Taisho-ya Kimono Store. At the time, the building was lined with wooden houses with tiled roofs, and its modern reinforced concrete exterior made it a symbol of Nakajima Honmachi. The novelty was not only in the structure of the building, but also in the fact that the first, second, and third floors, where the show windows were located, were also sales areas, and it was rare at the time to be able to go up there while wearing shoes. In addition, the roof of the building offered a panoramic view of the city. Due to the wartime system, the Textile Control Order issued in December 1943 (Showa 18) closed the kimono store. In June 1944 (Showa 19), the Hiroshima Prefecture Fuel Rationing Control Union acquired the building, and it came to be called the "Fuel Hall." [About the bombing] The building, located 170 meters from the hypocenter, had its roof crushed by the atomic bomb, its interior was damaged, and it was completely burned down except for the basement. However, perhaps because it was a sturdy building with almost no openings on the hypocenter side, despite being close to the hypocenter, it managed to retain its basic form. On the day of the bombing, 37 people were working in the building, and all died except for one person who happened to have gone down to the basement to retrieve some documents. [Present Day] With the construction of Peace Memorial Park, there was discussion about whether to demolish the building, but in March 1957 (Showa 32), Hiroshima City purchased it and it became the base for the reconstruction of the eastern part of the city as the Eastern Reconstruction Office. From 1982 (Showa 57), it was developed into the Peace Memorial Park Rest House, and became a place of relaxation in the park. [Renovation work (reopening)] The Rest House is the only building in the Peace Memorial Park that retains its appearance from before the bombing. Taking advantage of its historical characteristics, it was renovated to preserve and utilize it as a place to convey the reality of the bombing and share thoughts about peace, and to improve hospitality for tourists. It was reopened on July 1, 2020 (Reiwa 2), the 75th anniversary of the bombing. [Overview of each floor] ●Exhibition Room 1 on the 3rd floor has four exhibition corners: "The origin and history of the Nakajima district," "The bustle of the Nakajima district before the bombing," "The history of the building (rest house)," and "Communication and inheritance to the future." It displays photos that look back on the history of the Nakajima district and the history of the rest house. On the ceiling of Exhibition Room 1, you can see part of the roof (floor slab) that collapsed due to the blast. ●Resting and coffee hall 1 on the 2nd floor has a corner for serving light meals and drinks, and an atomic bomb piano is on display. On the ceiling of the corridor, you can see beams damaged by the bombing. ●1st floor A tourist information desk will be set up and local specialties will be on sale. Traces of the fire caused by the bombing can be seen on the ceiling of the corridor. ●1st basement floor The memoirs of Nomura Eizo, the only survivor in the building, paintings depicting the scene at the time of the bombing, and photos of the Fuel Hall immediately after the bombing are on display. In order to prepare the environment for viewing, new floors have been installed and the interior spaces have been leveled. (You can still see part of the original flooring.) * Free public wireless LAN service (HIROSHIMA FREE Wi-Fi) is available on all floors.