Atomic bombed buildings still in use around the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park

Thinking about peace through existing atomic bombed buildings

There are atomic bombed buildings in the daily streets of Hiroshima.

Some of the atomic bombed buildings are being used for active use, and many of them are closely related to daily life, such as department stores. Let's think about peace through the existing atomic bombed buildings that are being used in everyday life.

Peace Memorial Park Rest House

At the time of construction, it was an innovative reinforced concrete building.

Many tourists visit the tourist information center and shop in the building

The distance from the hypocenter is 170m. Built by Taishoya Kimono Shop in Osaka in 1929, it was a modern building made of reinforced concrete that was innovative at that time. It is the only building in the Peace Park that retains the remnants of the pre-atomic bombing. Utilizing its historical characteristics, conveying the reality of the atomic bombing, preserving and utilizing it so that it becomes a place to share thoughts for peace, and to improve hospitality to visitors, renovation work was carried out to mark 75 years of the atomic bombing It was renewed and opened on July 1, 2020.

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Hiroshima Andersen

Conservation of A-bombed buildings by renovating and utilizing

The distance from the hypocenter is 360 meters. The modern building based on the Renaissance style was completed as the Hiroshima Branch of the Mitsui Bank, and at the time of the atomic bombing, it was used as the Imperial Bank Hiroshima Branch due to the merger. In 1967, the current Andersen Group bought it and opened “Hiroshima Andersen”, a bakery and restaurant complex store. The atomic bombed buildings have been preserved by utilizing them according to the style of the times. After a complete rebuilding work that left the atomic bombed area, the Hondori shopping street continues to operate again in August 2020.

Former Hiroshima Branch of the Bank of Japan

It is used as a gallery and is attracting attention in the art world of Hiroshima.

Designated as an Important Tangible Cultural Property by Hiroshima City

The distance from the hypocenter is 380m. It is a historical building representing the early Showa period in Hiroshima, with an excellent appearance in classical style, and it remained almost as it was at the time of construction even after the atomic bombing. It is also designated as an important tangible cultural property of Hiroshima City. Currently, it also serves as a building open to the public, and is used as a place for holding events and using galleries.

Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum

It is an elementary school built in the place closest to the hypocenter, and is now open to the public as the Peace Museum.

The elementary school closest to the hypocenter

The distance from the hypocenter is 410 meters. It is the elementary school closest to the hypocenter, and was built as the first three-story reinforced concrete school building in a public elementary school in Hiroshima. Part of the building is preserved and opened to the public so that it can be visited as the Peace Museum. The motif of the elementary school in “Barefoot Gen” is this Elementary School.

Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum

Messages left on the wall after the atomic bombing have been published as valuable materials.

Part of the old school building is preserved and can be visited as a Peace Museum

The distance from the hypocenter is 460 meters. Part of the former school building, which was called the “West School Building” at the time of the atomic bombing, has been preserved and can be visited as the Peace Museum. Messages written on the walls to inquire about the safety of children, faculty, and local people are published as valuable materials to know the situation at that time.

Fukuya Department Store

The walls of the buildings along the train street remain as they were built before the atomic bombing.

The department Store that resumed its business one year after the atomic bombing, contributing to the reconstruction of Hiroshima

The distance from the hypocenter is 710 meters. It is a local department store representing Hiroshima. It was a modern building with heating and cooling facilities, which was rare at that time, and it was crowded with people. The following year after the atomic bombing, it quickly resumed business, contributing to the reconstruction of Hiroshima.

It has been increased and rebuilt four times, but the exterior along the train road has remained the same as it was when it was completed in 1938 before the atomic bombing, and it has become a place that creates a lively atmosphere of people even now and in the past.