Record numbers visit Hiroshima's nuclear memorial museum

Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum has welcomed a record number of visitors through its doors within the last year.

According to information released by the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, the organization responsible for the operation of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the total number of individuals who visited the museum during the 2024 to 2025 financial was 2,264,543.

This was an increase of 282,761 visitors when compared to the 1,981,782 visitors recorded in the previous year, representing a growth of 14.3%.

The museum has a wide range of exhibits that portray the devastation caused, such as this one that shows the flattened city and the point of explosion of the nuclear bomb

This milestone marks the first occasion since the museum’s inauguration in 1955 that the annual visitor count has surpassed the two million mark, and the increase represents a continuous trend observed over the past four consecutive years.

Notably, the number of foreign visitors also reached an unprecedented high of 728,385 individuals, constituting approximately one-third of the museum’s total visitor attendance.

Foreign visitors often take the opportunity to visit both the Peace Memorial Museum and the A-Bomb Dome, which are located close to each other in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

The primary factors contributing to this surge in visitors are attributed to the prevailing unstable global political climate, a heightened global awareness of peace following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), and a general increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan.

The lasting impact of the G7 Summit held in Hiroshima in 2023, which saw world leaders visit the museum, is also considered a contributing factor.

2023’s G7 Summit saw world leaders visit sites in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, such as the Memorial Cenotaph (pictured)

The museum has had to adapt to the increased visitor numbers, particularly asking visitors to book online before visiting.

The number of days during the Obon holiday period, which typically represents the peak visitation period of the year, during which visitors experienced wait times exceeding 30 minutes to enter the museum, decreased from nine days in 2023/24 to two days in 2024/25, indicating a positive effect from the implementation of online ticket sales, which often offer a timed slot to visit within.

Given the consistently high levels of visitor attendance, the museum administration will continue to consider further measures to manage visitor flow and enhance the overall experience.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is also intensifying its outreach efforts towards the densely populated Kanto region of Japan with the specific aim of increasing the number of students visiting the museum on school trips.

The museum is seeking to attract more school trips, seeking ensure the youth of today continue to advocate against the use and creation of nuclear weapons

During a press conference held at the city hall, Vice Chairman Shiro Tani emphasized the importance of the museum’s mission, stating: “We appeal to the significance of learning about life and peace in Hiroshima.”

The city plans to update the exhibits located on the first floor of the East Building by the end of the fiscal year 2025, with the intention of disseminating crucial information such as the concept of the “nuclear taboo,” which underscores the global understanding that the use of nuclear weapons is not permissible.

Source: Chugoku Shimbun