The A-Bomb Dome
A Modern Metropolis
Hiroshima was a thriving, dynamic Japanese city prior to 1945. It had a vibrant downtown, a major railway line, and the latest street car network. The city also served as an important military and industrial hub. The Genbaku Dome—which translates to “Atomic Bomb” dome—was originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall (Hiroshima-ken Sangyo Shoreikan). Built in 1915 by Czech architect Jan Letzel, the building, topped with a domed copper roof, was a fitting display of Hiroshima’s sophistication and modernity.
Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall, before 1945
Standing Amongst the Rubble
The world’s first atomic bomb exploded 600 metres (1,968 ft) above the Genbaku Dome. The building was protected from complete ruin by a heat and air buffer that naturally formed in the initial blast. Although occupants of the building were all immediately killed when the bomb detonated, the building and the dome’s skeleton frame remained intact. The Genbaku Dome was the only building that remained standing in the bomb’s hypocentre.
A Poignant Symbol of Hiroshima
The Genbaku Dome looms large in the minds of survivors, as well as in manga, films, and visual art created in the aftermath of the bombings (see, for instance, the movie and manga Barefoot Gen, which is featured later in the exhibition). Some saw the dome as a symbol of hope and renewal, yet, for others, it was a traumatic reminder of the devastation wrought by the explosion. In 1966, after much debate over whether Genbaku Dome should be preserved, the city of Hiroshima decided to leave the structure intact. In 1996, the Dome was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although American and Chinese officials expressed criticism—worried that a UNESCO designation could undermine the suffering that Japan had caused during World War Two—the site has since become a valuable space of reflection and prayer. In 2016, Barack Obama became the first sitting American president to visit Hiroshima since 1945.
Genbaku Dome, 2006
Peace Memorial Park and Museum
Today, the zone that surrounds the Genbaku Dome has become a verdant Peace Memorial Park. The nearby Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum educates the many people who travel to the city about the devastation wrought by the atomic bomb. Hiroshima is once again a lively, thriving metropolis, and the Genbaku Dome and the Peace Park attract over one million visitors each year. In 2024, a record-breaking 1.9 million people visited the Peace Park. The Genbaku Dome remains Hiroshima’s most famous symbol.
View of Hiroshima Peace Park, with Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims in the foreground and the Genbaku Dome in the background, 2018