The City of Hiroshima is implementing a “Peace Tourism” initiative that involves tours of major peace-related facilities and other sites in the city to encourage Japanese and foreign visitors and citizens of Hiroshima to think about the meaning of peace and share a desire for peace with people around the world. Information will be provided mainly through leaflets and a special website to educate people about the reality of the atomic bombing and to suggest tour routes that let them feel Hiroshima’s past and present, including buildings that were bombed and areas that have been reconstructed. There is also information on bicycles (Hiroshima City Share Cycle “Peacecle”) and city loop buses (Hiroshima Meipuru-pu) that can be used along the routes, so that even first-time visitors can see the sights without getting lost.

Peace Tourism website

Peace Tourism map leaflet (Japanese and English versions)

　The Peace Tourism initiative is run by the Tourism Promotion Division of the Tourism Policy Department of the Hiroshima Economic Affairs and Tourism Bureau. Division manager Yamaguchi Yoshiaki says, “We hope that visitors will not only learn about the reality of war and the atomic bombing, but also reflect on the reconstruction that followed and peace for the future. We also feel that tourists visiting from overseas and other parts of Japan should not focus only on the A-bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum, as many often do, but rather appreciate other cultural facilities and tourist attractions as well to experience the history and charm of Hiroshima in its entirety.”

　Yamaguchi Yoshiaki, division manager of the Tourism Promotion Division, Tourism Policy Department, Hiroshima Economic Affairs and Tourism Bureau

　The main task is to provide information on things likes tour routes. Top recommendations are the “Tour of A-bombed buildings that retain traces of the bombing” that allow you to visit spots such as the Former Hiroshima Army Clothing Depot and the A-bombed weeping willow tree; the “Tour of cultural and literary sites before and after the bombing” that will take you to the Hiroshima Prefectural Museum of Art and Peace Bridge; the “Tour of the reconstruction of citizens’ lives” that let you experience reconstruction at Hijiyama Park and the Enkobashi Bridge ; and the “Tour of atomic bomb-related museums” that visits Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Honkawa Elementary School Peace Museum, and other sites.

 Peace Tourism website (Tour route introduction page)

　In recent years, in addition to route suggestions, Peace Tourism has held related events as well. In 2021, the City of Hiroshima designated a “Peace Culture Month” to focus on various initiatives that will lead to a shared desire for peace. In conjunction with this, the “My Search for #Peace Photo Contest” Street Exhibition was held. Before the exhibition, the contest called for Instagram entries under the themes of “My Hiroshima #Peace Spot” and “My #Peace Days,” which received around 4,000 submissions. “In addition to photos of famous “peace spots” such as the A-bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, there were also many Peace Days photos that captured ordinary, everyday moments such as sleeping children, grandparents with grandchildren, and eating delicious food. They were all wonderful pictures that made us feel a deep sense of peace.” The selected works were posted on a special website and made into a downloadable calendar, which many people saw and loved.

2022 Calendar featuring the winning entries of the “My Search for #Peace Photo Contest”

　“Recently, the worsening situation in Russia and Ukraine has given us opportunities to think more about world peace. Next year, the G7 Summit will be held in Hiroshima, where leaders will discuss global issues such as the world economy and regional affairs. I hope that people will once again reflect on peace.”

The Peace Tourism initiative is planning various events for this year’s Peace Culture Month.

　Okamoto Yasushi, a staff member at the “Hello! Hiroshima Project,” which is taking on Peace Tourism events in 2022, said, “The two pillars of the project are the events and the photo contest, which we also held last year. This year, we plan to hold two types of events: a one-day event and a digital stamp rally that will be held throughout the whole month.”

Asageshiki (“Morning View”) Guided Tour

   For the one-day event, they collaborated with various businesses and civic organizations working under the theme of peace. Planned events included a performance of Inoue Hisashi’s masterpiece “The Face of Jizo” with music and dramatic recitation, the Asageshiki (“Morning View”) Guided Tour from Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine to Peace Pagoda on Mt. Futaba, to discuss Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bombing and its reconstruction. “We hope that through this platform of Peace Tourism, we and other businesses and organizations can learn about each other and intersect to create a community.” This is the shared concept, and the goal is to connect each player and spread peace across the globe.

   The digital stamp rally “Peace Puzzle” is an interactive in which where you can earn stamps by visiting peace spots and participating in peace events. To enter the rally, users access a dedicated website on their smartphones. “When you visit a spot, you will be given a quiz, and if you answer the questions, you will receive a stamp. We hear that many schools have had difficulty organizing school trips due to Covid-19, so we would be delighted if they could make use of the rally in their everyday learning. Through digital technology, we believe we can appeal to the younger generation as well.”

(For more information on Peace Puzzle, see https://www.tsuguten.com/peacepuzzle/)

   The Peace Tourism initiative’s aim is to “share a desire for peace.” By coming into contact with the lingering traces of the atomic bombings and evidence of reconstruction throughout the city, and by learning their stories, citizens and visitors alike will have a chance to think together about what can be done to achieve world peace and to share a desire for peace. By touring the routes that connect past, present, and future, and participating in related events, visitors are encouraged to rethink the meaning of peace.

Peace Tourism

Inquiries: Tourism Promotion Division, Tourism Policy Department,

Hiroshima Economic Affairs and Tourism Bureau

082-504-2767 (main)

Website: https://peace-tourism.com/