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Visit Hiroshima — and beyond: Museums marking 80 years since World War II's end
Okinawa's Flame of Peace memorial combines fires from Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the first landing site of the Battle of Okinawa.
By Laura Payne
On Aug. 6, 1945, Hiroshima became the first city in history to be attacked with an atomic bomb.
Eighty years have passed since this incident and the formal end of World War II in Japan. Hiroshima is now home to a peace memorial park and museum that accommodate crowds of travelers annually. The bombing of Hiroshima is only one chapter of Japan's war experience, however. Countless museums, memorials and landmarks — viewed alongside Hiroshima — can help visitors more fully understand the Second World War in Japan.
From the mainland to the southern islands, there are a few significant museums that are accessible from Hiroshima. Consider visiting these after exploring Hiroshima's story.
Air raids and kamikaze in Osaka and Fukuoka
Osaka Castle is also a war-related site because its structure was damaged by air raids.
Image: とうがらしたんたん/Pixta
Full-scale U.S. air raids occurred across Japan from 1944, destroying both military facilities and residential areas. Evidence shows that in addition to Japanese civilians, air raids impacted Korean and Chinese nationals (countries partially or completely colonized by Japan at the time) as well as Allied prisoners of war.
The city of Osaka endured multiple bombardments until Aug. 14, 1945. Visitors can glimpse life during these attacks through multilingual exhibits at Peace Osaka — a museum near Osaka Castle. Displays, such as a replica of a home prepared for air raids, emphasize the experience of civilians. This becomes especially poignant upon realizing that an estimated 15,000 people died or went missing during the bombings.
Besides fighter planes, the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum also displays items such as photos of individual kamikaze pilots and letters they left behind.
Image: ふくおかクロニクル/Pixta
In southern Japan, Fukuoka City and nearby towns also have a history of air raids. The Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum (about 60 to 90 minutes from Hakata station by public transportation) portrays a unique perspective because this area was once a transit point for kamikaze pilots. Artifacts such as preserved fighter planes pass on the stories of these men. Other exhibits, meanwhile, explain how air raids eventually damaged the transit airfield and surrounding townscapes — killing civilians.
Air raid history is worth remembering for many reasons, including the fact that these attacks still pose a threat today. Even in the 21st century, unexploded ordnances (UXOs or unexploded bombs) have been uncovered in former air raid sites. Without discovery and proper disposal, there is still a risk of explosion.
Bullet trains from Hiroshima station can bring visitors to Osaka (via Shin-Osaka station) and Fukuoka (via Hakata station) in about 90 minutes or less.
Tracing the battlefields of Okinawa
Depending on how much you plan to see, it is possible to spend about two to four hours at Okinawa's Peace Memorial Park.
Image: きんとも/Pixta
Most of Japan's UXOs have been uncovered in Okinawa Prefecture. This is because the islands endured the Battle of Okinawa, which killed over 200,000 people. These casualties were made up of Allied and Japanese forces and numerous Okinawan civilians — including women and teenagers as young as 14 who were forcibly conscripted to the front lines.
Okinawa's Peace Memorial Park is an essential stop for anyone wishing to understand this event. At the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Museum — located past the park's main entrance — visitors can encounter an introduction to Okinawa's history from its era as an independent kingdom to the experiences of islanders during and after the Second World War.
Names on the Cornerstone of Peace are written in multiple languages, reflecting the backgrounds of those who died.
Image: きんとも/Pixta
The peace park also features multiple memorial structures. Perhaps the most famous is the Cornerstone of Peace, a stone monument that bears the names of everyone who died in the Battle of Okinawa regardless of nationality or whether they were military personnel or civilians. For some battle survivors, these engraved names are their only connection to departed loved ones. Many people's remains have yet to be recovered.
Okinawa's Naha International Airport is accessible by domestic flights from Hiroshima Airport. Shuttle buses offer airport access from Hiroshima station.
Gifu's lifesaving diplomat and Nagasaki's 'saint'
One highlight of the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall is a recreation of the consulate office where Sugihara wrote visas for refugees.
Image: Monami/Wikimedia Commons-CC BY-SA 3.0
In 1939, diplomat Chiune Sugihara was assigned to the country of Lithuania. Soon after, Jewish refugees gathered outside Sugihara's consulate. They wanted transit visas to Japan, from which they could escape to another country. When Sugihara requested approval to issue visas, he was told not to do so unless the refugees met stringent requirements. Sugihara defied his superiors and issued over 2,000 visas. Some of these granted passage to families, so estimates claim that Sugihara ultimately saved about 6,000 lives.
Sugihara's birthplace of Yaotsu, Gifu, passes on his story at the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall. Exhibits provide a timeline of what happened before and after Sugihara's actions, including the fates of people who received visas. Outside the memorial hall, visitors can also explore Jindonooka (Hill of Humanity) Park — a green space that features monuments to peace.
Dr. Nagai's room in Nyokodo Hermitage is about the size of two tatami mats (about three square meters).
Image: Cogavva/Pixta
Nagasaki City preserves the story of another man known for his kindness: Catholic radiologist Dr. Paul Takashi Nagai. After being diagnosed with cancer and given three years to live, Dr. Nagai experienced the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945. Amid his suffering, Dr. Nagai treated survivors, helped establish a children's library and donated his own money to Nagasaki's reconstruction among other humanitarian deeds. He died in 1951, and in 2021 he was named a Servant of God — a title for people in the early stages of consideration for sainthood.
The Nagai Takashi Memorial Museum — near the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum — shares details of Dr. Nagai's life. Next door to the museum is Nyokodo Hermitage, a small house where Dr. Nagai lived. He named this house 'Nyokodo' after part of the Japanese translation of the Bible verse, 'love your neighbor as yourself.'
Gifu station is about three hours away from Hiroshima station. Take a bullet train to Nagoya station, then transfer to a local train. From Gifu station, rental cars provide the most convenient access to the Chiune Sugihara Memorial Hall. However, there is also infrequent public transportation. Visit the Gifu City Information Centre inside Gifu station for details.
It is possible to reach Nagasaki station in about three hours from Hiroshima station. Take a bullet train to Hakata station, then transfer to an express train for Takeo-Onsen station. From here, the Nishi Kyushu shinkansen (bullet train) runs to Nagasaki.
Reflecting, 80 years on
Many more sites around Japan convey stories from the Second World War, underscoring that tragedy struck everyone during this time. These memorials also pass on a conviction to never repeat history. Reflecting on this wish is vital even 80 years after the conflict.
© Japan Today
