Heiwa Koen (Peace Park)

Heiwa Koen (Peace Park) Review

Heiwa Koen was built on the grounds of an old prison that was destroyed in the atomic blast. In the middle is a large statue of a godlike man sitting with one arm stretched to the sky and one to the land. A short distance down the hill, Hypocenter Koen marks the bomb's "hypocenter." A solitary pillar was erected to mark the exact epicenter, and there is curiously little distance separating this from anything else. Traffic rumbles by not far below, and apartment buildings and a hotel or two look down from the hill directly behind. In contrast to the looming Hiroshima dome, when you came upon the spot you might not immediately recognize its significance. But as you get closer the significance of the solemn pillar becomes starkly clear. From Nagasaki Station, take either Streetcar 1 or 3 for the 10-minute ride to the Matsuya-machi stop.