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Hiroshima: Peace Park VR Tour & Survivor Stories Walk

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Free cancellation

1/9

Duration1h 20m

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk Hiroshima’s past & present with survivor voices and VR

You’ll walk through Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park with a local guide and use VR goggles to see life before and after 1945. Hear survivor stories in their own words, visit places like the Atomic Bomb Dome and Eizo Nomura’s shelter, then leave your own message for peace by the river.

1h 20m

Step-by-step itinerary

Meet guide at reception
Learn to use VR goggles
Relive life of Eizo Nomura
Experience before and after atomic bomb
See destruction of Atomic Bomb Dome
Hear testimonies of A-bomb survivors
Learn about town reconstruction efforts
View Atomic Bomb Dome World Heritage site
Discuss recovery and peace appeal
Post comment on River of Hope wall

The Experience

The first thing that threw me off was how clumsy I felt with the VR goggles. Our guide, Yuki, just grinned and helped adjust the strap — apparently I’m not the only one who can’t get it right on the first try. We started in this quiet reception area, but as soon as we headed down to the basement of what used to be the fuel building (now just called the rest house), it felt heavier. The air was cool and a little musty, and Yuki told us about Eizo Nomura, who somehow survived right here when everything above was destroyed. I kept touching the wall — it’s rough, cold stone — thinking about how someone actually lived through that moment in this exact spot.

Once we put on the headsets, things got weirdly real. Through the VR, you see Hiroshima before “that day” — kids playing by the river, streetcars rattling past. Then suddenly it all changes; there’s this silence that’s almost physical. Yuki didn’t rush us. She let us just stand there for a while before explaining how the Atomic Bomb Dome ended up like it is now. You can still hear birds outside (real ones), which made everything feel even stranger — like time was folding over itself for a second.

I wasn’t ready for how raw some of the survivor testimonies would feel, even though they’re just voices in your ear. One woman described walking through streets two months later, everything burned out and smoky. I glanced at another guest next to me — she had tears running down her face and didn’t wipe them away. After that part, Yuki talked about how people started rebuilding almost immediately. She shared an old photo of her grandmother helping clear rubble; I guess everyone here has some family story tied to this place.

At the end, we stopped by this wall along what they call the “river of hope.” People write messages or prayers for peace there — some in shaky handwriting, some in bright marker. My own words felt small but I wrote them anyway. I still think about that view across the water, honestly — not sure if it’s hope or just sadness mixed together.

What’s included

Your day includes guided access through Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park with an English-speaking guide who helps you use your VR headset (rental included). You’ll visit key sites like Eizo Nomura’s shelter and have time to reflect or write your own message for peace before finishing up.

Good to know

Easy physical level

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