Hiroshima Day: the 6 August Peace Memorial Ceremony
Every 6 August, Hiroshima holds the Peace Memorial Ceremony in front of the Cenotaph in Peace Memorial Park, from 8:00 to 8:50. At 8:15, the moment the bomb exploded in 1945, the Peace Bell rings and the city keeps a minute of silence. In the evening, lanterns are floated on the river by the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Hiroshima Day is 6 August, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Each year the city holds the Peace Memorial Ceremony in front of the Cenotaph in Peace Memorial Park, from 8:00 to 8:50. At 8:15, the moment the bomb exploded, the Peace Bell rings and everyone keeps one minute of silence. The ceremony is open to the public. In the evening, people float paper lanterns on the river in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome.
The Peace Memorial Ceremony
The ceremony takes place at the Cenotaph, which holds the register of names of those who died because of the bombing. In 2026, the 81st anniversary, about 50,000 people attended, with representatives of 121 countries and regions and the European Union, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Order of the ceremony (2026)
- The names of people confirmed to have died in the past year are added to the register in the Cenotaph. In 2026 there were 4,393.
- Flowers are offered.
- At 8:15 the Peace Bell is rung, and all present keep a minute of silence.
- The Mayor of Hiroshima reads the Peace Declaration.
- Children read the Commitment to Peace.
- The Prime Minister speaks.
The bell rung at the ceremony is a separate bell kept in the museum. It is not the Peace Bell in the park that visitors see on other days.
Attending as a visitor
You do not need a ticket. You do need to arrive early, and to expect security.
Ceremony day arrangements (2026, checked October 2026)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ceremony | 8:00 to 8:50 at the Cenotaph |
| Park entry restricted | 5:00 to 9:00; anyone inside must leave at 5:00 |
| Attendee entry | From 6:00, with bag checks at the gates and metal detectors at the seating area |
| Cenotaph-only visit | A separate route from 5:00 to 7:00 with no bag check, to pray at the Cenotaph |
| Seats | About 7,000 in all; about 1,200 for the general public, first come, first served |
| When seats fill | The city says general seats usually fill soon after 7:00 |
| Not allowed (5:00 to 9:00) | Dangerous items, megaphones and instruments, signs and banners, drones, shouting |
| Drones | Banned over the park and within 1 km on 5 and 6 August 2026 |
| Getting there | Roads around the park close; use trams or buses |
The City of Hiroshima publishes each year’s rules in early summer. The 2027 times are not yet confirmed, so check the city’s site before you go.
Practical advice for the day
- Go early. For one of the public seats, be at the gates when they open at 6:00.
- Prepare for heat. August is Hiroshima’s hottest month, with an average high of 32.8°C. Bring water and a hat. The ceremony is outdoors.
- Dress plainly. We found no dress code, but quiet clothes suit the occasion, and logo bibs, sashes and banners are banned.
- Keep quiet at 8:15. Phones on silent, no talking, no photographs during the minute of silence.
- Use public transport. Car parks next to the park close the evening before.
Lantern floating (toro nagashi)
On the evening of 6 August, people write messages of peace or the names of people they have lost on paper lanterns and float them on the Motoyasu River, in front of the Dome. The custom began in 1947, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.
Lantern floating (as last published)
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Where | The riverside terrace across the river from the Dome | Rurubu listing, 2026 |
| Lanterns on sale | 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at tents on both banks | Japan Tourism Agency |
| Floating | 6 to 9 p.m. | Japan Tourism Agency |
| Price | ¥1,000 per lantern | Rurubu listing, 2026 |
| Organiser | Toro Nagashi Executive Committee, tel. 082-245-1448 | Rurubu listing |
We could not find official details from the organisers online, and the Japan Tourism Agency text may be several years old, so treat these times as a guide. Visitor guides suggest watching from the bridges over the Motoyasu River, with the lit Dome behind the lanterns.
Other things on 5 and 6 August
The museum stays open late. The Peace Memorial Museum is open until 21:00 on 5 and 6 August, against 20:00 for the rest of August. Expect long queues and book a time online. In 2026 the museum went reservation-only from 8 to 16 August, during Obon, with a cap of 1,000 visitors an hour; similar rules may apply in later years.
Survivor testimony. On 5 and 6 August the museum holds testimony sessions by survivors themselves, mostly in Japanese with some English sessions. See the hibakusha guide.
Prayers at the Memorial Mound. An interfaith service has been held at the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound every 6 August since 1946.
Paper cranes. The booths at the Children’s Peace Monument open from 6:00 to 20:00 on 6 August, longer than on other days.
No volunteer tours. The free English park tours by Hiroshima Peace Volunteers do not run on 6 August, or at all in July and August.
If you visit on another day
If you are in Hiroshima on another day, the Peace Clock Tower near the Dome chimes at 8:15 every morning. Standing at the Cenotaph then is a simple way to mark the moment on any day of the year.
Where to stay
Expect strong demand for hotels near the park on 5 and 6 August. Book ahead, and consider staying near Hiroshima Station and taking the tram in at dawn. Where to stay in Hiroshima compares the areas.
