Nagasaki Peace Park: Access and Memorials
Contents
Nagasaki Peace Park is a place of remembrance connected with the atomic bombing of August 9, 1945. It includes memorials such as the Peace Statue, the Fountain of Peace and the monument marking the hypocentre, as well as monuments donated by different countries. The neighboring Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is a separate facility with its own admission conditions. Use this guide to distinguish the sites, plan an approach and check which details need confirmation before you travel.
Plan a visit to Nagasaki Peace Park
The city describes a tram journey of about 10 minutes from Nagasaki Station on Route 1 toward Akasako, followed by about a three-minute walk from the Peace Park stop. It also gives an estimate of about 15 minutes on foot from JR Urakami Station. These are published estimates, not guarantees of how long your own journey will take; allow time for finding the stop or station exit and walking at your group’s pace. See the Nagasaki city park overview for the city’s access information, and check current tram service, fares and stop access before departure.
The park, the Peace Statue area and the Atomic Bomb Museum should not be treated as one facility with a single set of admission or opening conditions. The city’s park overview gives an address that includes 2400-1 Matsuyamachi, while the accessibility listing gives the Peace Statue area’s address as 9 Matsuyamachi. The city describes the museum as adjacent to the park and lists general museum admission at ¥200, but that price is not a park admission charge. The supplied information does not establish a park-wide admission fee, a current closure schedule or the museum’s current opening hours.
| Place or detail | Information available | What to check before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Nagasaki Station to the park | Route 1 toward Akasako: about 10 minutes by tram, then about 3 minutes on foot from the Peace Park stop | Current timetable, fare and stop access |
| JR Urakami Station to the park | About 15 minutes on foot | Your walking route and pace |
| Peace Statue area | Accessibility listing address: 9 Matsuyamachi | Current route and facility conditions |
| Atomic Bomb Museum | General admission listed as ¥200 | Opening times, closures and current admission terms |
| Parking | City overview lists 120 spaces | Current location, availability and rates |
The city’s park overview was updated on April 21, 2025, and the source information used for this guide was checked on November 4, 2026. Conditions can still change, so use the linked official pages to check information close to your visit. The city pages do not confirm every visitor category, temporary event restriction or day-specific equipment condition.
Understand the park, hypocentre and museum
Nagasaki Peace Park is an outdoor memorial area, while the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is a separate place with its own visitor conditions and admission. The city’s information identifies the Peace Statue, Fountain of Peace, hypocentre monument and donated international monuments as features of the park. The museum’s general admission is listed separately at ¥200 by the city. Do not infer from that museum price that there is a charge to enter the park, or that the park and museum share the same hours.
The hypocentre monument marks the point associated with the atomic bombing, and the city describes it as a black-granite monument about 6.5 metres high. It is a different memorial from the Peace Statue and the Fountain of Peace, which have their own purposes and explanations. The supplied city information does not provide a verified route order, walking time between these features or a complete circulation map. If you want to visit several sites, check the park information and choose a route that suits your group rather than assuming a particular sequence.
The park also has monuments donated by different countries. Nagasaki’s peace-promotion material describes the international monument zone as a project to establish peace monuments from around the world and to appeal for world peace from Nagasaki. The city’s peace-promotion material supports that description, but the information used here does not verify a complete list of works, their individual locations or their makers. Read the explanations at each monument in its own context rather than treating all the memorials as interchangeable.
Approach and plan your time
For the approach from Nagasaki Station, the city’s directions are specific about both parts of the journey: take tram Route 1 toward Akasako for about 10 minutes, then walk about three minutes from the Peace Park stop. Check the tram operator’s current service and fare before setting out; the city’s approximate journey time does not confirm a particular departure or guarantee that a stop or vehicle will be accessible on your travel date. If you are starting from JR Urakami Station, the city gives an estimate of about 15 minutes on foot, but your route and walking speed may differ.
A practical plan begins by deciding whether you are visiting the outdoor memorials only or also want to enter the museum. The city’s information supports the route estimates and the museum’s general admission price, but it does not establish an official suggested visit duration. For that reason, this guide does not assign a fixed number of minutes to a park visit or promise that a particular sequence can be completed within a set time. Allow for the walking time that applies to your group and check museum conditions separately if you intend to go inside.
If your visit falls on August 9, take the date into account when checking travel arrangements. Nagasaki holds a Peace Memorial Ceremony on that date, according to the city park overview. The available information does not specify the access arrangements or restrictions for a particular year, so check current city event information instead of assuming that an ordinary-day route, parking situation or visitor flow will apply. The same caution applies to other temporary events: the supplied sources do not confirm a year-round schedule of restrictions.
The memorials and what they represent
The city records that the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki at 11:02 a.m. on August 9, 1945, and describes the explosion as occurring 500 metres above the ground. These details provide the historical context for the memorials, which address different aspects of remembrance and peace. A Peace Memorial Ceremony is held on August 9; check the city’s current event information if your visit is near that date. The ceremony date and the park’s day-to-day access conditions are separate questions, so verify both if relevant.
The bronze Peace Statue was created by sculptor Kitamura Seibo and completed in 1955. The city lists it as 9.7 metres high and approximately 30 tonnes in weight. Its explanation gives meaning to its gestures: the raised right hand indicates the atomic bomb, the extended left hand represents peace, and the face expresses a prayer for the victims. Those meanings are the city’s interpretation of the statue; they help visitors understand why the pose combines warning, hope and mourning.
The Fountain of Peace was built with the intention of offering water to victims. The city describes the forms made by its water as symbolising the wings of a dove and a crane, and gives the pool’s diameter as 18 metres and the fountain’s height as five to six metres. The city’s tourism information records its completion in 1969; see the official tourism listing. These are descriptions of the structure and its symbolism, not a promise that the fountain will be operating at a particular time on the day you visit.
The hypocentre monument offers another point of remembrance within the park. The city describes it as made of black granite and about 6.5 metres high. It marks a different subject from the statue’s message and the fountain’s tribute, so allow time to read the explanations at the individual sites. The supplied facts do not establish a particular order for visiting these memorials or the distance between them.
The international monuments add a wider dimension to the park. Nagasaki’s peace-promotion material presents the collection as part of an effort to appeal for world peace from the city, with memorials donated by different countries. Because the available source notes do not verify a complete inventory or exact locations, this guide does not assign individual works to specific countries or give a total number. Use the on-site explanations and official information for details about the monument you are viewing.
Accessibility and parking
The city’s accessibility guide notes that the flower-offering platform has a step, with slopes on both sides. This is useful when deciding how your group will approach that platform, but it does not confirm that every part of a planned visit is step-free. For route details, consult the Nagasaki tourism accessibility guide and check current conditions before relying on a particular access path.
The same guide lists an ostomate-compatible toilet to the left of the Peace Statue and two accessible toilets in the underground car park. It also describes an escalator beside the entrance stairs, but states that the escalator is not wheelchair accessible. For wheelchair users, the guide points to an elevator route from the underground car park. Confirm current elevator operation and the route from your arrival point; the information does not guarantee that equipment will be operating on your visit or that every leg of your itinerary is step-free.
The accessibility page lists the surface ordinary-car parking area as open 24 hours and the underground parking area as open from 07:00 to 20:00. The city’s park overview lists 120 parking spaces, but the available city descriptions differ in how they present the parking breakdown, and the sources used here do not reconcile the figures by area or confirm current availability. Check the official information for the location, operating conditions and rates before driving. No parking price is established by the supplied facts.
Prepare a visit for your group
Start by choosing the approach that fits your group: the city’s tram directions from Nagasaki Station or its walking estimate from JR Urakami Station. Check the current tram service if you plan to ride, and allow for your own walking pace rather than treating the estimates as exact door-to-door travel times. If anyone needs an accessible route, review the city’s accessibility information before choosing an arrival point, especially because the escalator is not wheelchair accessible and the suggested wheelchair route uses an elevator from the underground car park.
Decide whether to include the museum before you arrive. The city lists ¥200 as general admission, but the supplied information does not establish all visitor categories, current hours, closing times or temporary changes. Confirm those details directly through the city museum admission page before planning the indoor part of your visit. Do not use the museum’s admission price as a guide to park entry conditions; these are separate places.
If you are visiting during a date with a scheduled ceremony, or if you need a particular facility to be operating, check the relevant official information close to your visit. The city confirms the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 9, but the facts supplied here do not give the arrangements for a specific year. Similarly, the accessibility guide describes facilities and routes but does not guarantee their operation on a particular day. Planning around those limits is more reliable than assuming that published general information answers every day-specific question.
Questions before a visit
How do I get to Nagasaki Peace Park from Nagasaki Station?
The city advises taking tram Route 1 toward Akasako for about 10 minutes, then walking about three minutes from the Peace Park stop. Check the current timetable, fare and stop access before you travel, because the published estimate does not identify a specific departure. From JR Urakami Station, the city gives a walking estimate of about 15 minutes; allow for your own route and pace.
Is Nagasaki Peace Park free to enter?
The information used for this guide does not confirm a park-wide admission fee, so it is not possible to state an entry price for the whole park from these sources. The city lists general admission to the neighboring Atomic Bomb Museum as ¥200, which is a separate facility and charge. Check the city’s current park and museum information if you need to confirm the conditions for a particular date.
What is the difference between the park and the Atomic Bomb Museum?
The park is an outdoor memorial area containing features such as the Peace Statue, Fountain of Peace, hypocentre monument and donated monuments. The Atomic Bomb Museum is a separate, adjacent facility with its own admission conditions; the city lists its general admission at ¥200. The supplied information does not confirm current museum opening hours or all admission categories, so check the official museum page before planning an indoor visit.
Is the route wheelchair accessible?
The city’s guide points wheelchair users to an elevator route from the underground car park and says the escalator beside the entrance stairs is not wheelchair accessible. It also notes a step at the flower-offering platform, with slopes on both sides, and lists accessible toilets in the underground car park. These details do not prove that every part of a complete visit is step-free or that equipment will be operating on your date, so confirm the route and current conditions with the official accessibility information.
When is the Peace Memorial Ceremony?
The city says the Peace Memorial Ceremony is held on August 9. The available facts do not specify the access arrangements or restrictions for a particular year. If you plan to visit around the ceremony, check current city event information rather than assuming that ordinary access and parking conditions will apply.
When was the Peace Statue completed?
The city says the bronze Peace Statue, created by Kitamura Seibo, was completed in 1955. It gives the statue’s height as 9.7 metres and its weight as approximately 30 tonnes. The city’s explanation associates the right hand with the atomic bomb, the left hand with peace and the face with a prayer for the victims.
Videos about Nagasaki’s memorials
The following travel videos show particular visits to Nagasaki’s memorial sites: ONLY in JAPAN * GO has a video about Nagasaki Peace Park, and Tourist in Japan has a Peace Park video. JM’s Life in Clips has a Nagasaki video that refers to the museum, hypocentre and park. Tabi Japan has a video about the park and the Atomic Bomb Museum.
Tamago Travels has a video that includes the Peace Park and hypocentre, while Higher Ground Imaging has a video about the museum and park. These videos can offer a visual impression of the places featured in those recordings, but they document particular visits rather than current access conditions. Use the city’s official information for your own route, facility requirements and event-day planning.
