Announcement regarding the 2025 Peace Memorial Ceremony

Ceremony details

Category	Details
Date and time	Wednesday, August 6, 2025 beginning at 8:00 am and scheduled to end at 8:50 am
Venue	Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Scale	Approximately 7,000 seats will be available. In addition, the ceremony will be simultaneously broadcast at the Phoenix Hall and Himawari conference hall of the International Conference Center Hiroshima, with approximately 2,200 indoor seats available.
Participants	Please see Supplement 1 for the proposed list of primary invited guests at this time. We currently do not have concrete numbers available, as we will be adjusting the number of those invited at a later date.
Ceremony schedule	1．Opening (8:00 am) 2．Dedication of the Register of the Names of the Fallen Atomic Bomb Victims (8:00 am) 3．Address (8:03 am) 4．Dedication of Flowers (8:08 am) 5．Silent Prayer and Peace Bell (8:15 am) 6．Peace Declaration (8:16 am) 7．Release of Doves 8．Committement to Peace (8:24 am) 9．Addresses (8:29 am) 10．Hiroshima Peace Song (8:46 am) 11．Closing (8:50 am)

(2) Regarding participants

1) About the change from invitation to announcement sent to representatives of countries and regions

Until last year, we had sent invitations to the Peace Memorial Ceremony to designated persons, such as ambassadors to Japan. However, beginning this year, we will send an announcement regarding the ceremony to all countries and regions, prompting understanding regarding the aims of the ceremony and asking for the participant to RSVP having fully understood these aims. In addition, we will also ask for participant cooperation in holding a smooth ceremony, as well as prompt them to participate in tours of the Peace Memorial Museum and attend testimonies from atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha).

Eligible participants

Those from 196 countries and regions.

(a) Every diplomatic mission, etc., in Japan (embassies to Japan and other representative divisions) for countries and regions listed on the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s (MOFA) website

(b) Every permanent mission to the United Nations

(c) Countries and regions listed on the MOFA website other than (a) and (b) that requested to attend

2) Increase in distinguished guests for the commemoration of 80 years since the atomic bombing

The City of Hiroshima plans to invite the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the head of our judiciary branch, as well as youth representatives from our sister and friendship cities to participate in the ceremony. All other distinguished guests are currently under discussion.

3) Security measures

(1) Entry restrictions (see Supplement 2)

Entry restrictions for visitors to Peace Memorial Park (ceremony venue) will be in place from 5:00 am to 9:00 am. Attendees may enter the venue beginning at 6:00 am (last year, entry began at 6:30 am).

• 5:00 am: Park visitors inside the restricted area will be asked to leave the park.
• 6:00 am*: Entry to the ceremony venue will be allowed for Peace Memorial Ceremony attendees. When entering the venue, attendees will first undergo a baggage inspection at the entrance to the venue and then undergo a metal detector screening at the entrance to the seating area (main venue).

*Entry may begin earlier or later depending on crowding.

During the hours listed above, a designated entrance/exit and pathway will be set up for those paying their respects at the Cenotaph from 5:00 am to 7:00 am (baggage inspection/metal detector screening not necessary).

Note 1: The seating area for hibakusha and bereaved families of hibakusha (approx. 1,600 seats) and the general public (approx. 1,200 seats) will be closed once the seats are full.

Note 2: A priority entrance has been added at each entrance gate for hibakusha, bereaved families, the elderly, and those with special needs (disabilities, etc.).

Note 3: In addition to the entry restrictions listed above, we may enforce traffic restrictions for pedestrians in the Peace Boulevard area when vehicles related to the ceremony area pass through.

(2) Prohibited activities

The following activities will be prohibited in Peace Memorial Park (ceremony venue) from 5:00 am to 9:00 am.

• Bringing in any object deemed to disrupt to the operation of the ceremony, including dangerous goods, objects that make loud sounds (microphones, megaphones, musical instruments, etc.), signs, fliers, Japanese vertical banners (nobori), horizontal banners, or similar.
• Wearing bibs with banners or logos (zekken), sashes, helmets, hachimaki headbands, or similar.
• Flying drones
• Activities deemed to interfere with the operation of the ceremony, including throwing things, making loud noises, trespassing in restricted areas, or similar.
• Activities deemed to disrupt other park visitors from passing through or park usage.
  Specific examples include: forcefully ejecting other park visitors and using their space, blocking other visitors from passing through by gathering and staying in large groups in the park, causing a bottleneck to prevent other visitors from entering the venue by refusing baggage inspection, arguing with staff, or similar, and other similar activities.
• Activities deemed to disrupt security carried out by city employees, etc., aimed to regulate park visitors
  Specific examples include: refusing to comply with requests to move for the sake of security, disrupting security measures by forcing your way through lines marking restricted areas or inspection points, and other similar activities.

Should it be deemed that you are engaging in prohibited activities, you will be requested to stop. If you do not comply with the request, you may be ordered to leave Peace Memorial Park.

4) Other initiatives commemorating 80 years since the atomic bombing

To widely publicize that this year’s ceremony is being held during the milestone 80th years since the atomic bombing, we will conduct PR beginning in early July by putting up posters in facilities used by the general public, such as public facilities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hiroshima Station, Shareo Underground Shopping Plaza, and Hiroshima Station South Gate Underground Event Space. Furthermore, we have commissioned students at Motomachi High School to design the poster in order to foster awareness in the younger generation.　

Inquiries

Inquiries regarding the 2025 Peace Memorial Ceremony

Citizens Activities Promotion Division, Citizens Affairs Bureau
☎ 082-504-2103
✉ [email protected]

Inquiries regarding Hibakusha and Bereaved Families of Hibakusha Seating

Research Division, Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Department, Health and Welfare Bureau
☎ 082-504-2191
✉ [email protected]

Inquiries regarding Municipality Representative Seating

Lifelong Learning Division, Citizens Affairs Bureau
☎ 082-504-2495
✉ [email protected]

Inquiries regarding International Resident and Visitor Seating

Internationalization Division, International Peace Promotion Department, Citizens Affairs Bureau
☎ 082-504-2106
✉ [email protected]

Supplementary information

• Planned primary invited guests and participants (Supplement 1) （PDF 118.5KB）
• Entry restrictions on the day of the Peace Memorial Ceremony (Supplement 2) （PDF 414.4KB）
• Request from the City of Hiroshima regarding the Peace Memorial Ceremony (Japanese)
• Regarding reservations for Municipality Representative Seating (Japanese)

Inquiries regarding this page

Internationalization Division
International Peace Promotion Department
1-6-34 Kokutaiji-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima City
☎ 082-504-2106
✉ [email protected]