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MuseumsHimeji Historical Peace Center

During the Pacific War, Himeji City suffered tremendous damage from two major air raids that reduced most of the city area to scorched earth and claimed more than 500 precious lives.
To promote measures for peace, Himeji City has delared itself a "City for Peace" and an "Anti-Nuclear City for Peace."
As the years have passed, the tragedy of the war and people's wartime experiences have faded from people's memories.
The Himeji Peace Museum was established to convey the horrors of war and the priceless nature of peace to future generations.
There are five areas in the permanent exhibition room: "Himeji, Beautiful Castle Town," "Himeji Castle Covered," "Himeji Castle in Flames," "Resurrecting Himeji Castle," and "Praying for Peace." In addition to photo panels and displays of actual items, there are also restored houses and air-raid shelters from the time.
In the "Himeji Castle in Flames" section, which includes videos, audio, vibrations, and dioramas, visitors can see videos about the lives of Japanese people in Himeji and other cities during air raids, and experience the horror of an air raid itself through the eerie sounds of falling bombs and the horrible noise and vibration of the explosions.
In the audiovisual corner, visitors can see videos about war-damaged cities throughout Japan, hear narratives and readings of personal accounts of air raid experiences, and see a digitalized picture show from the war years.
The museum also holds annual Spring Special Exhibitions, Non-Nuclear Peace Exhibitions, Autumn Special Exhibitions, and Vault Exhibitions to educate visitors about the horros of war and the preciousness of peace, displaying valuable photographs and actual items from the time.