- 4/26/2026
The university’s intercultural communication group, “ViVA,” conducted a Peace Park tour at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima City.
The group was joined by 23 international exchange students from 10 countries and regions to listen to a lecture on the experiences of atomic bomb survivors and toured the museum. It was a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of peace.
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The group first attended a “Lecture on Atomic Bomb Experiences by Survivors.” It is designed to convey the experiences of the atomic bombings to future generations. During the lecture, the speaker described the conditions at the time of the bombing, the suffering that followed, and a strong desire for peace. Every participant listened intently. The words resonated deeply, providing an opportunity to reflect once again on the preciousness of peace.
Afterward, the students toured the Peace Memorial Museum and then split into small groups to explore the Peace Memorial Park, with the ViVA students serving as guides and providing explanations at various sites. In front of the memorials and monuments, they drew on the knowledge they had acquired beforehand to explain the sites. By exchanging opinions with one another, the experience became a more active and engaging learning opportunity both for the international students and the Japanese students giving the tour.
At the end of the tour, a commemorative photo was taken in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Standing there and feeling the weight of history, all the participants felt the importance of peace and communicating its significance to future generations.
This Peace Tour was more than just a sightseeing trip; it served as an opportunity to put into practice a series of learning experiences centered on “learning, reflecting, and sharing.” It is hoped that students from the younger generation, who have no firsthand experience of war, will transcend national, cultural, and racial boundaries to communicate messages of peace from their own perspectives.
Student Comments
・Anna Maria Dejwor [Poland] (International Exchange Student)
I really enjoyed the tour because I have a strong interest in history, particularly World War II. It also reminded me of my home country, Poland, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. The students from Hiroshima University of Economics explained everything to me in detail and with great enthusiasm. The tour was very well organized, and I hope to apply the knowledge I gained here to my thesis.
・Foo Zhi Wei [Malaysia] (Full-time International Student / 4th Year, Faculty of Business Administration)
What left the deepest impression on me during the tour was the phrase that read, “Create Peace,” rather than “Pray for Peace.” That message strongly taught me the importance of taking action.
・Naoki Kijima (3rd Year, Faculty of Economics)
Being able to communicate and share what I have learned about Hiroshima’s history and peace to international students in my own words was a great opportunity to reflect on peace once again.