The museum consists of two buildings, the main building and the east building. The main building mainly exhibits the damage caused by the atomic bomb, and displays photographs that vividly depict the devastation after the bombing, charred remains, testimonies and paintings of the victims, etc. These exhibits have a strong impact on visitors, and we should never turn a blind eye to them as they are records of the tragedies experienced by humanity.

The east building introduces the historical background of the atomic bombing, the history of the development of nuclear weapons, the path that Hiroshima has taken as a city of peace, and efforts toward realizing world peace. The latest digital technology, projection mapping and touch panel commentary, have been introduced, allowing visitors to learn more deeply and from multiple perspectives (there is no permanent exhibition of VR/AR headsets).

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is not just a museum, but provides a place for people around the world to learn about the horrors of war and the value of peace, and calls for action toward the realization of a world without nuclear weapons. Many dignitaries attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6 every year, further strengthening that message.

[Trivia] The master plan for the entire Peace Memorial Park and its main structures (the museum, the Atomic Bomb Dome repair, the memorial monument, etc.) were designed by architect Kenzo Tange in the 1950s. Tange is one of Japan's leading postwar architects, known for his technique of combining the strength of concrete with delicate forms. In Peace Memorial Park, while protecting the remaining part of the dome, the arrangement of the water basin and lawn that spreads around it, and the linear form of the museum, express a space of "tranquility" and "prayer."