Peace Osaka: Feel the real war experience.

Peace Osaka (Osaka International Peace Center)

Peace Osaka (Osaka International Peace Center) is a facility that conveys the memories of the Osaka air raids during World War II and the wishes for peace. Inside the museum, photos, videos, and artifacts from the time of the Osaka air raid are displayed, allowing you to experience the tragedy of the war, the state of Osaka at the time, and the people’s lives and culture. It opened in 1991 and reopened in 2015.

Business hours

9:30 am - 5:00 pm

Regular holiday

Every Monday

December 28th to January 4th

Next day after a public holiday (December to July)

Fee

Adults: 250 yen, High school students: 150 yen, Elementary and junior high school students: Free

Time required

approximately 50 minutes

Wi-Fi

Available for free (SSID: peace-osaka)

Telephone number

+081-6-6947-7208

Official site

https://www.peace-osaka.or.jp/

Parking

Morinomiya parking lot (143 spaces) [Weekdays] 400 yen / 1 hour [Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays] 500 yen / 1 hour (MAP)

How to visit

3 minutes walk from exit 1 of Morinomiya subway station

Address

2-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 540-0002

Route from the nearest station exit to Peace Osaka entrance

You can arrive at Peace Osaka in about 3 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Morinomiya Subway Station, the nearest station, but in order to arrive at the back of the building, you will need to go around the passageway to get to the entrance.

When you arrive at the back of Peace Osaka, go up the stairs.

Once you’ve climbed the stairs, continue along the passage until you reach the entrance to Peace Osaka.

Purchase tickets

A ticket is required for admission. When you enter the building, there is a ticket machine, so purchase your ticket there and present your admission ticket at the reception desk.

Exhibition area and required time

Peace Osaka has a total of 5 exhibition spots, including 3 areas on 3 floors. The route you take is to visit the 2nd floor, 1st floor, and 3rd floor. It takes about 40 to 50 minutes to visit everything at your leisure.

2nd floor exhibition room (A, B, C zone)

The exhibition room on the second floor mainly displays artifacts, photos, videos, and a timeline of wartime Osaka, how Japan came to World War II, and the national political situation.

Osaka Air Raid

In Zone A, with the title “1945, Osaka was burnt to the ground”, the scene looking north from the roof of the Kabukiza Theater in Sennichimae (Chuo Ward, Osaka City) after the first Osaka Air Raid (around March 14, 1945). is displayed on a large panel.

It is very shocking to see the entire city of Osaka burnt to the ground by the air raids. I really want you to see it up close. I was speechless.

A water bottle that was actually hit in an air raid. The explanation said that the explosion directly hit the water bottle. This is also very vivid and shocking when you actually see it up close.

The first Osaka air raid took place from midnight on March 13, 1945 to early morning on the 14th.

Approximately 50,000 incendiary bombs dropped by approximately 270 B-29 bombers caused devastating damage to central Osaka, leaving an estimated 30,000 dead and 10,000 missing. Masu. This was the second largest damage after the Tokyo air raids.

• Burnt area: Approximately 16 k㎡
• Totally destroyed houses: Approximately 270,000 houses
• Half-destroyed houses: Approximately 100,000 houses

This air raid was a major blow, paralyzing Osaka’s urban functions and hastening the path to the end of the war.

International Situation and World War II: Why did Japan go to war with the United States?

In Zone B, under the title “A time when the world was at war,” there are exhibits that mainly trace the Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and the Pacific War, and explain how Japan entered the war.

The video content explains the situation at the time, and is very useful for understanding the history and background, such as what events occurred at the time and why Japan went to war.

This is a chronology from the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars to the Pacific War. In the early stages of the Pacific War, many parts of Japan were bombarded by American air raids. You can look back on the chronology of why Japan went to war with the United States and the diplomatic and military policies and actions that Japan chose at the time.

On the other side, there is an exhibit titled “The Appearance of New Weapons and the Increase in Damage” that shows how weapons have changed over time.

The development and mass introduction of new weapons such as airplanes, tanks, and submarines determined victory or defeat, and caused tremendous damage. This exhibition shows how the remarkable advances in science and technology have completely changed the face of war.

Life in Osaka during the war

Zone C exhibits the lives of people during the war.

This exhibition, which resembles a school classroom, is titled “Children’s Life in Wartime” and depicts how children lived during the war. You can learn about the children who cooperated in the war effort as “respectable young citizens” and responded to the air raids to the best of their ability, even though their nutritional situation was rapidly deteriorating.

The desk, which is the same size as it was back then, has touch-panel video content embedded in it, and artifacts from the time are on display, allowing you to learn about what it was like back then.

In addition, under the title “Life in Osaka during the war,” there is an exhibition showing the way people lived at the time, along with a large number of memorabilia.

Osaka air raid experience painting

On the slope leading down from the second floor to his first floor, there are exhibits of Osaka Air Raid experience drawings drawn by people who experienced the air raid, remembering the situation at the time.

An explanation of the situation at the time is provided beside each picture. The events that occur in the picture are truly shocking. I can’t even fathom how terrifying it was. It makes me realize just how serious the Osaka air raid was.

1st floor exhibition room (D zone)

In the exhibition room on the first floor, the walls that were destroyed in the Osaka air raid and other things that remain from that time are on display, giving a sense of what it was like back then.

This is a replica of the incendiary bomb used in the air raid.

An incendiary bomb is a bomb filled with an agent that ignites a fire. When dropped, it immediately bursts into flames and burns the target. His oil-based M69 incendiary bomb (approx. 2.7 kg) was developed to attack Japan, which had many wooden houses. The incendiary bombs were dropped one after another from the sky in clusters, and were broken up by a timer. Furthermore, to make it easier to break through the roof, a ribbon was attached so that it would fall straight down. The purpose of dropping large quantities was to prevent firefighting efforts and burn down the city.

Air raid shelter experience

This is a reproduction of the air raid shelters that were dug under the eaves of Japanese houses during the war.

You can go inside this air raid shelter and experience a situation that recreates an actual air raid with sounds and lights.

When you actually go inside, it’s very dark.

Inside this narrow hole, sounds that recreate the air raids are played, and to be honest, it’s quite scary. I was so scared when I thought it was real. However, there are not many places where you can have this kind of experience. Although it is a simulated experience, I think it will be a very valuable experience.

Toki-no-niwa

In the courtyard on the first floor, there is a place called Toki-no-niwa, which is a place to remember those who died in the Osaka air raids and pray for peace.

Inside this dome is a stone monument inscribed with the names of each person who died in the Osaka air raid.

3rd floor exhibition room (E, F zone)

The exhibition room on the third floor displays the state of Osaka’s recovery from the end of the war to the present day.

• From a burnt out wasteland to a big city
• Occupied Osaka and the black market
• Developing Osaka and people’s lives
• Peace is threatened at this very moment.
• Spreading peace from the perspective of Osaka’s reconstruction
• In search of peace

A place to engrave historical memories and prayers for peace

Peace Osaka, tucked away in a leafy corner of Osaka Castle Park, is a place that quietly speaks of the tragic memories of the Osaka air raids and the passionate desire for peace.

A cityscape that was once burnt out and countless lives lost in the flames of war. When you witness such an unimaginable sight, you will surely feel a warm feeling in your heart.There are panels that tell the story of life in Osaka during the war, and an acwe must never forget the horrors of war.

In addition, testimonies by war survivors, lectures on peace, and film screenings are held regularly. By listening to these events, you can gain a deeper understanding of the reality of war and the preciousness of peace.

Peace Osaka still plays an important role in overcoming the sadness of the past and building a peaceful future.

When sightseeing in Osaka Castle, be sure to stop by Peace Osaka and experience for yourself the history of war and the importance of peace.