Peace Flame

The Flame of Peace is a continuously burning flame located within Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
The monument supporting the flame was designed by Kenzo Tange, then a professor at the University of Tokyo, and measures 3 meters in height and 13 meters in width. Its form represents two hands joined at the wrists with palms open toward the sky, symbolizing comfort for the souls of atomic bomb victims who died seeking water, as well as prayers for the abolition of nuclear weapons and everlasting world peace. The flame itself was lit in 1964 by women from Hiroshima Prefecture, combining "the Flame of Religion" collected from 12 religious sects nationwide and "the Flame of Industry" gathered from furnaces across Japan. Since being lit, the flame has never gone out and stands as a symbol of the unwavering wish to keep it burning until nuclear weapons are eliminated from the earth. It is sometimes used to light ceremonial flames for sporting and other events, much like an Olympic torch. Access to the Flame of Peace is via the "Atomic Bomb Dome" stop on the Hiroshima Electric Railway. It is located on the north side of the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims within Peace Memorial Park.