Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

We will be visiting Japan with our almost 9 year old son. We are considering visiting Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Museum. While I think it will be very educational for my son, I am worried that the museum may have pictures that are too graphic for a nine year old. (He does not watch violent horror movies.) Can anyone advise whether the museum is too upsetting for older children? Thank-you.

I don't remember the pictures being extremely graphic, but the subject matter does give it a post-apocolyptic feel. I'm not sure how much of that a 9 year old will really get or not though...

Some of what makes the pictures and artifacts so sad/horrifying are the stories that go with them.

For example, the stoop where all you can see is a person's shadow. Just to look at it, you wouldn't even know it was significant except after you realize that that shadow is all that remains of a person who was pretty much vaporized right there...

Some exhibits, like the melded fingernails, could also easily be skipped over if you don't want to explain them. You can spend more time at exhibits such as Sadako's paper cranes and talk about those kinds of things that are moving and educational but not graphic.

It's been a while since I've been there, so perhaps someone who has been there more recently or traveled with kids themselves can better describe how they may react or what exhibits are difficult for them...

You can sample the photos and materials displayed at the museum here.
http://www.hiroshima-spirit.jp/en/museum/index.html

I've been to the museum 3 times. At every visit there were school children touring the museum as well as adults. As rabbityama says, some of it has an apocalyptic look and even adults may be taken aback by the horror of what it looks like up close after an atomic bomb is detonated. This is one of the major themes the museum imparts - that it was a horrible event - and that it should never happen again. However most of the museum is devoted to displays of artifacts found in the rubble and their associated stories plus photos/displays of the aftermath and recorded accounts by survivors. If your 9 year old does not know about WW2 and how it ended you may want to educate your child about it first before going.

Thank-you for the input.

Most of the exhibits he probably won't really get unless you explain it to him. The "grosser" things (like the fingernails etc) are up at adult chest/waist level in exhibits so unless you pick him up he won't see it.

What might get him, however, is the selection of burned and ruined children's toys and clothing worn when the bomb hit. There is also one tunnel where you walk through what appears to be a burned and ruined part of the city with mannequins that might be a bit scary for him (there didn't appear to be any way to avoid this section when I was there in Sept.).

All in all though I don't think it will be too scary. There will be a lot of other children there and if he sees them going around without any problems he'll be fine (he may even be more interested in them than the exhibit).

Comment, Other than this museum, what else yould take you to Hirsoshima ? Remember, everything else is new and rebuilt. Few old temples ect..its a modern city that you could see anywhere. Plan your trip accordingly.