Presided over by the huge bronze Peace Statue, the Nagasaki Peace Park was designed in 1955 by Seibo Kitamura as a memorial to the atomic bombing of the city on August 9, 1945. As well as a Fountain of Peace and the Peace Symbol Zone—a garden decorated with international sculptures—the site also hosts the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. On August 9 each year, a special ceremony takes place at the memorial in which the mayor offers a declaration of peace to the world.
