21 February 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR Division for Prosperity will introduce 360-degree virtual tours to this year’s training programme on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, to be held from 25 February to 18 March 2022. UNITAR also plans to make some of the tours publicly available from the UNITAR website.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, UNITAR relied on in-person visits to Hiroshima and meetings with hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) to let participants feel the destruction and suffering caused by atomic bombs. With trainings going online, UNITAR is turning to 3D technologies to bring that powerful experience to participants. The emotional connection motivates participants to work for the abolishment of nuclear weapons.
The 360-degree tours will include the Peace Memorial Park, which symbolizes the Hiroshima’s destruction from the atomic bomb and its reconstruction. Visitors will be able to explore 15 monuments in the park, including the Atomic Bomb Dome. The virtual tour will give participants a special glimpse of the inside of the dome, which is usually closed to visitors.
The tour was inspired by the hi-meguri, or tour of monuments, that Hiroshima school children do in their peace studies. In the activity, children go around the Peace Park, collect stamps, and learn why and to whom the monuments are dedicated.
