This monument was built with the desire to reconstruct Hiroshima─the city destroyed by the world's first atomic bombing─as a city of peace. It was designed by Kenzo Tange, then a professor at the University of Tokyo. It resembles an ancient arch-shaped house, in part because of the desire to shelter the souls of the victims from the elements. The monument is inscribed with the words, "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." The stone chest in the center holds the registry of the names of persons who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality. Names are added when persons related to a death make application. As of August 6, 2001, the registry comprises 77 volumes that list a total of 221,893 names.