Few visitors to Hiroshima's memorial museum linger long to look at the photos of scorched victims, a child's burnt lunchbox or the shadow of someone who was incinerated.

Perhaps the images are too harrowing, or maybe they are just short of time.

More than 50 years after it opened, curators of the museum are reviewing the exhibition to try to convey a stronger message and stop memories of the devastation of the August 6, 1945 atomic attack fading from the public's mind.

The move comes after the city discovered that visitors spend less than 20 minutes on average viewing the core displays, which contain the most chilling photos as well as clothing and personal effects worn by victims.

"We decided to improve the display so that visitors spend more time to learn the horror of the bombing," said Mizuho Inaba, the chief curator of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

About 1.25 million people visit the museum each year, spending an average of 45 minutes there, far short of the three hours that is necessary to fully view the exhibitions, according to museum officials...