Bombed cities and the nuclear threat

The 70th anniversary this month (August) of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brings back memories of my visit to these two Japanese cities a decade ago.

I visited the Sanyo region of Western Honshu in early November 2005 with my daughter Jhoanna who was then assigned at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo. We availed ourselves of the special offer of the Japan Travel Bureau for a one-night stay at the 23-story Hiroshima Prince Hotel and round trip fare to and from Hiroshima. Our mode of transportation was the NOZOMI superexpress Shinkansen (bullet train), four hours each way. The visit gave us the opportunity to see a UNESCO – declared World Heritage Site: the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.