Tour guide in Nagasaki Yukiko T.

Raised 500m from Nagasaki’s Atomic Bomb Hypocenter | UN Peace Work | Japan Tourism Expert Hi, I’m Yuki—a Nagasaki-born guide, storyteller, and former national tourism specialist. I have spent much of my life connecting Nagasaki with the world, sharing its stories of peace, faith, resilience, and coexistence. I grew up just 500 meters—about a third of a mile—from Nagasaki’s atomic bomb hypocenter and attended an elementary school with a building that survived the bombing. The school was well known for its peace education, and my childhood was deeply shaped by the atomic bomb survivors I had the privilege to know. Through my work in Nagasaki and New York, I have helped atomic bomb survivors share their message with international audiences. In New York, while involved in NGO disarmament work at the United Nations, I also supported opportunities for survivors to share their message with local communities. Some survivors told me they would pinch their own knees as they spoke, steadying themselves so they could continue sharing their testimony. Witnessing their strength and determination taught me that Nagasaki’s story is not only one of tragedy, but also a living message of resilience and dignity — and a lasting call for peace. I believe travel can be much more than sightseeing. When we walk the same ground and listen to one another’s stories, travel can become an act of peacebuilding. That spirit of cross-cultural understanding is also woven into the history of my hometown. For centuries during Japan’s period of national isolation, Nagasaki served as Japan’s window to the outside world, shaping the city into a place of exchange, openness, and coexistence. My career has always been connected to this belief. At the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, I worked on the General Conference of Mayors for Peace, helping invite and host mayors and municipal leaders from around the world for dialogue on peace and nuclear disarmament. During my work with the Nagasaki Prefectural Government, I developed multilingual tourism and promotional content and welcomed official delegations, VIP guests, travel professionals, culinary experts, film directors, and major international media, including Lonely Planet, the BBC, and editorial teams from the U.S., U.K., and French editions of National Geographic. I also supported Nagasaki’s international promotional efforts toward UNESCO World Heritage inscription. As part of this work, I accompanied official delegations from Nagasaki Prefecture and related municipalities, including the Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture, on overseas promotional missions, including a Vatican visit during which the delegation was granted an audience with the Pope. I also led the development of Nagasaki’s pilgrimage tourism, working with overseas priests, travel company executives, airline representatives, and local Catholic communities. These journeys connected Nagasaki’s histories of Christian martyrdom, Hidden Christians, and the atomic bombing as stories of suffering, faith, memory, and prayer for peace. Later, at Japan’s official national tourism organization, I served as a senior manager for a national project introducing unique travel experiences across Japan to international visitors. I also advised governments, tourism organizations, and travel businesses, and trained guides on how to share authentic regional stories in meaningful and engaging ways. After years of sharing Nagasaki and Japan with the world through peace work, government projects, international conferences, and national tourism programs, I am now back home doing what I love most: personally guiding travelers through the city that shaped my life. Nagasaki is not just a destination. It is a living story—a city where the histories of international exchange, Christian martyrs, Hidden Christians, atomic bombing, recovery, and peace all meet. I would be honored to guide you through Nagasaki not simply as a place to visit, but as a story to feel, remember, and carry with you long after your journey ends.