The spectre of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was a major factor in the mindset that shaped the culture of the fifties and early sixties, so it’s not as if I actually wanted to visit the city, it’s more a feeling that if the opportunity arose I had to.
From there it was on to Kagoshima, with a break in the journey to look at Kumamoto Castle.
Although only a few structures date back to the castle's construction in 1607, the reconstructed castle is one of the most impressive in Japan, rated alongside the white-walled Himeji and black-walled Matsumoto. With around eight hundred cherry trees, the castle is a popular sakura venue in late March and early April each year and although most buildings are reconstructions, the work is high quality and new buildings are constantly being added.