Ms. Jasmine Ayala Espinosa, a university student from Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico, has been accepted into Hiroshima City University’s “Intensive Summer Program 2026: Hiroshima and Peace,” to be held from August 3 to 7. Cuernavaca, a member city of Mayors for Peace, is located approximately 90 kilometers south of Mexico City. The first participant from Cuernavaca represents a valuable opportunity for Latin American people to study peace in Hiroshima.
Ms. Ayala Espinosa is in the faculty of economics at the Autonomous University of Morelos under the guidance of Professor Ernesto Takayanagi García. She has demonstrated a strong interest in peace studies and social issues. In 2024, she served as moderator and coordinator of a panel discussion held at her university to commemorate the International Day of Peace. She is also actively involved in a survey research project concerning harmony and peace.
Professor Takayanagi visited Japan in August 2025 to attend the Mayors for Peace General Conference in Nagasaki and participated in the Peace Memorial Ceremonies in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This experience strengthened his desire to provide younger generations with opportunities to learn about peace directly. This is the reason why he therefore recommended Ms. Ayala Espinosa for this year’s program and fortunately received the welcome news of her acceptance.
Approximately one month before her visit to Hiroshima, we held an online meeting with Ms. Ayala Espinosa and Professor Takayanagi in order to review the program, accommodation arrangements and local transportation. The program will include testimony from an atomic bomb survivor, a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, attendance at the Peace Memorial Ceremony, lectures on peacebuilding and nuclear weapons, group discussions and presentations.
We also discussed Japanese customs, including punctuality, greetings and bowing. In preparation for her first visit to Japan, she practiced useful Japanese expressions such as konnichiwa (“hello”), arigatō gozaimasu (“thank you”), sumimasen (“excuse me”), onegaishimasu (“please”), wakarimashita (“I understood”) and dokodesuka (“Where is …?”)
Her participation will contribute not only to her academic development but also to the dissemination of Hiroshima’s message of peace and the realities of the atomic bombing. After returning home, she will share her experiences with students and young people in Cuernavaca, as well as with we are planning to give an online meeting for younger generations throughout Latin America. We hope that Professor Takayanagi’s experiences and commitment to peace will be passed on through his student to future generations, fostering a new relationship of peace and friendship between Hiroshima and Cuernavaca.
