Jackie grew up in Fife, Scotland, and after graduating from the University of Edinburgh with an MA in German and Linguistics, lured by the challenge of learning a language and experiencing a culture so completely different from her own “normal”, she set off for Japan in 1991 “for a year”. She is still there more than three decades later and the adventure continues. Since moving to her husband’s native Hiroshima in 2000 she has been fascinated by the juxtapositions of old and new, horrific destruction and breathtaking beauty, the talk of peace and the ever present spectre of war that her chosen hometown reveals to all who visit. Facilitating cross cultural communication and mutual learning, and forging connections between a broad spectrum of local experts who have been key figures in Hiroshima’s post-war reconstruction story and diverse groups of international visitors to Japan, has been a central thread running through her varied career. When she is not sharing her Hiroshima with visitors to the city, Jackie is an avid reader, film lover and supporter of the performing arts. To wind down, she has been known to indulge in a little fine dining and the odd glass of wine.