During Dr. Luciano Bosso's visit to the Botanical Garden of Naples, the Director shared an interesting historical anecdote connecting the cities of Naples and Hiroshima:

"In 1952, a Japanese ambassador donated to the Naples Botanical Garden some roof tiles from the Hiroshima Botanical Garden, recovered after the atomic bombing. As a gesture of gratitude, the Naples Botanical Garden sent some Laurus nobilis plants to Hiroshima University. These were planted by the then President, Tatsuo Morito, in one of the university’s gardens. The current Director has kindly asked whether these plants have survived over the years and if they are still alive today. The letters and fragments of roof tiles from the Hiroshima Botanical Garden are currently preserved in the Ethnobotany Museum located within the Botanical Garden of Naples. I am attaching some photographs of the letter along with a fragment of the tile.”

​​​​​An update from Dr. Luciano Bosso:

"On April 14, 2026, I delivered half of the seeds to the Botanical Garden of Portici, Department of Agriculture, University of Naples Federico II. The seeds have already been sown, and we are now awaiting the first signs of germination. In the latter image, from left to right, you will see UNINA gardener Bruno Chianese, CNR researcher Luciano Bosso, and UNINA botanical technician Giuseppina Chianese."