On 1 June, Director Katsura and I visited the Osaka-Kansai Expo. We first visited the UN Pavilion, where the 4kg UN Peace Bell is displayed. We were welcomed by Mr. Maher Nasser, the representative of the UN Pavilion, and Ms. Ichikawa Naomi, who is assisting with the display of the Peace Bell. We were told that the Peace Bell is placed at the entrance and visitors are welcome to ring it at any time, and that Nakagawa Chiyozi, who presented the Bell to UN Headquarters in 1954, would be happy to see it from the other side of the veil.
In the evening, we were invited to attend a reception by the Permanent General Mission of Palestine in Japan. Ambassador Waleed Ali Siam welcomed us as we had presented a 4 kg replica of the UN Peace Bell to them for peace and tranquility in September last year. We enjoyed watching traditional Palestinian costumes and folk dances.
