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On 15 August 2025, I was invited to attend the 27th Old Nakagawa Lantern Floating Ceremony for the Victims of the Old Nakagawa in Tokyo Air Raid. The ceremony took place on the Fureai Bridge on the Old-Nakagawa River, which spans Edogawa and Koto wards. After the organizer’s speech by Eto Masaya, the ceremony began with greetings by Edogawa Ward Mayor Saito Takeshi and Koto Ward Mayor Okubo Tomoka, and everyone prayed in silence as Nakajima Miki, a representative of the primary schools, rang the 4 kg UN Peace Bell, which was presented in 2018.

Flowers were offered at the cenotaph and lanterns with the inscription “Long Live Absolute World Peace” were floated to commemorate the victims of the Tokyo Air Raid.

　　　　　

 

August6. The 33rd World Peace Flag Ceremony was held with the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima as a backdrop, 80 years after the bombing.

I travelled from Tokyo by bullet train with our member Ms.Takigawa Yoko to attend the event.

The ceremony started with a speech by WPFC Hiroshima representative Ms. Otani Miharu. During the ceremony, participants waved the flags of all countries around the world and I rang the Peace Bell for each continent to pray for world peace.

This was the fourth time I have participated in the Hiroshima Flag Ceremony, but this year was the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, and a particularly large number of people attended the ceremony. The relatives of Sasaki Sadako, an A-bomb survivor, also attended and gave a speech, followed by a speech by Ms. Heidi Unferdorben, the creator of the Global Peace Pole in Oceania, and I also gave a speech as a representative of the Association for the Preservation of UN Peace Bell.

I felt that people’s growing fear of nuclear weapons reflected their sense of danger of a new nuclear war and their desire for a world without war.

　　　

On 5 July2025, I gave a lecture on the “Birth of the UN Peace Bell and its donation to the UN” to 90 participants of the Sakura City International Culture course and 10 related people at the Sakura City Central Community Centre. This lecture was made possible through the introduction of Mr Ishizuka Yoshiaki, a former principal of a Japanese school in New York, who became a member of the Association.

The Sakura City International Culture course was established in 1990 with the aim of fostering citizens who can think from an international perspective and act as cosmopolitans. Some of the graduates are active at the forefront of international exchange and friendship. I am very grateful to Mr Suzuki Akihiro, Secretary General, for allowing me to give a lecture at this traditional course for citizen in Sakura city.

Mr Katsura, Director of the Association, did a good job of assembling the video for the lecture. After the lecture, all participants rang the Peace Bell and prayed for world peace.

　　　

 

 

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.

　　　　

On 24 May, Mr Yoshikawa Motohide, Advisor of the Association for the Preservation of UN Peace Bell, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN, visited the UN Pavilion at the Kansai Expo in Osaka, Japan.

He had met again with Mr Maher Nasser, UN Assistant Secretary-General, and had tinkled the Peace Bell.

We are very happy to hear this wonderful news and appreciate to be sent the photo.

On 5 May 2025 a Children’s Day event was held in Osaka Expo ’70 Commemorative Park. Organized by the Global Cultural Symbol ‘Koinobori (carp streamer)’ Project, the event was held together with children to raise ‘Koinobori’ for children. In addition to making and hoisting the carp streamers, the event included the ringing of the UN Peace Bell, dragon flute performance, dragon dance, calligraphy, soap bubbles and much more.

After opening remarks by Dr Nakamura Tetsu, representative of the Japanese Culture Education Society, and Takase Seiko, representative of the Association for the Preservation of UN Peace Bell, the activities began. The event was called to action by student volunteers and Mr. and Mrs. Taniyama, Director of the Association, and the general participation of parents and children exceeded 200 people. Colorful carp streamers danced in the clear sky and many children gathered in the park to make handmade mini carp streamers. Small UN peace bell was rung and soap bubbles were blown, a scene befitting Children’s Day.

There are more than 50 countries and regions in the world today that are still in conflict. On Children’s Day, we wished that the whole world would become a planet filled with children’s smiles and laughter.