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A jogging event was held on 24 April 2025 to commemorate “the International Day on Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace”, led by Mr Maher Nasser,UN  Assistant Secretary-General and Commissioner-General of the UN at Expo 2025.    

Many officials, including representatives of the overseas pavilions of various countries and the Expo Association, took part in the event and jogged from 7am on the Great Roof Ring. The event was signalled to start by the sound of the Peace Bell, rung by a representative of the Expo Association. Ms Ichikawa of the UN Pavilion contacted to tell us that the event had started impressively with the sound of the peace symbol.

The UN Pavilion receives more than 1,500 visitors every day, and the Peace Bell is also very popular, with many people ringing it in hope for peace.

 

(Photo courtesy of the UN Pavilion.)

　　　

On 19 April 2025, “the Earth Day Tokyo 2025 Opening Ceremony” and “Hello Earth Stage” organised by Earth Day Tokyo was held at the Yoyogi Park Event Square Outdoor Stage.

The event started with chorus and Hawaiian music by members of the Inamori Art Project Group. It was followed by reports on the activities of Hattori Michiko, Director of the NPO “World Hibakusha Exhibition”, and Endo Ryokyu of “Light of Hope”. Finally, Ms Takase, representative of the Association spoke about the UN Peace Bell and rang the 1 kg Peace Bell she had brought with her. All participants observed a moment of silence and prayed for peace.

The stage event went smoothly with fluent MC’s Hatta Kentaro and Bo Rika. It was a beautiful Earth Day, blessed with good weather.

　

 

On 13 April 2025, the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan was opened and many people visited the United Nations Pavilion.

On the first day of the Expo, many visitors rang the bell to pray for world peace.

Everyone was moved by the beauty of the sound of the bells. We were happy to hear that actress Minami Kaho also visited the museum and rang the bell. The pamphlets placed next to the bell were also very well received.

Please stop by the UN Pavilion and ring the bell!

　　

On 5 April 2025, Representative Takase Seiko, Director Taniyama Masaaki and Director Takai Michio went to deliver a 4 kg replica of the UN Peace Bell to be displayed at the UN Pavilion.

 At the UN Pavilion, they were welcomed by Mr Maher Nasser, UN Assistant Secretary-General, and Ms Ichikawa Naomi, Mr Urano Shota and Mr Gu Young-Chang, who are in charge of the UN Pabilion, despite their busy schedules. The bell was organised and cast by students of Uwajima Higashi High School in Ehime and placed on the counter at the entrance of the UN Pavilion. The students plan to make a presentation about the Peace Bell at the UN Pavilion in July.

Please stop at the UN Pavilion and ring the bell when you visit the Expo.

　　　　

　　

On 30 March 2025, the Japan Confederation of “A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organisations Nobel Peace Prize Celebration Parade” took place in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. Organised by Earth Day Tokyo, the parade was a 2 km march from in front of the United Nations University through Omotesando to Yoyogi Park. Among the participants were Hattori Michiko, an A-bomb survivor from Hiroshima, and others from Nagasaki. Groups related to peace and nuclear abolition activities also took part, and those who had difficulty walking rode on buses and sang, danced and dressed up to convey their own messages to the parade. A total of about 200 people took part.

At the start of the parade, the Representative Director Takase rang a 4 kg UN peace bell, and the participants carried a 1 kg peace bell, which they rang at each milestone in the parade.

　　　

On 21 February, the Uwajima City Office was informed by the Consulate-General of Japan in Honolulu that it had received the following e-mail through the intermediary of the Consulate-General of Japan in Honolulu.

“In 2001, a nuclear submarine of the US Navy collided with the Uwajima Fisheries High School’s Ehime Maru off the island of Oahu, Hawaii, killing nine crew members, teachers and students. The Hokulea, a traditional canoe that assisted in the search operation, made a port call in Uwajima in 2007, carrying the souls of the victims. The city of Uwajima gave us a palm-sized peace bell to commemorate the event, but the place where it was kept caught fire and was destroyed. The 50th anniversary of the Hokulea is scheduled for 8 March, and Nainoa Thompson of the Polynesian Nautical Society is keen to have the Peace Bell displayed again at that venue. Can we receive it again? Associate Professor Vince Okada of Hawaii Pacific University, who is supporting the Hokulea, will be visiting Japan at the end of February.”

The Uwajima City Hall had no record of raising the bell. However, after hearing this story, we decided to give him a 4 kg bell, as we do not have a palm-sized bell to give him at the moment.　Associate Professor Vince Okada came to Japan on 3 March and visited the Tama Centre office, where he talked about the activities of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Peace Bell for about an hour and a half. He spoke for an hour and a half about the activities of the Polynesian Nautical Society and the Peace Bell. On the way home, we gave him the bell and a picture book.