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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.

　　　　

It has been decided that a 4 kg UN Peace Bell will be displayed at the United Nations Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo in 2025. The exhibition of the bell was organised by Mr Kusunoki, a teacher at Uwajima Higashi High School, and the students of the International Club of Uwajima Higashi High School.

The bell was cast with coins from all over the world given by many supporters, and the ceremony was held at Kamakura Palace on 8 Feburaly. It was delivered to Uwajima Higashi High School to be unveiled to the people of Uwajima, who cooperated with us. Although it was a holiday, many people welcomed us and everyone rang the bell and wished for world peace. The bells will later be delivered to the Expo site.

NHK’s Matsuyama Broadcasting Station was also there to cover the event.

　　　

8 February 2025, A ceremony was held at Kamakura Shrine to mark the donation of a 4kg Peace Bell to be displayed at the United Nations Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo. The bell was planned and proposed by students of Uwajima Higashi High School in Ehime prefecture, who were moved by the peace activities of Nakagawa Chiyoji

The ceremony began with a prayer of congratulation by the chief priest Koiwa, followed by the dedication of the Ootonomiya ritual dance by the shrine maidens, the purification of the bell, the offering of the Tamagushi by the representatives and the ringing of the peace bell by all the participants. The ceremony ended without a hitch with a greeting from Koiwa and a speech by Representative Takase.

The Peace Bell will later be brought to Uwajima to be unveiled to the students of Uwajima Higashi High School, and then displayed in the United Nations Pavilion at the Osaka/Kansai Expo.