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On 21 September, on the International Day of Peace, we cleaned and rang the Peace Bell in Osaka Expo Park.

Taniyama Masaaki, director of the Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell, his two sons and Amatsu Noriko, a member, cleaned the bell and weeded the grounds, after which they rang the bell to pray for peace. We hope that the echoes of the peace bell tolled by the young people will reach all over the world.

　　

On 21. September, International Peace Day, a peace bell ringing ceremony was held at Taiheiji Temple, the family temple of Nakagawa Chiyoji, with the attendance of the temple’s chief priest, 13 general assembly members and about 30 members of the public. After Director Ohno jiro explained the significance of the Peace Bell, all participants rang the bell following the chief priest, Hoshino Ryushin. The sound of the bells reached Chiyoji on the other side of the veil.

　

On 21 September, We were invited to the “PEACEDAY 2024” event in Yoyogi Park organised by the NPO PEACEDAY. We were introduced by Sekine kenji, Advisor to the Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell and President of United People Co.

At the opening ceremony, the 4kg child bell of the UN Headquarters Peace Bell was placed in the center of the stage, and Takase Seiko, Representative director of the Association, gave an opening address, at 12:00, while everyone in the hall had a moment of silence as the Peace Bell was rung.

The opening address was a message for world peace, which she hoped would be conveyed to the whole world. After that, KABUKI actor Nakamura Kyogo then performed the ‘Heiwa ni nareya inoru wa kono kane’, and Tarumi Yukako, who plays the violin at the Bell Ringing Ceremony at the UN Headquarters Peace Bell in New York, came from New York with members of the audience to perform a medley of music.

　　　　

On 17 September, I attended the Overseas Development Study Group hosted by Kadota Sakae at Josui Kaikan.

At the beginning of the meeting, I spoke about the UN Peace Bell and all participants rang the bell.

There were about 60 participants, all of whom are active in their respective fields, and there was an announcement that a flying car would be exhibited at the Osaka-Kansai World Expo next year.

　

On 13 September, the World Federation of Youth Councils organized the ‘Peace for the Future Conference’ at the UN Headquarters in New York, which I attended after the UN Peace Bell Ringing Ceremony.

After a keynote speech by Santo Akiko, Member of the House of Councillors (Advisor to the World Federalist Movement Association), Kodaka Yoshimune, President of Hotel Mikazuki Co., Tanimoto Masakuni, Director of the World Federation Japan Headquarters and International Committee Chairman, and Kanamori Takahiro, Director of Friends of the UN, gave lectures and I also followed them. It was very informative.

　

On 13 September, Representative Takase Seiko and Director Taniyama Masaaki attended the UN Peace Bell ringing ceremony at the UN Headquarters in New York.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a resolution to the fighting in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip and rang the peace bell. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, read out the names of Nakagawa Chiyoji and Takase Seiko in her speech, which was very moving. We thank the Delegation for their thoughtfulness.

Mr Abe Shinichiro, the creator of the Japanese Garden, and Ms Santo Akiko, former Speaker of the House of Councillors, were also present at the ceremony and greeted the guests. After the ceremony, Takase was allowed to toll the Peace Bell for the first time in a long while, which made her happy as she felt like she had met her father, Nakagawa Chiyoji.

In the afternoon, Takase also attended and spoke at the ‘Peace for the Future Conference’ organized by the World Federation of Youth Councils at the UN.