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The 3rd “UN Peace Bell” bell-beating ceremony was held on November 27, 2021 at Tsurumine Hachimangu in Chigasaki. Representative Takase, Director Takai and Auditor Fujioka participated from the Defending Society. After a heartfelt prayer by chief priest Nojo, a congratulatory speech, and a cute shrine maiden dance of elementary school students, Shohei Iyasaka participated from Nara and sang “Iyasaka of Hope”.

After introducing about the peace bell by Representative Takase, the participants ringed the 4kg children’s bell of the United Nations Peace Bell in turn. After the ceremony, we had a small party and had a peaceful time. We received a lot of foreign coins from worshipers from Tsurumine Hachimangu.

    

We received an email from Mr. Borislav Iliev who is living in Bulgaria and he wants to read the Story of the UN Peace Bell. He contacts us again because he wants to know that if Chiyoji Nakagawa presented the replica of the Peace Bell to Bulgaria.

And we answered to him that Yes, Chiyoji surely presented the replica of the Peace bell and attached the photo of the scene where Chiyoji is presenting the bell to the Bulgarian ambassador in 1970.

Then Mr. Iliev answered us that he is the Bulgarian ambassador at that time surely.  The Ambassador also published a book about Japan too.

Mr. Iliev said he will ask to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs if there is a replica of the UN Peace Bell.

Another miracle happened again.

We are looking forward to hearing news from Mr. Iliev soon.

 

• 　Chiyoji is presenting the Peace Bell to the Bulgarian ambassador in 1970.
• Bulgarian ambassador in that time.

On October 24, 2021, under a clear autumn sky, the 5th Bell Ringing
Ceremony for the Peace Bell was held at Osaka Expo Memorial Park.

In Japan, the corona scourge has subsided, but we have implemented
infection control measures such as temperature checks and
disinfection.
The ceremony was attended by all those who have a special relationship
with the Peace Bell.
At the ceremony, we received congratulatory speeches from Ambassador
Yamamoto of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Kansai, Mr. Nishida, a
member of the Osaka Prefectural Assembly, Mr. Tsuruta, Director of the
Osaka Prefectural Office of Education, Mr. Hattori, Director of the
Suita City Mayor’s Office, Mr. Nakano, Acting Chairman of the World
Federation Movement Association, and Mr. Nozoe, Director of the Osaka
Expo Park Office.
We also received congratulatory messages from former UN Ambassador
Yoshikawa, Uwajima Mayor Okahara, Osaka Prefectural Assemblyman Miura,
and Osaka Prefectural Assemblyman Sugie.

This year, many children from Suita Children’s Ambassadors and
Children’s Education Association and their mothers and spouses
participated in the ceremony, which was solemn yet homey.
All the participants rang the Peace Bell in prayer for peace, and the
wonderful sound of the bell echoed through the park.
In the park, picnicking parents and children listened to the sound of
the bells, and children ran around happily.
We truly felt the “peace”.

The bells at Osaka Expo Memorial Park are sister bells that contain
the same coins and medals as the “Peace Bell” that Chiyoji Nakagawa
presented to the United Nations 67 years ago.
At the 1970 Osaka Expo, Chiyoji brought the UN Peace Bell back
home to be rung by people all over the world.
At the same time, Chiyoji also built and sent to the United Nations a
replacement bell to keep the bell, a symbol of peace, alive during the
Expo.
After the Expo, the two bells were exchanged and the replacement Bell
was presented to the Osaka Expo Memorial Park.
Fifty years later, the UN Peace Bell in New York and the Peace Bell in
Osaka Expo Park continue to appeal for world peace in their respective
locations.

 

Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell gains UN NGO status

On June 26, the Global NGO Executive Committee, chaired by Patrick Sciarratta, informed the Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell, represented by Seiko Takase, of the fact that the application for NGO status was approved, to be effective on the same date, on June 25, 2021. As the result of gaining the NGO status, the Association is eligible for participation in various UN-sponsored events, receiving publications of UN, and recruitment information, for free of charge. An NGO that is based on the Charter of the United Nations is a private organization that cooperates with UN. In that context, NGO is considered to be equivalent with an international organization that is in cooperative relationship with UN. In fact, an organization that cooperates with UN is called UN NGO, and has influential power on the international politics. For-profit organizations, political parties, and foundations are excluded.

(Source: NEWYORK SEIKATSU PRESS, INC.)

 

On Dec. 19, 2020, the consecration ceremony for the Peace Bell for Republic San Marino  

was held solemnly at the main building of Kamakura Shrine.

The ceremony was attended by 13 people from our association and the Executive Committee  

 of San Marino Nippon Matsuri.  

The chief priest Koiwa gave the Shinto ritual prayer and the priestess played dance.  

The chief priest performed Otonomiya dance and offered tamagushi, i.e. a branch of sacred tree.

It was a heartfelt ritual. All attendees rang the bell. The chief priest Koiwa talked in his speech  

about the reason why Chiyoji Nakagawa came to this shrine for the purpose of consecration ceremony;  

Nakagawa loved and respected Otonomiya who sacrificed life for people in general.

Lastly, Seiko Takase, the representative of our association, and Yuko Furugen,  

the representative of Executive Committee of San Marino Nippon Matsuri gave closing remarks,  

and the ceremony ended smoothly as planned.

The Peace Bell to be presented to San Marino had been made very nicely, and

 on December 6th, 2020 the unveiling party was held by renting the kitchen car space

in front of the Sin-Marunouchi Building in Tokyo Marunouchi.

The show started with a special kabuki play “Heiwaninareya Inoruwakonokane”

(“Aspire to Peace with this Bell”), performed by Hashigo Nakamura, a kabuki actor.

Audiences were impressed by the splendid performence.

Nakamura was followed by Seiko Takase who talked about the Peace Bell enthusiastically,

a group Kohanjuku to play Japanese drums, and

a group to perform a traditional dance called Nishimonai-bon-odori

The performers and audiences together shared aspiration for peace and containment of coronavirus.

We paid attention to anti-coronavirus measures; keeping social distance and modest call 

to passers-by. They seemed enjoying the show for a while.