2015 Highlight

Seiko Takase talks about the UN Peace Bell
Welcoming Sister Peace Bell to Its Home
Trip to UN Headquarters
Ceremony for the UN Peace Bell in NYC

Seiko Takase talks about the UN Peace Bell

[14 October 2015] Seiko Takase, a daughter of Chiyoji Nakagawa, talks about the UN Peace Bell in the following video, which was created and released by the UN News Center.

This video is a part of the multimedia presentation "Japanese Peace Bell," created by UN.
For viewing the "Japanese Peace Bell" on the UN News Center website, click HERE.

TRANSLATTION OF SEIKO TAKASE’S INTERVIEW

0:07: My father, Chiyoji Nakagawa, worshipped Shinto deities and Buddha,
and greatly valued all lives.
0:17: In 1951, with an extraordinary aspiration for peace, he welcomed the opportunity to speak
in front of the UN General Assembly in Paris where he proposed to donate a peace bell.
0:40: His belief was that the sound of a peace bell would move people’s mind.
0:48: In order for many people around the world to be involved,
he collected coins to cast the Peace Bell.
1:05: Chiyoji Nakagawa also received a handful soil from Hiroshima by Mr. Matsumoto,
a Zen priest at the Ryukain Zen temple in Uwajima City, who was injured by the nuclear bomb.
1:27: A Christian school girl who wished to participate in the peace movement
sent of soil from Nagasaki.
1:42: Because the soil could not be cast in the bell, my father sent it to New York
where it was buried under the Peace Bell’s foundation stone to reflect
hibakusha’s aspiration for peace.
1:58: end

0:07: 父中川千代治は神仏をとても敬い、すべての生命を驚くほど大切にする人でした。
0:17: 想像を絶する程の平和を熱望する父は、1951年、パリの国連総会でお話をする機会を得ました。
そこで父は、「世界絶対平和万歳の鐘」を国連に寄贈したいと訴えたのです。
0:40: 父は平和の鐘が、人間の心に響くと考えたのでしょう。
0:48: 父は、世界中の人々からコインを集めて、平和の願いを込めた「世界絶対平和万歳の鐘」を作ったのです。
1:05: そんな父のところに、広島で原爆に被爆した宇和島市の龍華院住職松本指導禅師から、一握りの広島の被爆の土が送られてきました。
1:27: そして、長崎からは、キリスト教徒の女学生が平和運動に参加したいと、長崎で被爆した一握りの土が父のもとに送ってきたのです。
1:42: その両方の土を平和の鐘とともにニューヨークに送り、平和の鐘の鐘楼の礎石の下に、埋めたのです。
1:58: 終り

Welcoming Sister Peace Bell to Its Home

[5 September 2015] A ceremony for welcoming the Sister Peace Bell was held in "Kisaiya Plaza," Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture.

The Sister Peace Bell is the one that is installed in the Osaka Expo ’70 Commemorative Park. During the period os Expo ’70, the UN Peace Bell was sent to Japan. While the UN Peace Bell was gone, a replacement Peace Bell was cast using the same materials as for the UN Peace Bell, which was donated to UN in 1954, with additonal coins contribured by 133 nations. The replacement Peace Bell, called Sister Peace Bell, was donated to UN by Chiyoji Nakagawa again.

The Sister Peace Bell sent back to its original home in Uwajima for the second time, 44 years after its first time "coming home."

Over 200 people attended the ceremony, including those outside Ehime Prefecture. The Ceremony was opened with a chorus titled Peace Bell, followed by speeches delivered by honorable guests, recitation of the Uwajima City’s Absolutely Peaceful City Declaration, and and attendees tolled the bell.

The ceremony went very well and ended successfully.

Picture 1: Opening chorus: “Peace Bell” sang by chorus group Cecilia
Picture 2: Reception desk
Picture 3: Attendees of the ceremony
Picture 4: Speech by Mr. Koichi Yamamoto, Member of the House of Representatives
Picture 5: Speech by Mr. Hirohisa Ishibashi, Mayor of Uwajima City
Picture 6: Speech by Mr. Shikataro Nakagawa, Representative of Association for the Preservation of UN Peace Bell
Picture 7: Joutou, Jounan and Jouhoku Junior high school students recited the Absolutely Peaceful City Declaration.
Picture 8-13: Attendees tolled the Peace Bell

Trip to UN Headquarters

[25-30 August 2015]
Nine members of the Association for Preservation of UN Peace Bell visited UN Headquarters and the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, during August 25 through 30.

We received a lecture from the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations on the roles and activities of UN. We learned many things about UN that are new to us.

At the UN headquarters we had an opportunity to have a look of the Peace Bell. We all were impressed.

Mr. Kan-ichiro Ooshita, a son of Mr. Rinpei Ooshita who built the bell tower building, inspected the tower building and found that it is well maintained in very good shape.

Everyone participated in wiping the surface of the bell using a piece of clean white cloth, thinking of late Mr. Chiyoji Nakagawa and reassuring about peace.

We wish to make a visit every year.

Picture 1: Inspecting the bell tower building, wiping the surface
Picture 2: Visitors with UN headquarters behind
Picture 3: The Peace Bell as seen from inside the building
Picture 4: The Conference Hall for the UN General Assembly
Picture 5: The Conference Hall for the UN Securities Council
Picture 6: Visitors with pictures of the Secretary-General of the UN
Picture 7: At the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN

Ceremony for the UN Peace Bell in NYC

[6 May 2015]
A ceremony for the UN Peace Bell was held in the Japanese Garden of the United Nations headquarters, New York City. The bell was relocated back to where it used to be.

Mr. Shikataro Nakagawa and Ms. Seiko Takase attended from Japan.