On 6 August 2024, WPFC Hiroshima, organized by “World Peace Flag Ceremony Hiroshima”, Representative OTANI Miharu, was held on the east side of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. We prayed for the world peace, saying ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’, and the flags of 194 countries around the world were raised one at a time, and the participants prayed for peace in each continent, saying ‘May Peace be in XX (the name of the country)’.
Ms TAKASE, representative of the Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell, rang the Peace Bell three times at the beginning of the ceremony, once between each continent, and gave a concluding address. The UN Peace Bell is a 4 kg bell that was presented to the City of Hiroshima by the Association last year and we borrowed from the City of Hiroshima this time. It was already so hot and humid early in the morning and there were many marchers in the park, and despite the police crackdown, passers-by joined in and prayed for world peace together.
This is the third time we have participated in the event this year, and as the number of participants has increased each year, we felt that more and more people are interested in peace.
