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.
