On September 20, 2019, people with flags of nations in hands gathered in the Japanese Garden of the United Nations headquarters where the Peace Bell exists. The delegation from Japan attended the solemn ceremony. Attendees were Seiko Takase, Representative Director, Association for the Preservation of the UN Peace Bell, and four members, namely Kaori Fujioka, Yoshimasa Kadota, Yoshiaki Ishizuka and Kenjiro Takase.
António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, UN Secretary-General, urged the crisis around the world due to climate change, and rang the Peace Bell. The Peace Bell becomes even more important when the world is moving toward homelandism.
Muhammad-Bande, President of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, followed Guterres and rang the Bell. After the ceremony, Ambassador Koro Bessho together with President Muhammad-Bande, a Nigerian, walked up to us and introduced us to the President. We shook hands with nice smile.
Per request by UN, Seiko Takase gave the UN tour guides a lecture on origin of the Peace Bell and Chiyoji Nakagawa’s aspiration. Our members joined the UN Tour on the following day and were very pleased to find that the guide wholeheartedly and politely explained about the Peace Bell.
