| July 31, 2005 |
| Youth World Peace Music Festival Held in Hiroshima to Commemorate 60th Anniversary of End of World War II |
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| Hiroshima youth music fest appeals for a world at peace |
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Drummers of the Maidaiko Asuka Gumi express Hiroshima's anger towards war and passion for creating lasting peace |
In the evening of July 30, some 20,000 youth gathered for a Youth World Peace Music Festival at Hiroshima Central Park, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The show featured the Soka Gakkai Chubu Fife-and-Drum Corps, Maidaiko Asuka Gumi, a professional Japanese taiko drum group; Chinese classical harp performance and poetry recitation. World renowned jazz legends Herbie Hancock (piano), Wayne Shorter (saxophone) and Lionel Loueke (guitar) also performed. Through their music, the artists sent a "Message of Peace from Hiroshima to the World."
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| Jazz legends pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and guitarist Lionel Loueke appeal for fresh ideals and creative action for the sake of peace |
In an interview, Herbie Hancock said he believes all living things in nature have a harmonious rhythm. Birds and their cries, the wind blowing and leaves rustling create universal music. Humans, too, need to contribute to this universal harmony. Mr. Hancock hoped to give shape to people's spirit of peace through music, the great equalizer and harmonizer. Wayne Shorter said he appealed to the people through his music that "It's not too late." Historically, humanity has been unable to escape the cycles of wars and conflicts. However, if people become impetuous and impatient, they may despair that "it's too late" and make no progress. Mr. Shorter hoped people everywhere would take action toward the common goal of peace with a tenacious spirit.
Hiroshima City, Chugoku Shimbun, RCC Broadcasting Company and other regional television and radio stations sponsored the event, which was organized by RCC Frontier and Soka Gakkai.
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| Chugoku Fife-and-Drum Corps representatives perform a welcome march |
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Gong Xiaoning of China plays the guzheng, classical Chinese dulcimer |
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| Soka Gakkai Women Host Peace Forums in Kanagawa, Shiga and Wakayama Prefectures, Respectively |
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| Panelists have audience's rapt attention at "A Culture of Peace Forum for Mothers and Children" at Soka Gakkai Kanagawa Culture Center |
On July 30, the Soka Gakkai Women's Peace Committee sponsored "A Culture of Peace Forum for Mothers and Children" at the Soka Gakkai Kanagawa Culture Center in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The event aimed to provide young people with an opportunity to hear directly from speakers affected by war. Two women shared their war experiences. Yoshi Aoyama emigrated to Northeast China and went through many hardships before she returned to Japan after the war. Kazue Otsuka's father was a Korean forcefully brought to Japan during World War II and her mother was an atomic bomb victim in Nagasaki. They emphasized the horrors of war and the significance of peace, and expressed their resolve to build peace in society.
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| Visitors at exhibition of Battle of Okinawa drawings at Toda Peace Memorial Hall in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture |
Following songs by the Ginga (Milky Way) Chorus, whose members are from the local Kanagawa boys and girls group, a panel discussion on creating peace featured Yukie Osa (former secretary-general of the Association to Aid Refugees, Japan, and member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines Coordinating Committee); Sachiyo Inubushi (housewife); Eri Takeda (university student); Nami Kamino (junior high school student) and Mikiko Otani (lawyer). Panelists exchanged ideas on regional conflicts and antipersonnel land mines; ideal ways of supporting developing countries; and cross-cultural curriculum activities. They agreed with the importance of further developing "the culture of peace" in one's immediate environment, such as in the family and in school.
Guests attending included renowned photographer Takeyoshi Tanuma, who has traveled to over 120 countries to photograph children and thereby show the world through children's viewpoints. Mr. Tanuma said that women and children suffered most in war and it is crucial to raise public awareness of peace issues through such forums. One of the forum's attendees, a teenage-girl, said she was moved to tears while listening to war experiences for the first time from individuals directly affected by war. She determined to begin doing anything she could for peace.
At the adjacent Toda Peace Memorial Hall, paintings depicting the Battle of Okinawa opened on the same day. The show runs through August 21. Hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Entrance is free.
On the same day, Shiga and Wakayama prefecture women also hosted "A Culture of Peace Forum for Mothers and Children" in their respective locales.
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