World Peace Prayer Ceremony
In this World Peace Prayer Ceremony (Flag Ceremony), we wholeheartedly wish for the achievement of perfect world peace and pray for the peace in every country of the world, transcending all ethnic, religious or political differences. World Peace Prayer Ceremonies have been held all around the world, for example in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nation, New York City, in Munich, Moscow and Beijing.
In September 2000, a World Peace Prayer Ceremony was held in the World Peace Celebration 2000 for the creation of a “Culture of Peace” organized by the Goi Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the headquarters of UNESCO and the United Nations University. This event where more than ten thousand people gathered with the ambassadors to Japan from 87 countries as well as their representatives is described in the web site of the UNESCO.
The procedure of the ceremony
During the Ceremony, while raising the flag of each country, we pray:
For example:
May peace be in Afghanistan
Afghanistan ga heiwade arimasuyouni (Japanese)
May peace be in Bahrain.
Bahrain ga heiwade arimasuyouni (Japanese)
……………….
We pray in this way for the peace in over 190 countries of the world.
In the end we pray for the countries and regions that are not on the list:
May peace be in all the other regions of the world.
Sonotano subeteno chiikiga heiwade arimasuyouni.
Then, we pray seven times as follows:
May peace be in Hiroshima.
Hiroshimaga heiwade arimasuyouni.
All the prayers will be recited first in English and then in Japanese.
If you would like to join in our prayer through the film show, please recite the prayer in your own language at the same moment we offer the prayer in Japanese.
