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Press releases Archive |
LAST UPDATE
August 11, 2005
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| August 12, 2005 |
Joint Korea-Japan Candle Message for Peace |
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60 years after the end of World War II, in a summer filled with cries of“Yasukuni!”, “Textbooks!”, “Takeshima!”, “Anti-Japan demos!” 500 youth from Korea and Japan join together to send a candle-lit
message of peace to Northeast Asia and the world
Friday, August 12 – 18:00 Open, 19:00 Event Start
Meiji Park, Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Candles to spell “Peace” in Japanese and Korean letters of 40m x 70m
Photos taken by helicopter from 300m above available to the press |
site design imagesparkle.com |
60 years after the end of the war, in a pledge not to repeat the mistakes of the past, 500 citizens of Korea and Japan will join together to send a candle-lit message of peace.
This event is organised in partnership by Peace Boat and the Green Foundation of Korea, on the eve of a joint Japan-Korea cooperative voyage for peace. Peace Boat has organised 49 voyages since its foundation in 1983, but this 50th voyage is the first to be held in partnership. Half of the 600 passengers onboard will be Korean, the other half will be Japanese. The ship will sail from Tokyo on August 13, and return to Nagasaki two weeks later after having visited Pusan, Seoul, the border between China and North Korea, Shanghai, Nanjing and Okinawa.
Although 2005 is the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, deep problems remain between Japan and Korea due to a lack of true recognition and reconciliation over the past. This year, Japan’s revisionist textbooks, Koizumi’s continued visits to Yasukuni shrine, the territorial dispute over Takeshima and anti-Japan demonstrations have all caused controversy. Peace Boat, through the candle-lit message event and the voyage, intends to reflect on the war and the last 60 years, and to build peace for the future together with the people of Korea.
The candle-lit message will be formed in Meiji Park by approximately 500 people – including 300 young Korean people who will have arrived in Japan for the voyage. The message will include the characters that say “peace” in Korean and Japanese and a huge “9”. This “9”, highlights the importance of Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution, which renounces war and the right to maintain armed forces, in peacebuilding in Asia after the end of the war and in conflict prevention today. It is also symbol for Asia that Japan will never again invade their countries. |
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Details: Joint Korea-Japan Candle Message for Peace
| Date: |
August 12, Friday |
| Times: |
Park Opens 18:00, Event Start 19:00
Candles will be lit, and the photograph taken at 20:00 |
| Place: |
Meiji Park, Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. In front of the Nihon Seinen Kaikan |
| Photos: |
Peace Boat has chartered a helicopter to take a photo from the sky.
If you would like to have these photographs for media use please contact us in advance. |
Speakers:
- Kayama Rika, Psychiatrist (invited)
- Choi Yeoul, Director of Green Foundation (imprisoned in the 1970s-80s due to his pro-democracy activism in Korea, Choi founded Korea’s biggest environmental movement on his release)
- Kim Jiha, Poet
- Event includes live music, traditional Korean and Japanese music and dance.
Contact:
080-5078-6464 (Nakahara Daini - Japanese)
090-9962-4891 (Rachel Armstrong – English)
Peace Boat Office:
Tel: 03-3363-7561 / 03-3363-8047 Fax: 03-3363-7562
Mail: rachel[a]peaceboat.gr.jp
URL:
http://www.peaceboat.org/english |
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