Interfaith Peace Gathering (Hiroshima-Nagasaki Memorial)

Friday, August 5 from 6:30 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

The Religious Society of Friends – 15 Rutherford Place (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)

Admission: Free (donations accepted)

The 23rd annual Interfaith Peace Gathering to Commemorate the Hiroshima & Nagasaki Atomic Bombings, organized by the Reverend Dr. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, will feature special speakers and performances while focusing on the first visit by a sitting US President to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which took place on May 27, 2016.

This year’s featured visual artists are Kunio Suzuki, who specializes in Suiboku (India-ink) painting, and Origami Therapy Association, who are providing origami decorations. There will also be a Genbaku A-Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Peace Museum photo exhibition.

Schedule:

6:30 p.m. – Short Video: Reflection on President Obama’s historical visit to Hiroshima

7:00 p.m. – Interfaith Memorial: Japanese religious offerings

7:15 p.m. – Ringing of the Peace Bell, marking the moment that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima

7:30 p.m. – Interfaith Peace Prayer: Speeches by religious leaders from various faiths.
Guest speakers: Tomiko Morimoto West, Hibakusha survivor; Susan Southard, author of Nagasaki: Life after Nuclear War
Performances: Shinji Harada, recording artist from Hiroshima; Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir; Japan Choral Harmony “TOMO” Choir; Cocolo Japanese Gospel Choir; Eriko T. Murray, Soprano; and dancers Fumihito Shimizu and Moemi Yahagi

Greetings and Messages: Reading of Messages from the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

9:00 p.m. – Silent Peace Walk to Union Square Park