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Features

@82 days until Hiroshima Summit: Donation Box

by Yu Kawakami, Staff Writer

Many people from around Japan and abroad visit the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Naka Ward, Hiroshima. Some people throw coins into a stand for offered flowers in front of the cenotaph and join their hands in silent prayer. Built into this stand is a 40-centimeter square box for donations. The city government collects the donations and uses the money for peace-related projects, such as passing down A-bomb experiences.

Every year on August 6, the day of the atomic bombing, the city puts out a larger box. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, donations in fiscal 2020 and 2021 were about 3 million yen per year, but in fiscal 2019, more than 7 million yen was donated.

An official of the city’s Peace Promotion Division said, “The bag containing the coins is heavy. The money will be used to respond to people’s desire for peace.”

(Originally published on February 26, 2023)

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