Nine Hiroshima Summit commemorative monuments erected in Hijiyama by Rotary Club convey G7 leaders’ messages to younger generations
Nov. 9, 2023
by Yu Kawakami, Staff Writer
On November 8, nine monuments inscribed with the messages left by the nine leaders who attended the Group of Seven Industrialized Nations Summit (G7 Summit) held in Hiroshima this May, were installed in Hijiyama Park located in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward. They were donated to the City of Hiroshima by Rotary District 2710, composed of 72 Rotary Clubs (RCs) in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures, and will open to the public at 2 pm November 12.
All monuments are 140 cm high and 66 cm wide and made of Sakura cherry blossom-colored granite. The hand-written messages from nine leaders, which include: the G7 leaders, the President of the European Council (EU) and the President of the European Commission, were left in the guestbook of the Peace Memorial Museum (located in the city’s Naka Ward), and been transcribed onto stainless plates. The monuments include their portraits, along with their messages in both English and Japanese.
The Rotary Clubs organized the erection of these monuments as a commemorative project to pass on to succeeding generations the fact that the G7 Summit meeting was held in the A-bombed city. The City of Hiroshima cooperated on the foundation work for the monuments, which were installed at the entrance to the park overlooking the center of the city.
An unveiling ceremony held onsite November 8 was attended by about 80 people related to the project. Koki Iuchi, 75, governor of the district, said, “I hope these messages will become widely known to citizens and overseas visitors to Hiroshima and that they will continue to inspire wishes for peace.”
(Originally published on November 9, 2023)
On November 8, nine monuments inscribed with the messages left by the nine leaders who attended the Group of Seven Industrialized Nations Summit (G7 Summit) held in Hiroshima this May, were installed in Hijiyama Park located in Hiroshima’s Minami Ward. They were donated to the City of Hiroshima by Rotary District 2710, composed of 72 Rotary Clubs (RCs) in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures, and will open to the public at 2 pm November 12.
All monuments are 140 cm high and 66 cm wide and made of Sakura cherry blossom-colored granite. The hand-written messages from nine leaders, which include: the G7 leaders, the President of the European Council (EU) and the President of the European Commission, were left in the guestbook of the Peace Memorial Museum (located in the city’s Naka Ward), and been transcribed onto stainless plates. The monuments include their portraits, along with their messages in both English and Japanese.
The Rotary Clubs organized the erection of these monuments as a commemorative project to pass on to succeeding generations the fact that the G7 Summit meeting was held in the A-bombed city. The City of Hiroshima cooperated on the foundation work for the monuments, which were installed at the entrance to the park overlooking the center of the city.
An unveiling ceremony held onsite November 8 was attended by about 80 people related to the project. Koki Iuchi, 75, governor of the district, said, “I hope these messages will become widely known to citizens and overseas visitors to Hiroshima and that they will continue to inspire wishes for peace.”
(Originally published on November 9, 2023)
