Japanese Peace Bell, Buddhist temple bell at United Nations Headquarters, US
The Japanese Peace Bell is a metal bell measuring 60 centimeters across and standing about one meter tall in the Japanese Garden at United Nations Headquarters. It sits beneath a simple wooden roof structure surrounded by a garden of plants and stones that reflects traditional Japanese landscaping.
The bell was cast in 1954 when Japanese artist Chiyoji Nakagawa gathered coins from more than 60 countries and nine gold coins from the Pope to create it. This international effort turned it into a symbol of post-war hopes for world peace.
The bell bears Japanese inscriptions meaning 'may peace prevail on earth' and reflects Buddhist design traditions in its wooden structure. Visitors from around the world come to this spot to express their hopes for a more peaceful future.
The bell site is freely accessible within the United Nations garden and can be viewed during tours of the headquarters building complex. It is best to visit in the morning when crowds are lighter and the light is better for photographs.
The bell's wooden roof structure contains sand from the atomic blast sites of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, directly linking it to nuclear history and disarmament efforts. This hidden element deepens the memorial's message in a way that inscriptions alone cannot convey.
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