Past GSCC Events
The Peace Bell Ceremony took place on 9 July 2015
There's more information about the ceremony below, but here are some links to videos of the ringing of the bell.
We're privileged to be able to hold our Peace Bell Ceremony at the Peace Bell Center in Newport, Kentucky, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati where one of the largest bells in the world is housed.
A video of the Peace Bell ringing, 9 July, 2015 (13.5 megabytes)
Another video from 9 July, 2015 (6 megabytes)
And here are some of the photos from the event.
Ringing the World Peace Bell
World Peace Bell Center, 425 York St, Newport, KY
Children are welcome.
Please RSVP by Friday, June 26 with number of attendees (adults & children) and your name and contact information (email, address, phone number) to:
Gifu Sister City Committee: reply@cincinnati-gifu.org
History of the Peace Bell Ceremony
2015 marks 70th year since the end of World War II.
Toward the end of the war, Gifu was bombed twice, once on July 9 and again on July 12, 1945.
About 80% of the city was bombed, 20,426 (53%) of the city's houses were destroyed. 86,577 people, almost half the population was affected: 520 were injured; 863 perished.
On July 1, 1988, on the centennial of its incorporation and the same year it became the Sister City of Cincinnati, the City of Gifu declared itself the "Peace City".
Since then, Gifu has worked on various projects to promote peace, praying for true permanent peace together with the people of the world.
One of these activities is the Peace Bell project. Every year on July 9, Gifu commemorates the tragedy of the war. They tell the children stories about the experience of the bombing, ring a temple bell and observe a moment of silent prayer, followed by comments from the Mayor and other VIPs, and a pledge of peace. The ceremony concludes with singing by all in attendance and with more bell ringing.
We will observe the same Peace Bell ceremony in Greater Cincinnati.
Please join us for Greater Cincinnati's ringing of the World Peace Bell and prayer for world peace, along with the citizens of our Sister City in Japan, Gifu.
2015 Peace Bell Event in Cincinnati
World Peace Bell Center, 425 York St, Newport, KY
Children are welcome.
Please RSVP by Friday, June 26 with number of attendees (adults & children) and your name and contact information (email, address, phone number) to:
Gifu Sister City Committee: reply@cincinnati-gifu.org