8. Prayer for Peace Statue
Here, filled with peaceful music,
Like a fresh breeze,
No more hatred again.
This is the place
Where life is nurtured.
Explanation
This statue was erected in 1977. The following is the gist of its intent:
We have achieved our goal here, erecting this statue with charity donations from school children throughout the country and with support from willing groups, in hopes of making the A-bomb victims' lives eternal and of lasting peace for humans. We believe that our hope will lead us to lasting peace in the world.
Statue of Prayer for Peace Construction Committee Chairman: Yoshinari Maeda, Sculptor: Katsuzo Entsuba
The tribute poem by Shinpei Kusano, “Dedicated to the Prayer for Peace Statue,” is carved on a copper plate by the statue.
Over the crescent moon in the sky
A tangible statue of a mother and her child stands.
This is the symbol of lasting peace.
Dear little child, embraced in your mother' s love, play the gold trumpet.
Sound the clear tunes of peace over the earth and to heaven.
Puffing up your cheeks, play the gold trumpet, the tunes of No More Hiroshimas,
No matter what our future will be like.
By Shinpei Kusano, August 1978
Location : Peace Memorial Park, Naka-ku
Music : Prayer for Peace Statue(1:12)
Keiko Kotoku Marimba Peace Concert
at Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hiroshima (2008/6/26)