Pacific Buddhist Academy sponsors the annual Peace Day Interfaith Celebration at Hawaii Betsuin. Co-sponsors include: Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, Hongwanji Mission School, The Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, Hawaii Association of International Buddhists, Hawaii Buddhist Council and Hawaii Conference of Religions for Peace.

In 2007, Hawaii became the first state to recognize Peace Day. Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21st. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

The service will feature speakers and musical performances from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions. The event will be a moving and memorable celebration of peace.

Mr. Masahiro Sasaki gestures during an interview with the Japan Times in 2012. See the source article.

Mr. Masahiro Sasaki will be a featured speaker at the celebration. Mr. Sasaki is the brother of Sadako Sasaki, whose extraordinary life was recounted in the children’s book “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes”. Mr. Sasaki will be accompanied by his son Yuji and other family members. The Sasaki family has long been advocates for cultivating peace in our world.

The Sasaki family will be visiting Hawaii from Hiroshima, Japan to help celebrate Peace Day and to dedicate an exhibit of one of Sadako Sasaki’s paper cranes at the Valor of the Pacific at Pearl Harbor.