Nation-Wide Bell-Ring Ceremony to Pray for Peace Held on the International Day of Peace

On Sept.21, 2025, Gov. Koike attended the “nation-wide bell-ring ceremony to pray for peace on the International Day of Peace” held at Gokokuji Temple in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.

In her address, the governor said, “Eighty years have passed since the end of the war (World War II). Our country’s development in the postwar period, and today’s peace and prosperity, were built upon the strenuous efforts made by our predecessors and the earnest desire for well-being held by the people.”

She went on to point out that “Meanwhile, the international situation has been extremely difficult, with (Russia’s) invasion of Ukraine and the situation in Gaza in the Middle East, and the security environment surrounding our country is also facing its most severe and complex situation in the postwar years.”

The governor then said with emphasis “Besides the destabilization of the international order, the world faces multiple crises, including worsening climate change, and energy and food crises. To overcome these crises and carve out a future, what is needed is not division, but nations joining hands with each other and accumulating efforts to pursue the preciousness of peace.

“As Governor of Tokyo, I pledge to evolve this capital city into a more resilient city brimming with dreams and hope, where everyone can live comfortably and in their own style, and to pass it on to future generations. I pledge to devote my entire being to realizing a sustainable world,” she vowed.