Planting Ceremony / Watari Preschool

A director of Watari Pre School, Mr. Fukami applied for the project because he knew how important it is to extend message for peace through his experience of World War 2 that he lost many his fellow. This pre school set August 8th as “The day for bringing up peace” and has taught about peace on that day in every year since 1980. So they prepared for planting ceremony with parents of children. Before the ceremony, they sought applications for names for kaki trees and made a time capsule with message for their children ten years later. In ceremony, children announced that names for kaki trees decided “Kaki-maru kun” and “Kakie chan”. They also made a picture-story show, “the story of parent of kaki tree and their children” to understand the war easier for children.
Moreover, they hold an event with an artist, Keiichi Ninomiya, who lives same region and doing “Fly a balloon project”. In this project, they filled over 200 balloons with air and connect those altogether to fly. And they had lunch with watching balloons flew and talk about kaki trees. One of the aims of this event was let people in other region know that they planted kaki trees. Another significant reason is to provide the place to meet various people and share the time with them and kaki trees. Balloons are familiar objects for children. So, the reason of using balloons is that to reminder kaki trees when children see balloons in their daily life.

Even after that, they continued to teach about peace under the kaki trees every year. And in 2001, they finally harvested 7 seeds form kaki tree. Thus, Bombed Kaki Tree 3rd was born in May 30th, 2002.
The 10th anniversary ceremony was hold in August 5th, 2006. Mr. Ninomiya, students at that time and their parents opened the time capsule and cerebrate their reunion and growth of kaki trees.

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