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“Kaki Tree Project Brescia” visits Japan

26 people from the planting places in Brescia, Italy came to visit the mother the tree in Nagaksaki during March 30-April 10. They visited the mother tree, the A-bomb remnants, the tree doctor; Mr. Ebinuma’s field where the bombed Kaki Tree Jr. s grow, and they also enjoyed the Japanese custom “Hanami (cherry blossom viewing)”. Since most of the members were school teachers, we received a lot of gifts and art works from Italian children. It was a wonderful opportunity to re-realize the tight bonds that the Kaki Trees have connected between us.    

Park in Lumezzane (Lumezzane, Italy)

The ceremony took place in a beautiful town on top of a mountain. The application was submitted by three parties; CVL cooperative (Association which promotes social participation of people with disabilities), CAG Arcallegra (Youth center run by Mosaic cooperative), and Association IL Mondo in Casa. First, we participated in a meeting of Junior High School students, where there were performance of Japanese songs and question time to Mr. Ebinuma. Junior high school students, Kindergarteners and people with disabilities gathered to the garden for the planting ceremony. After performance of songs and recorders, children and teachers covered the tree with soil they each brought.

Istituto Comprensivo di Carpenedolo (Brescia, Italy)

The ceremony was held at the garden of the school and the pupils who participated all wore the same white cap with a printing of “Kaki Boy”. The school had prepared for the project for a long time, and the whole school was filled with artworks related to the Kaki Tree. Some of the representative from the students gave us explanations about the art works. Before planting the tree, there were dance and recitation of poems by the students. Then, the tree was planted in a monument specially created for the tree in the corner of the school garden.    

Istituto Comprensivo Azzano Mella (Brescia, Italy)

Since the sapling they planted last year was weak and had to be replaced, the school planted the Kaki Tree for the second time There were lots of art works under the theme of war and peace by students exhibited in the school. Around fifteen students gave presentations about their works. All the students, their parents and teachers walked to the park lead by a marching band, where there was an outstanding fence installed for the Kaki Tree. Mayors and kid mayors from three cities participated, and it was a very successful, large scaled ceremony.

Alexander Langer Park (Trento, Italy)

Istituzione Associazione Culturale Finisterrae Teatri applied for the planting. The organization adopts artistic methods and art works at nursery schools and facilities for people who have difficulty adapting in social life. They hoped the little Kaki Tree to be a symbol of rebirth and wished to plant in the center of the park. Thirty to forty children who attend the local nursery and elementary schools participated in the ceremony. There were a lot of singing and physical workshops. The tree was planted in the middle of the park, where the pretty handmade flowers were decorated around.  

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Perugia (Perugia, Italy)

About twenty first graders and their parents of the XX Giugno Elementary School, near the University participated in the ceremony. Children recited poems, and their teacher introduced some art works regarding the Kaki Tree they made in class. After moving to the field for agricultural training in the university, children covered the tree with soil one by one. After the tree was planted, children sang songs near the tree.  

Lumen Naturopathic Association (Piacenza, Italy)

The application was from a Naturopathic Association in Piacenza. Ms. Takako Kakimoto; a vocalist from Nagasaki,  ordered materials from her home town and prepared ambitiously for the planting. During the ceremony, there were singing, meditation, and children asked questions about war and A-bombs to a Japanese man by video call. Then, children buried a time capsule in the garden and planted the Kaki Tree near it.  

Istituto comprensivo”Niccolo Tommaseo”(Torino, Italy)

The city of Torino applied for tree planting. The tree-planting ceremony took place on 29th April at “Niccolo Tommaseo” Comprehensive School. Children have learned about the “A-bombed kaki tree” at school. At the ceremony, children wrote messages on stones, and they were placed around the planted kaki tree.  Other activities include singing songs and Haiku reading. Some of the children’s works displayed at Seirankan (Kounan City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) where the tree-planting ceremony took place on March 2oth, prior to this school were displayed  along with drawings created by children in Italy.  

Scuola Media di Castiglione Olona(Va,Italy)

The town of Olona in the province of Varese applied for tree planting. They have learned about the Kaki Tree Project through Mr. Rosario Manisera of Fuji Cultural Association. The tree-planting ceremony was held at Olona Middle School on 9th of April. Children from several schools and many local residents, including the mayor, participated. The Kaki Fusoshiki, wrapping cloth, designed by Katsuhiko Hibino was introduced, and they put medium-sized stones with pictures drawn by children around the planted tree. They also displayed drawings and other works of children inside the school, and a number of people went to see them. The local newspaper ran a big article on it as… Read more »

Scuola Elementare di Paderno Franciacorta(Castegnato,BS, Italy)

Abrami Marilena, a teacher at Paderno Franciacorta Elementary School applied for tree planting, and it took place on April 9th. The school started projects on peace a few years ago, and has conducted a number of projects since then.They wish children to have a firm belief that war will not help people grow and thrive, and in order to do so, they have proceeded with the projects associated with the tree-planting. Originally, they planed to plant the tree in their school yard, but it was planted in the park near the elementary school. At the ceremony, children, their parents and many people from local groups took part. They decorated a… Read more »

Park in Via Brescia, beside the War Memorial (Rodengo Saiano,BS, Italy)

The kaki tree was planted on 19th March in the 5,000 sq meter park which is managed by local citizens. An edible landscape (where fruit and vegetable are planted) has been built in the park, and a number of plants and trees are also planted. The tree-planting ceremony took place to commemorate the sister cities relationship between Rodengo Saiano and Lyon. Many second graders of middle school in Lyon participated in, too. They wrote messages and installedthe low wooden fence around the tree forming a triangular shape, and placed a beautiful plaquebeside it. Then, a peace meeting was held on 6th April.    

Istituto D’istruzione Superiore “Alessandro Volta” Planting Ceremony
(Pavia, Italy)

Pavia is an important town near Milan, Italy, where historical architectures and monuments remain. The applicant, Prof. Dario Molinari, saw the exhibit of the Kaki Tree Project in 1999 at the Venice Biennale and have wanted to participate in the Project since. Prior to the planting, they held the event entitled “Wings and Roots for Peace (A Journey through Space-Time from Nagasaki to Pavia)” on 17 May 2014 at the Istituto D’istruzione Superiore “Alessandro Volta.” The high-school students took the initiative to ask many people at nearby kindergarten and a primary school to participate in the event. Exhibition panels of children’s essays on the tree of peace, drawings, writings and… Read more »

Park Sarah Planting Ceremony
(Riace, Reggio Calabria, Italy)

Ms. Tiziana Volta has initiated a number of plantings, including at Ristorante “Castello Malvezzi” in Giuseppe, Brescia, Italy (21 February 2009), Scuola secondaria di primo grado Giosue Carducci in L’Aquila, Italy (2 April 2011), as well as three plantings in 2012 at Parco San Giovanni in Trieste (14 April), Conservatorio Botanico della Valle D’Itria in Brindisi, Italy (24 April), and the Garden of Peace and Hope for Kabul at the ”Kabul National Gallery” in Kabul, Afghanistan (9 June). She was looking for the appropriate planting sites for the tree of peace with conditions of “bringing peace or contributing to plant diversity,” and has yet again found the suitable places. This… Read more »

Artistic Polyvalent Center, Amphitheater of the Peace Planting Ceremony
(Venaus, Italy)

Ms. Tiziana Volta has initiated a number of plantings, including at Ristorante “Castello Malvezzi” in Giuseppe, Brescia, Italy (21 February 2009), Scuola secondaria di primo grado Giosue Carducci in L’Aquila, Italy (2 April 2011), as well as three plantings in 2012 at Parco San Giovanni in Trieste (14 April), Conservatorio Botanico della Valle D’Itria in Brindisi, Italy (24 April), and the Garden of Peace and Hope for Kabul at the ”Kabul National Gallery” in Kabul, Afghanistan (9 June). She was looking for the appropriate planting sites for the tree of peace with conditions of “bringing peace or contributing to plant diversity,” and has yet again found the suitable places. This… Read more »

Scuola elementare “Beato Luigi Palazzolo” Planting Ceremony
(Lentini, SR, Italy)

They applied for planting in 2012 through Mr. Rosario Scollo, who applied for planting in Sicily, Italy. Lentini is a mild-climate town on the island of Sicily, and orange tree is the symbol of the town. The Mayor of the town, Mother Superier, elementary school pupils and teachers attended the tree-planting ceremony on 14 April. The children read their poems, sang a song and made “Peace” drawings. After planting the kaki tree, the children released orange-color balloons with attached messages of written “Peace and Love.” All ate snacks together, and the day was quite significant for children as they learned intensely about “life” and expressed their gratitude to the tree.

Villa Zanardelli, Fondazione Bresciana Assistenza Psicodisabili (FoBAP) Planting Ceremony
(Toscolano, Brescia, Italy)

FoBAP Onlus (Brescia Assistance Foundation for Psychological disorder, NPO) is an organization, which supports mentally-disabled persons. It was initiated and established by Anffas (National Association of Families of Persons with Intellectual and/or Relationship Disability). Tree-planting took place in the garden of Villa Zanardelli. In order to make the event more meaningful, about 200 school students, officials and other people participated in it, which is part of the Kaki Tree Project. Our encounter at the lake side talks about invaluable asset called “Peace,” and how important it is for us to protect the asset. The tree, which was planted in the garden of Giuseppe Zanardelli’s residence has a history to reflect… Read more »

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