Category: Archives

The first planting in Asia was carried out in Gwangju. Before the event, there was some concern about anti-Japanese feelings in South Korea, but the event went smoothly without any problems. The idea of the Gwangju planting was conceived when Mr. Ha Jung-Woong, one of the exhibition organizers of the 3rd Gwangju Biennale and a Zai-nichi (a Korean living in Japan), saw and was impressed by the Kaki Tree Project exhibit at Mito Art Gallery. Mr. Ha then contacted Ms.Sunhee Kim of Gwangju city Art Gallery, who had seen the exhibit at the Biennale in Venice, and she became a supporter of the project. Just two weeks before the expected… Read more »

The application was made through Associazinone italiana donatori and the art project organization, RICICLARTE. Prior to the planting, a seminar was held under the title “Revive time—Atomic bombs and the Holocaust: Are their memory still alive in our thought and in public opinion today?” Many young students, as well as interested citizens, attended the seminar and had lively discussions not only about nuclear bombs and the holocaust but about various problems plaguing southern Italy such as unemployment, poverty, violence and so on. The planting ceremony was preceded by a lively performance and parade by the brass band consisting of 40 military personnel. Many town people came out as the parade… Read more »

Ms.Donatella Bagnoli, a city official of Poggibonsi in Italy, visited the Japan pavilion at the Biennale three times and conceived the idea of a kaki planting in Poggibonsi’s youth center. Like Nagasaki, the city of Poggibonsi experienced air-raids during WWII, and to unite the two cities’ wish for peace, a series of workshops were held. In them an artwork was presented, where colorful kaki “leaves” with messages of peace hang all over the room. Moreover, a booklet was produced, which described the Nagasaki bombing, the air-raids against Poggibonsi, and the Kaki Project as well as the course of the events which led to the planting in Poggibonsi and the details… Read more »

The application was made by a teacher at Scuola Media Statale “G.Ungaretti,” Ms. Luigina Moro, who was impressed with the exhibit at the 1999 Biennale. Prior to the planting, students wrote poems and painted pictures on the theme of kaki tree in class. The collection of their poems was later made into a leaflet and was distributed to the participants at the planting. Some of the teachers have since actively participated in the planting events held in other places in Italy and are hoping that their participation will help the students in these places communicate with each other. On the day of the planting, students gave a performance in the… Read more »

Ms.Giuditta Gelati, a young official at the city’s peace committee, played a central role in the San Donato Milanese planting. She promotes exchange programs in peace education and organized the planting as an official event of the city. She also invited representatives from other places in Milan whose applications, unfortunately, had been unsuccessful to joining the local executive committee In the planting site, a large kaki-tree figure was exhibited as its symbol. As volunteers from the local artist society prepared for the planting, children started to turn up at the site one after another. The participants had been given a kaki-colored rope beforehand and decorated themselves in their own manners…. Read more »

Terni is the central city of Terni prefecture in Umbria state where has beautiful scenery of greens at Middle of Italy. “Gli altri siamo Noi” is the organization which intends children for educational activities about peace, charity and human rights, formed in 1998 by young people. One of the organizations saw the exhibition at Venice Biennale and applied for planting. According to that, Ms.Valeria Della Croce, a member of “Gli altri siamo Noi” encouraged the city government to support the project. As the result, it was decided to plant kaki trees at public elementary school. Until the ceremony, students created many drawings and sculptures about kaki trees, peace, and the… Read more »

A member of Columbus Arts Council saw the exhibition at Venice Biennale and applied for planting. The Columbus Arts Council has been developing the program, ”Children of the Future”, which is for children who are not given enough education. The members decided to let them participate planting as a part of the program. This town became the first town that plants kaki trees in U.S. There are many Japanese people living in this town. They created Ikebana and origami with showing how to create it, and held Japanese style dinner with sushi. In addition to that, Some Americans played Japanese drums. In 28th March 2001, The Birthday Party for Kaki… Read more »

In the city, Trevignano Romano, there are many foreigners from different countries. Since they are curious about each other’s culture, the city government established national days for international exchanges. Mr.Giuliano Nencini, who was in charge for culture in the city office, applied for planting kaki trees. And Ms.Shihomi Kishida, a Japanese women who lives in Trevignano Romano and her family organized ceremony, The day of planting ceremony was regarded as Japan day. About 300 people including students and their parents planted trees at the front yard of junior high school in the city centre. Although it had been raining so hard, the sun came up just before the ceremony. The… Read more »

Cesenatico is the located by the Adriatic Sea in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ADDA, an organization formed by foreign women who acts for cultural exchange in Cesenatico, proposed for planting kaki trees. The project started with searching participants or place to plant. It finally formed the Executive Committee which consisted by teachers or artists. A lot of citizens, including the city mayor attended the ceremony at the park because of member’s effort. Children read poems from different languages by the overture by Ms. Olga Nawacow. And flew the orange balloons. Following the planting trees, a sculpture of Bombed Kaki Tree Jr. by Mr.Giovanni Pintole was revealed. In addition, the works by Ms…. Read more »

This planting project was realized by the Comune di Carpi and the Rotary Club Carpi. Carpi city is one of few cities where there were prison camps during the World War II. There is still the site of the camp in the suburb and still a revival plan of the site is undergoing. In the center of the town, close to the planting site, there is a museum, which shows the history of Nazism and memories of the victims by the Fascism. Citizens in Carpi are highly conscious for the peace, therefore more than 400 people such as 200 students from the Instituto Musicale a Tonelli (Toneli Music Institute) and… Read more »

Ireland is the country where there is a conflict between Catholic and Protestant. However as the first time, three schools from two different religions participated in the planting ceremony. Ms. Sharon Corcoran, who took an initiative to realize the planting, was touched by this fact. Educational programs at Tinahely Courthouse centre are complete so that the theatre group who played for the planting ceremony are quite professional. They even tour actively in several cities. Ms. Magie Gallogher wrote an original script on Kaki tree. They played a story of the second generation of atomic bombed Kaki tree by including “Noh” movements. In the end of the play, actors sang an… Read more »

Debeli Rtic, Redcross is located on a hill facing the Adriatic Sea. Ms. Nada Kim Spolar, organizer of the workshops for refugees from Kosovo and children at the SEZAM association for parents and children, cooperated with Red cross to realize Kaki planting. Mr. Jakov Brdar, sculptor, Mr.Tomo Vran, painter and musicians participated in the ceremony. Elementary school students from Anton Ukmar Elementary School presented an installation titled “scarecrow exorcising an evil”, performace or radio broadcasting, On the beach, children made a drawing of a peaceful city with colored stones. They also sent a painting work “A Prayer for Life” as a gift to the executive committee in Japan.

Ms.Nada Kim Spolar, organizer of the SEZAM association for Parents and Children realized Kaki Planting at Anton Ukmar Elementary school, which is close to the Debeli Rtič, Red Cross. Workshops were organized in corporation with Debeli Rtic. After the description of the project, there was a violin play and some children represented to plant the Kaki tree. Accompanied by a guitar play, children walked around with singing, hands in hands. They made stone objects and sent to the Kaki tree executive committee as gift. This object is one of the twin and the other one stays in Slovenia. Participants received each painted stone from the basket at the site. Teachers… Read more »

Mr. Dulio Zogno, artist from Brescia, have longed for planting of Kaki tree, since he encountered a child of atomic bombed kaki tree at Japan pavilion in Venice biennale in 1999. He was so enthousiastic that he asked several time to the Instituto Giapponese di Cultura in Roma how to realize. He proposed to the city of Brescia, an art studio, photographer Flavio Bonetti, artists’ group “Grafo”, architects Paola Visano and Bernard Vecchi, as well as to the youth section of the city’s education board to have a local executive committee to realize the planting. They planted the tree at St Gulia Museum, which had once been used as a… Read more »

The site of Chiesa Vecchia di San Giovanni (Ex San Giovanni church), which was a church of the middle age, is a located in a small village on a hill with a view of small lakes in Varese area. Ms. Anniva Anzi, president of Parents Teacher Association at the Manzoni Elementary School, encountered children of the atomic bombed Kaki tree at the Japan pavilion in Venice Biennale and was so impressed that she took children to the pavilion for a school’s excursion, and started an activity to invite local eledery people to talk about the war for the children. The planting ceremony was accompanied with several workshops, such as an… Read more »

Children at F.P.Cordenons Middle High School participated in a workshop by Michele Drascek and became fun of Kaki tree. As a result, with a strong recommendation by the children and Ms. Montella Marina, teacher at the school who wanted children to think about the importance of the world’s peace by taking Kaki tree as a symbol, Santa Maria di Sala city applied for Kaki tree planting. They planted two Kaki trees in the yard of F.P.Cordenons Middle High School. If both trees grow well, one of two will be planted in Rodari City Park. Rodari Park is very familiar to the junior and senior citizens. A lot of people including… Read more »