Takamori-cho is famous for its fruit. “Persimmon Tree” is the town tree. It is the birthplace of “Ichitagaki”, the well-known breed for hoshigaki (dried persimmons) and every house has persimmon trees and hangs dried persimmons. Persimmons with which the children of the town are familiar are now connected to peace. The people of the town have increased awareness of peace and they dispatch peace buses to Hiroshima every year. Participants are elementary school children, junior high school and high school students as well as the general public. In Maruyama Park, where the departing ceremony of peace buses is held, a sapling from a seed of the bombed flame tree (Firmiana simplex) in Hiroshima was planted by the peace promotion committee, in 1995. As the town has been taking an active approach to peace, the mayor of Takamori-cho, Mr. Mitsugu Yoshikawa, wanted to plant persimmon trees so that the trees would serve the purpose of peace education for children.
The tree planting ceremony was coordinated by the education board and the local community center. Mr. Ebinuma was also invited from Nagasaki and other related parties from the town and about 90 children of Minami Elementary School, Kita Elementary School and Takamori Junior High School attended the ceremony. At the ceremony, children sang Takamori-cho’s peace song “My Hometown” and 2 persimmon trees were planted by elementary school pupils and junior high school students.
“The departing ceremony of peace buses between the home of persimmon trees, Takamori and Hiroshima – wishing peace” was held at Maruyama Park in Takamori-cho on the 5th of August. After the kocarina performance near the persimmon trees, the peace buses carrying the local people and children departed for Hiroshima. 5 years after the planting, in 2007, the tree borne 3 pieces of fruit and had further grown to yield more fruit, in fact of 200 pieces, in the following year, 2008.
