A series of tree planting ceremonies were held in 8 locations in the Province of Brescia, Italy and this is one of them.
In the afternoon of the 25th, we were welcomed by local children of Vallio Terme, a small mountain town. The venue was prepared with persimmon colored balloons, a welcome board written in Japanese and handmade persimmon fruits and provided a relaxed atmosphere of the town. Group singing by the nursery school children and singing of the English song “Imagine” by primary school children brought everyone there together, and the children cheerfully put soil over roots of the seedling of the bombed kaki tree at the end of the ceremony. All the adults including the mayor warmly watched over them for the entire time.
After the tree planting ceremony, a gathering was held. With information materials on the atomic bomb victims in Japan and other related subjects on display, the venue offered an opportunity to contemplate peace. The nursery school children took Japanese children’s hands, who came all the way from Japan, and they showed them around the nursery school. As children showed us their superb communication skills by making friends easily without language but with a smile, we all felt a step towards peace.
