From the Ship
Boa Viagem: the 124th Global Voyage sets sail!
On Thursday, August 20, under clear blue skies, Peace Boat's 124th Global Voyage departed from the Port of Yokohama. Carrying 1,650 passengers, this 109-day journey will visit 16 ports across 13 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
During the departure ceremony, remarks were delivered by His Excellency Mr Gilberto Jeronimo, Ambassador of Portugal to Japan, followed by heartfelt messages from Captain Irwin Sequeira, Peace Boat’s Director Yoshioka Tatsuya, and voyage participants as they shared their hopes for the voyage ahead.
The Voyage's call to the city of Porto in October is highly anticipated by all onboard. With this in mind, Ambassador Jeronimo expressed that “for over forty years, Peace Boat and Yoshioka-san have believed the ocean can bring people together rather than keep them apart, while championing peace and a more sustainable future along the way. In the same spirit, Portugal, as a country shaped by the sea, has been connecting peoples, countries and cultures for centuries. May this trip allow you to know the world and my country, and to build bridges, foster understanding and imagine a more peaceful and sustainable future. Boa viagem!”
Select highlights of this voyage will include a study tour to landmine clearance sites in Cambodia supported by the Peace Boat Mine Abolition Campaign (P-MAC), as well as the “Soap by Sea: A Peace Boat & LUSH Partnership for Public Health" conducted jointly with fresh handmade cosmetics retailer LUSH Japan.
Additionally, through the Peace Boat United People’s Alliance (UPA) International Cooperation Project, items donated in Japan including stationery, art supplies, sports equipment, hygiene products, musical instruments, furniture and more will be delivered to partner community groups in Mauritius, South Africa, Panama, Peru, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and Hawai’i.
Stay tuned for further reports and updates from Voyage 124!
