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Peace Day 2025 at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai
September 21 is observed worldwide as the United Nations International Day of Peace, commonly known as Peace Day. It is a day for a global ceasefire and for reflecting on and acting for peace. On September 21, 2025, Peace Boat participated in two Peace Day events held at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, sharing our initiatives for peacebuilding and advancing the SDGs.
Inside the Shine Hat Hall, “Peace Day 2025 @ Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai” brought together music, talks, and visual art, delivering powerful messages of peace. Peace Boat Director Yoshioka Tatsuya took the stage, highlighting the activities of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) - recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, for which Peace Boat serves as an International Steering Group member - as well as collaborations with the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nihon Hidankyo.
“Grassroots organizations working concretely for peace led to the Nobel Peace Prize,” Yoshioka stated. “Now more than ever, it is vital for citizens to rise and demand peace. Citizen action has the power to shape a peaceful world.” He also presented Peace Boat’s Ecoship Project, which aims to build the world’s most environmentally friendly passenger ship, addressing the climate crisis—an existential threat on par with nuclear weapons.
Linking the Voyage: The PEACE DAY MESSENGER Project
During the event, a live connection was made with Peace Boat's 121st Global Voyage, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. This voyage features the PEACE DAY MESSENGER project, run jointly with the NGO PEACE DAY, also organiser of the day's event in Osaka. Through this project, young messengers on board travel around the world, engaging with communities and sharing their visions for peace. Peace Day Messenger Kawaguchi Tsubasa (pictured left in the photo below) joined via livestream to share his experience of cross-cultural exchanges during the voyage, including encounters during a study programme with youth in South Africa just days before. The connection provided an immersive glimpse into life aboard the global peace voyage.
Presentations at the United Nations Pavilion
Peace Boat also held two presentations inside the United Nations Pavilion, following remarks by Maher Nasser, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Commissioner-General for the UN at Expo 2025 Osaka. Peace Boat's Yoshioka was joined by other representatives Morita Sachiko and Toda Yoshiaki, who together showcased a wide range of initiatives, including:
- delivering humanitarian aid worldwide,
- supporting demining efforts in Cambodia,
- reforestation in the Galápagos,
- beach clean-ups and upcycling projects, and
- calls to immediately halt the Israeli military's genocide in Gaza.
Visitors of all ages stopped to listen, many taking the opportunity to view the official replica of the Nobel Peace Prize medal awarded to ICAN. Families even posed for photos with the medal, creating memorable moments of inspiration.
A Shared Commitment to a Peaceful Future
Under the Expo’s theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” Peace Day 2025 at Expo Osaka became a day of profound connection. Citizens, activists, and families came together to share a strong vision for a peaceful and sustainable future.
Indeed, Peace Boat Director Yoshioka himself often recalls Osaka Expo 1970 as the spark that ignited his fascination with other countries and cultures—and his desire to build friendships beyond Japan’s borders. As a ten-year old visitor, amid long lines for the major national pavilions, he discovered, in the smaller and lesser-known exhibits, a window into worlds he had never explored that truly captured his imagination. Those visits opened his eyes to unfamiliar cultures and sowed the seeds of his lifelong commitment to cross-border understanding and peace.
In line with this vision, Peace Boat remains committed to working with global partners to ensure that citizen action continues to be at the heart of building a world free from war, violence, and environmental destruction.