Dear Mr. Richard Calkins and friends of the International Student House, It is great honor for us to be given this opportunity to hold a World Peace Ceremony here at the International Student House. Since I first became acquainted with my American friends Ms. Barbara Wolf and Ms. Margaret Fikioris, when they visited Japan last December, the three of us have been working on a project for holding a U.S.-Japan joint Peace Event during the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D. C. to strengthen the tie of friendship between our two countries. It makes me very happy and grateful to know that this project became a reality thanks to the help and support of a lot of kind people, especially of Mr. Isomine, the Program Director of the ISH. One thing that I regret is that I myself cannot attend today's Peace Event. I must stay in Japan to coordinate a World Peace Festival in which we will pray for the peace and happiness of Japan, the United States, and all the other countries on earth. In this Festival, to be held on April the first in Ichikawa City, near Tokyo, we are going to display on a large screen photographs of today's event which will be sent via the Internet to Japan. I apologize for my absence and ask that you allow me to present a Peace Pole to the International Student House as a symbol not only of our deepest gratitude to you, but also of peace and goodwill among all the students who visit your House from various parts of the world.
May peace prevail in the United States of America and Japan. Sincerely yours
Hideo Nakazawa
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