Nabari holds peace gathering to mark B-29 crash memorial anniversary

In Nabari City, Mie Prefecture, approximately 70 residents gathered at Shoren-ji to hold a ‘Peace Gathering’ marking the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a memorial stone.

The memorial commemorates the crew of a B-29 bomber that crashed in the mountains of the district in June 1945 while returning from an air raid on Kobe. Of the 11 crew members, two died in the crash, and nine who escaped via parachute were subsequently executed by Japanese forces.

Local religious leaders and the Nabari UNESCO Association continue to hold these ceremonies to pass the memory of the war to younger generations. During the event, participants played the national anthems of both Japan and the United States, released doves, and rang a peace bell 81 times to pray for the deceased and global peace.