Sakura Bridges of Hope at ICU, Tokyo, 11–12 October 2026

The Rotary Peace Center at International Christian University, Tokyo, hosts Sakura Bridges of Hope this weekend: an exhibition of Ukrainian children’s cherry-blossom paintings, a Sakura Peace Tree and two days of talks under the heading From Children’s Art to a More Peaceful Tomorrow.

Sunday 11 October opens with Prof. Mark Williams (ICU) at 10:00. Heidi Kühn of Roots of Peace speaks on “From Mines to Vines”; Yelisaveta (Lisa) Lesechko, a Ukrainian ICU student and Rotaract leader, on Ukraine, youth and hope; and the ICU Rotary Peace Fellows hold a student dialogue on peace across generations. At 14:00 Dr Masao Tomonaga of Nagasaki University asks “Shall We See a Nuclear-Free World in the Near Future?” At 16:00 Naoko Abe, journalist and ICU alumna, speaks live from London on sakura, Masatoshi Asari, war, reconciliation and hope.

Monday 12 October: the exhibition opens at 10:00. Dr Tetiana Honcharenko of the Japan–Ukraine Partnership Association speaks at 11:00, in Ukrainian with interpretation by her daughter, an ICU student, with a short JAUPA film. ICU students present and lead a dialogue at 14:00, and Misato Nagakawa of Wake Up Japan speaks on youth and peace at 15:00.

Masatoshi Asari, the Hokkaido schoolteacher who bred the Matsumae cherries, reflected: “A small act of friendship can bloom across generations.”

Main Building 1F, Room H-176, 10:00–17:00 both days. Admission free; no registration needed. Students, families and the public are welcome.

Sakura Bridge of Hope is supported by LSN. Read more about it here.