Inspired by the original gift of peace from the Mayor of Yokohama to the City of Portland after World War II, Portland Japanese Garden has commissioned duplicate Peace Lanterns to be given to cities that profoundly understand and represent the need for peace: Hiroshima; Nagasaki; Tokyo. These lanterns serve as symbols of hope, representing a commitment to ongoing global partnerships regardless of geographic distances or differences. The first of three presentations will be in Hiroshima on September 14, 2022.

The peace lantern at Portland Japanese Garden sits on the east bank of the Upper Strolling Pond and serves as a reminder of a deep desire for understanding and appreciation between two diverse cultures. In 2017, the Garden presented an exact replica of the peace lantern to the city of Yokohama, where it sits today in a stately garden casting the “Light of Everlasting Peace.”