2025 Fuji SOPP

“Musubi”

For the 21st consecutive year, prayers for peace on earth and harmony among all nations and faiths went out across the world as thousands of people joined in the annual Symphony of Peace Prayers (SOPP) on May 18, 2025. In a live-stream broadcast from Fuji Sanctuary in Shizuoka, Japan, the global home of the SOPP, peace prayers from various faiths and traditions blended with songs, poems, heartfelt messages, and prayers of gratitude to nature and peace throughout the world.

Held every May since 2005, the SOPP is a unique and moving demonstration of interfaith unity and people’s shared wish for a world free from national and religious conflict, where all life on earth is cherished. It has also been the venue for a variety of global initiatives, including the inauguration of the Fuji Declaration (2015), the launch of the Soul of WoMen campaign (2016), and the worldwide introduction of the Divine Spark IN (2018).

The theme for this year’s event was the Japanese word musubi, which means to bind, connect, or tie together. Various messages delivered during the event emphasized our ‘vertical’ connection (with the divine) and our ‘horizontal’ connection with all humanity and all life on earth, and how these connections can help us to cultivate the inner peace that is the starting point for planetary peace.

This year’s ceremony included prayers from six faith traditions, a presentation on the Fuji Declaration, prayers for peace in each country and region on earth, a prayer of Gratitude for All Life, the Divine Spark IN, and messages of peace and a song from four special guests, as well as a poem by the late Barbara Fields.

In addition to the main ceremony that was broadcast from Fuji Sanctuary, smaller gatherings took place this year in Australia, France, Poland, and Spain. We are pleased to share reports from these events on the International Events pages.

We begin below with a written message from the vice-chairs of Byakko Shinko Kai, followed by a detailed account of the online event. The recorded broadcast from Fuji Sanctuary can be viewed online here.

 

Message from the Deputy Chairperson and Vice Chairs

Thanks to all of you, we were able to successfully hold the 20th Symphony of Peace Prayers (SOPP) last year. Every year, we have cherished this event, and looking back, it is deeply moving to realize that we have now reached the milestone of 20 years.

Every time we celebrate the SOPP, we are reminded of the sight of participants sitting on the sacred ground of Fuji Sanctuary, offering sincere and heartfelt prayers. Even since the event has moved online, we can imagine everyone sitting in front of their devices and joining in the prayers. Whether it is a religious prayer, a prayer for a country, or a prayer of gratitude to nature, each prayer is cherished and prayed with heartfelt sincerity, and this is why the SOPP has been able to continue for so long. Of course, the SOPP’s long history is also thanks to the prayer leaders, distinguished guests, artists, and youth who have been involved over these 20 years, and to the foundation of pure prayer on which the SOPP is built.

Based on these achievements, we hope that the SOPP will continue to grow and evolve. However, we don’t believe that this evolution will take place suddenly or rapidly. Our hope is to see the SOPP change and expand gradually, while respecting the foundation we have built so far.

One example of this change is expanding the framework of religious and spiritual traditions that take part in the SOPP. It could also involve incorporating more music and poetry into the concept of prayer. As Masami Saionji has said, while religion is the foundation, we will gradually bring in other fields as well. We also aim to involve more people, from both Japan and overseas. We hope to develop these ideas slowly over time, and we will continue to work on these changes as we move forward.

Furthermore, we want to continue promoting the Fuji Declaration, which calls on humanity to awaken to our divine spark, so that its principles can take root in even more parts of the world. The SOPP will continue to take on new challenges and initiatives to achieve this, and we feel that it is because of the 20 years of history we have built together that we are able to meet these challenges.

The theme of this year’s SOPP, ‘Musubi,’ represents a vision of various elements—people and energies—coming together, becoming unified, and being recreated. ‘Musubi’ symbolizes cycles, regeneration, integration, and a union with something greater. In this, we hope to find a movement of peace and divinity where there is no beginning or end. We envision a world where the sacred unity of humanity circulates across the globe in various forms and expressions.

We thank you for your continued support at this year’s SOPP.

Yuka Saionji, Maki Saionji, and Rika Saionji
Deputy Chairperson and Vice Chairpersons of Byakko Shinko Kai

(Click on the pages in the 2025 menu — below or at right — to read about the various parts of the program)