2012 Fuji SOPP

Introduction

On May 20, 2012, tens of thousands of people in more than fifty countries worldwide joined in celebrating the eighth annual Symphony of Peace Prayers (SOPP), a global event to transcend religious and national boundaries and elevate humanity’s consciousness through waves of peace, love, and light.

At Fuji Sanctuary in Shizuoka, Japan, where the SOPP was initiated in 2005, seven distinguished prayer leaders came from Japan and abroad to lead the participants in praying their own chosen peace prayers. Also attending were a group of youth leaders from different parts of the world. They were joined in the outdoor Prayer Field by some 6,000 participants, who made the journey to Fuji Sanctuary to lend their hearts and voices to this unique peace prayer event.

In addition, three special events took place in the days following the ceremony. On May 21, many of the prayer leaders, guests, and youth participants joined in a post-ceremony discussion, and the following day, some of them took part in a visit to the Tohoku region, to view the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 and offer prayers for the region’s future. On May 24, the youth participants gave presentations in Tokyo, at an event called the Gift Symposium.

In locations throughout the world, many local SOPP ceremonies and prayer and meditation gatherings were held on or near May 20, organized through the Global Link network and the Global Peace Meditation and Prayer Day event.

Participants and guests arrived at Fuji Sanctuary in the morning, greeted by mostly sunny skies and a view of snow-capped Mount Fuji, a sight not seen at the SOPP since 2008. They were welcomed by the many volunteers and staff who helped to make the ceremony possible, and little by little the large Prayer Field filled with peace-minded participants arriving from Japan and around the world. At 10 am, the ceremony began with opening remarks from Byakko President Tomohiko Naya and Chairperson Masami Saionji.

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