Peace pole

{{Short description|Monument series advocating for world peace}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

File:Peace I guess (2454808346).jpg

A peace pole（世界平和祈願柱) is a monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in the language of the country where it has been placed, and usually some additional translations. The message is often called a peace prayer.

Peace poles were first thought up by Masahisa Goi（五井昌久）,the founder of the Byakko Shinko Kai（白光真宏会）, a new religious movement in 1955 in Japan.{{Cite web|author =吉田尚文 |title =五井昌久の平和思想を支える理念 : その形成と展開|date =2019-03-15|publisher =國學院大學|url=https://k-rain.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/2466|pages = 305}} The phrase, “May peace be upon the earth,” comes from a prayer chanted at the Hakko Shinkokai, "May peace prevail on earth / May peace be in our home and nation / May our divine mission be fulfilled / Our Guardian Spirits, Divine Lords, and Master Goi / We are very thankful for your love and guidance".{{Cite web|author =吉田尚文 |title =五井昌久の平和思想を支える理念 : その形成と展開|date =2019-03-15|publisher =國學院大學|url=https://k-rain.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/2466|pages = 104}} The religious group he created is considered an offshoot of the Seicho-no-Ie.{{Cite journal|author =吉田尚文|authorlink = |title =五井昌久の思想形成にみられる他教団からの「影響」|year =2016|publisher =國學院大學大学院|journal =國學院大學大学院紀要: 文学研究科|volume =47 |issue =|url=https://k-rain.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/1435|pages = 87}} He believed that thoughts affect reality, and the chanting of prayers was the most effective way to achieve world peace. The Japanese Red Army's AIA building hostage crisis in Malaysia in 1975 had caused a worldwide impression of the Japanese to deteriorate. Therefore, he wanted to restore the impression of Japan and the Japanese by demonstrating to the world that they sincerely wanted peace, and he came up with the idea of the Peace Pole.{{sfn|吉田|2019|p=248}}{{sfn|吉田|2019|pp=253-256}}

In 1976, in the last years of Goi's life, the Byakko Shinko Kai began erecting peace poles throughout Japan.{{Cite web|author =吉田尚文 |title =五井昌久の平和思想を支える理念 : その形成と展開|date =2019-03-15|publisher =國學院大學|url=https://k-rain.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/2466|pages = 87-88}} Posters, leaflets, and peace poles with “Prayer for World Peace” were spread over a wide area in Japan and abroad. As the peace movement by Goi's followers was gaining momentum, He died in 1980.

The first peace poles outside Japan were constructed in 1983.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldpeace.org/about_history.html|title=The World Peace Prayer Society|website=www.worldpeace.org|access-date=2018-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119050951/http://worldpeace.org/about_history.html|archive-date=2018-11-19|url-status=dead}} Since then, more than 200,000 have been placed around the world in close to 200 countries.

Peace poles are often seen in various places in Japan, but most people do not know who erected them and for what purpose, and some find them suspicious.{{Cite web |url=https://www.47news.jp/4660040.html|title=「世界人類が平和で…」あの柱の正体は？　〝創始者〟の教祖に焦点、本出版の博士に聞く |author=松森好巨|publisher=47NEWS }} Some people of other religions consider the erection of the Peace Pole as part of their religious activities.{{Cite web|url=https://www.myotsuuji.info/世界人類が平和でありますように-のポールはなに/|title=「世界人類が平和でありますように」と書いてあるポールやステッカー、あれは何ですか？|publisher=日蓮正宗 妙通寺}} Countless peace poles have been erected on the grounds of the Byakko Shinko Kai's headquarters.{{Cite web|url=https://byakko.or.jp/fuji/field_map_globe/|title=富士聖地 野外会場・世界地図と地球儀|publisher=白光真宏会 }}

The peace pole project today is promoted by The World Peace Prayer Society as well as other groups and individuals. The World Peace Prayer Society was founded by Masami Saionzi（西園寺昌美）, the second president of the Byakko Shinko Kai.{{Cite web|author =吉田尚文 |title =五井昌久の平和思想を支える理念 : その形成と展開|date =2019-03-15|publisher =國學院大學|url=https://k-rain.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/2466|pages = 304}} The Goi Peace Foundation（五井平和財団）, chaired by Masami Saionji, is a sister organization of The World Peace Prayer Society and has presented peace poles to international organizations and dignitaries from various countries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goipeace.or.jp/news-archive/|title=過去の活動紹介|publisher=五井平和財団}}

Peace poles have been placed in such notable locations as the north magnetic pole, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the site of the Egyptian pyramids in Giza, and the Aiki Shrine in Iwama, Japan.[https://www.aikidohawaii.org/peaceprayer.html Aikido Hawaii] Peace poles are commonly installed at high-profile public gathering places, such as community parks or near the entrances of churches or schools. In one case, a garden, created for a wedding, was designed around the peace pole that was its centerpiece. The Republic of Molossia, a micronation, has a peace pole in eight languages.[https://www.molossia.org/peacepole.html molossia.org] The University of California, Los Angeles has a limestone peace pole with 14 languages directly in front of Kerckhoff Hall.

The initial inspiration for planting a peace pole often is as a response to a local historic hate crime, incident or issue. The world's second-largest peace pole, at {{convert|52|ft}},{{Cite web|url=https://www.janesvillecvb.com/things_to_do/details/4720/225665/Peace_Pole|title=Explore Janesville – Wisconsin's Great Outside|website=www.janesvillecvb.com|access-date=2018-11-16}} is located in Janesville, Wisconsin, at the site of a 1992 KKK rally (Saturday, May 30).{{Cite news|url=https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/local/2016/01/29/sheboygan-helped-unicef-successful-1952/79355646/|title=Sheboygan helped UNICEF be successful in 1952|last=Dippel|first=Beth|date=2016-01-29|work=Sheboygan Press Media|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://journaltimes.com/news/national/kkk-makes-plans-for-janesville-rally/article_a4527e1d-beb0-5fae-bcbd-1597246c3633.html|title=KKK makes plans for Janesville rally|last=Associated Press|date=1992-05-10|work=Journal Times|access-date=2018-11-16}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/01/us/klan-rally-draws-violent-protest.html|title=Klan Rally Draws Violent Protest|last=Associated Press|date=1992-06-01|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-11-16}} Another of the largest peace poles in the world, as measured in tons, is the granite peace pole in Beech Acres Park{{Cite web |url=http://www.andersonparks.com/ParkBAPeacePole.html |title=Beech Acres Park |access-date=2009-03-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704051012/http://www.andersonparks.com/ParkBAPeacePole.html |archive-date=2008-07-04 |url-status=dead }} near Cincinnati, Ohio, inspired by hate literature left in the driveways of Jewish residents.

In September 2016, the World Peace Prayer Society and the Little Free Library project announced a collaboration to offer a new peace pole library structure. It features the standard peace pole message of peace – "May Peace Prevail on Earth" – in a six-foot library. Some of these new libraries were installed at locations significant to the civil rights movement, such as the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.{{Cite news|url=https://littlefreelibrary.org/may-peace-prevail-on-earth-is-message-of-new-peace-pole-library/|title='May Peace Prevail on Earth' Is Message of New Peace Pole Library|date=2016-09-12|work=Little Free Library|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117022450/https://littlefreelibrary.org/may-peace-prevail-on-earth-is-message-of-new-peace-pole-library/|archive-date=2018-11-17|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://littlefreelibrary.org/peace-pole-libraries-given-to-honor-civil-rights-movement/|title=Peace Pole Libraries Given to Honor Civil Rights Movement|date=2016-09-16|work=Little Free Library|access-date=2018-11-16|language=en-US}}