Masahisa Goi’s 109th Birthday, Celebrated in Hilo, Hawaii, USA
November 20, 2025
Submitted: December 10, 2025
On November 20th, 2025, Councilwoman Jenn Kagiwada hosted a dedication ceremony at 2:30 p.m. for a new granite Peace Pole at Kalakaua Park.
The installation coincides with the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and aims to reaffirm a commitment to peace.
Peace Poles are monuments inscribed with “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in multiple languages.
Hilo’s new Peace Pole features eight languages, including Hawaiian and Japanese, and is part of a global movement begun in 1955 by Japanese philosopher Masahisa Goi.
Nov. 22, Masahisa Goi’s 109th birthday, is celebrated internationally as Global Peace Pole Day.
The project was a collaboration between Kagiwada, the Rotary Club of South Hilo, granite stonemason Mike Sasaki and the county Department of Parks and Recreation. Hilo High School’s Japan Club performed “Light a Candle for Peace” with sign language during the ceremony.
Sen. Lorraine Inouye, representatives from the mayor’s office and the Hawaii Japanese Center are expected to attend.
“The hope with installing this Peace Pole is that it will be a monument prompting public education and reflection on what it means to be a peaceful society,” Kagiwada said in a news release. “The County Council passed Resolution 235-25 earlier this year, urging citizens and institutions to recommit to tolerance, justice and reconciliation, and reject the use and proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
The Peace Pole was funded by Kagiwada’s district contingency funds and the Rotary Club of South Hilo.