​Last year, at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, I experienced something I will never forget.

The opportunity came quite unexpectedly. Invited by a friend, I attended the performance of INOCHI created by Masahiko and Sayaka Hashimoto at the Expo’s main hall.

As I entered the venue, I could never have imagined that this performance would eventually grow into an international project connecting Japan and Caux, Switzerland.

INOCHI was a work inspired by the very theme of the Expo itself—the preciousness of life.

Nearly 200 children joined their voices in a grand chorus, accompanied by an orchestra of approximately 40 young musicians. Together, they conveyed the wonder, beauty, and dignity of life on a magnificent scale.

The children's pure voices, the sincerity of the young performers, and the immersive visual imagery evoking the vastness of the universe blended beautifully. I was deeply moved.

Between the musical pieces, Mr. Hashimoto himself conducted and spoke about the value of life and the importance of peace. Listening to his words, I found myself thinking:

“This may be one of the most beautiful expressions of the Expo’s ideals.”

At the same time, another thought began to grow within me.

This work should not end with the Expo.
It deserves to be shared with the world.

After the performance, thanks to the kindness of those who had invited me, I had the opportunity to meet Masahiko and Sayaka Hashimoto backstage.

I expressed my sincere admiration and told them:

“This work carries a message that should be shared with people around the world.”

At that very moment, my thoughts turned to Caux Initiatives of Change in Switzerland, an international peace organization with which I have had a connection for many years.

In today's world, division, conflict, discrimination, and war continue to affect countless lives. Precisely because of these realities, I felt certain that the voices of children singing about the preciousness of life and the hope for peace could transcend national borders and touch hearts everywhere.

In fact, my connection with Caux goes back more than half a century.

When I was young, my mother was a close friend of the late Yukika Soma, one of Japan’s most respected peace advocates. Ms. Soma first visited Caux in 1950 and became deeply inspired by its philosophy. Throughout her life, she supported peace-building activities and returned to Caux many times.

My mother also supported these efforts, and as a child I often heard about Caux.

Then, in 2002, shortly after completing my assignment at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C., I attended the Caux Round Table Conference for the first time.

People from all over the world gathered at the historic mountain-top venue overlooking Lake Geneva. They came from different nations, cultures, religions, and backgrounds, yet they shared a common desire—to seek peace through dialogue and mutual understanding.

That week became one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

During my years at the World Bank, I worked on numerous development projects and faced many difficult negotiations and complex realities. Yet the power of human dialogue that I experienced at Caux left an impression on me unlike anything else.

From 2004 to 2007, while serving as an advisor to the Japan Management Association, I organized leadership development programs for the next generation of Japanese business leaders. Each year, selected executives visited Europe and the United States and participated in Caux conferences alongside their study tours.

Through exchanges with people from around the world, they gained invaluable insights, friendships, and perspectives that extended far beyond business.

When I visited Caux again last year, I spoke with its leadership about the INOCHI concert I had witnessed at Expo 2025.

I asked a simple question:

Could the message of peace carried by Japanese children be shared at the 2026 Caux Forum?

The response was overwhelmingly positive.

The organizers told me that the project resonated deeply with the values and philosophy of Caux.

Soon afterward, an official invitation was extended.

What made me even happier was that the project did not remain simply a performance from Japan.

It evolved into an international collaboration involving children from Switzerland, France, Germany, and Japan.

The voices born at Expo 2025 would now bring together children from four nations.

I can think of no more meaningful development.

Looking back, the history of Caux itself is a history of reconciliation and peace.

Following the devastation of the Second World War, leaders believed that Europe could have no future without reconciliation between France and Germany. Through dialogue and cooperation, former enemies found a path forward.

That spirit eventually contributed to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community and, later, the European Union.

When I studied at the University of Paris in 1961, the momentum toward European integration was already growing. Visiting Caux later allowed me to glimpse the spiritual foundations that supported that historic transformation.

Today, the world once again faces deep divisions.

From Ukraine to the Middle East and many other regions, countless people continue to suffer while longing for peace.

Yet Caux continues to uphold the same enduring principles:

Not hatred, but love.
Not conflict, but forgiveness.
Not division, but unity.

This is why I have remained connected to Caux throughout my life.

People gather there across differences of nationality, race, religion, and culture. They listen to one another and strive to understand one another.

I believe that this culture of dialogue is the first step toward peace.

This year’s Forum will feature not only the international children’s chorus of INOCHI, but also a peace and cultural initiative introducing a picture-book donation project for children in Ukraine. In addition, representatives of the Asia Women Leaders Forum, who are engaged in leadership development and peace-building activities, will participate.

Culture, education, and the voices of children are among the most precious assets we possess for building a peaceful future.

It is my sincere hope that the voices of INOCHI, created by Masahiko and Sayaka Hashimoto, will spread across the world together with the spirit of Caux.

May the voices of children cross borders, connect hearts, and become a source of hope for the future.

That, above all, is one of the most valuable lessons about peace that I have received from Caux throughout my life.

I hold the deepest respect and gratitude for Mr. Ignacio Packer, Executive Director of the Caux Foundation, and for all those who sustain and support its work.

Caux continues to offer a unique space where people can heal the wounds of hatred, learn from one another through reconciliation and dialogue, reflect on the lessons of history, and explore inspiring themes that help us build a more peaceful and hopeful future. Their unwavering commitment is a source of inspiration to us all.