HOPE80 Takes Flight Over Japan
- lawrencelefcort
- Sep 12, 2025
- 3 min read
Amid rising global tensions, endless airstrikes, and persistent calls for violence, another sound rose above the noise: the steady thrum of helicopter blades carrying the HOPE80 Peace Ambassadors and the sacred Flame of Hope to Fukushima, Japan.
Under the banner From Hiroshima to Hope, the descendants of World War II leaders have returned the Flame to Japan, beginning a two-week peace pilgrimage across the nation.
“Conflict can only exist when hearts are divided,” says Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. “When we heal and unify those divisions, war disappears immediately.”
The journey marks 80 years since the end of World War II and brings together grandchildren and great-grandchildren of former enemies, now walking side-by-side in peace. The international delegation includes:
Lucy Sandys, great-granddaughter of Winston Churchill
Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi
Clifton Truman Daniel, grandson of U.S. President Harry S. Truman
Hidetoshi Tojo, great-grandson of Prime Minister Hideki Tojo
Jennifer Teege, granddaughter of Nazi commander Amon Göth and author of My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me
Magali Brosh, second generation holocaust survivor and Israeli peace activist
Together, they are delivering a powerful message: “Yesterday’s enemies are today’s friends.”
The Media Takes Notice
On September 10th, 2025, in front of a full reception room at the Japanese National Press Club, HOPE80 descendants shared their vision and goals for their time in Japan. They also fielded questions for over an hour from members of the media about why they chose to participate in the global peacebuilding tour.
"Peace starts inside yourself," says Jennifer Teege, granddaughter of Nazi commander Amon Göth. "If you don't recognize and heal from the shadows of your past, you will project that darkness out into the world."
The Present Heals the Past
One of the most anticipated moments of the HOPE80 Japan tour will be the first in person meeting between Clifton Truman Daniel, eldest grandson of U.S. President Harry S. Truman and Hidetoshi Tojo, great-grandson of Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, the Japanese Prime Minister during World War II.
“By commemorating the 80th anniversary of one of the most destructive wars in human history together, Tojo-san and I hope the sounds of peace and reconciliation will ring far and wide,” says Mr. Truman Daniel. “And show that in war, all sides lose, and that ultimately there is only one side, the human side.”
“I am very much looking forward to welcoming Mr. Truman Daniel when we meet in Hiroshima,” says Mr. Tojo. “And to walking the path of peace, remembrance, and reconciliation with him. Together, we can be a model for the world.”
Descendants of the world’s most prominent World War II leaders arrived in Japan in September 2025, to continue the HOPE80 Global Peace Pilgrimage, carrying the Flame of Hope — a sacred fire formed from 16 historic peace flames including the embers from Hiroshima. They will travel together to several cities in Japan including Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Osaka promoting reconciliation, peace, and unity among all people.
A Sacred Flame Born from Tragedy
The Flame of Hope was conceived in 2014 by Japanese healer and visionary Ryokyu Endo, after a transformative moment with a young Palestinian boy who had lost both legs in a bombing. Struck by grief, Ryokyu prayed that no child should ever suffer like that again. From this prayer, the Flame of Hope was born.
The Flame of Hope now contains embers from:
The Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Memorial Flame
The Eternal Flame of Jesus in Jerusalem
The Sacred Kiezu-no-hi Flame in Japan (burning for 1,200+ years)
The Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini
The Eternal Flame of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Eternal Flame of Mahatma Gandhi
And 10 other sacred peace sites
Today, it carries the prayers of over 675,000 people, including His Holiness Pope Francis and Pope Leo, who publicly blessed the HOPE80 delegation in June 2025, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The flame now burns eternally in Lumbini, and soon in Bethlehem, with a long-term vision to bring it to Mecca.
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