On 15 August 2012, a special event was held at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) at Alrewas, Staffordshire for the inauguration of the Hiroshima Stone - a memorial to the victims of the atomic bombings in Japan and all victims of the Second World War.
The stone is from the bombed ruins of Hiroshima, and it was the 'dying wish' of veteran Maj Philip Malins, a former chairman of the International Friendship and Reconciliation Trust, that it should be turned into a memorial and dedicated to reconciliation and peace. It was erected thanks to the support from the City of Hiroshima, the Midlands Japanese Association, the East Midlands Japanese Association, the Royal British Leigon and other dedicated individuals.
Ambassador Hayashi unveiled the Hiroshima Stone at the arboretum's Anglo-Japanese garden. Up to 150 people were present during the ceremony. Ambassador Hayashi described the stone as a "symbol of human suffering during World War II and the ongoing quest for eternal peace", and paying respect to the late Maj Malins' initiative to bring the stone to the NMA, emphasised the importance of "passing the torch of reconciliation and peace on to the next generation and beyond".
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