和解・友好・祈念
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The Canteen
Recovered from the wreckage of a B-29 bomber that crashed in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1945, the charred canteen still bears the handprint of its owner.
It stands as a silent witness to the final moments of a young airman — and to the act of compassion that followed.
More than a canteen, it has become a symbol of loss, memory, and reconciliation.
Hiroya Sugano was 12 years old on the night of the raid. His family home was destroyed.
Since 1972 Dr. Sugano, alone without fanfare, has conducted a memorial service on top of Mt. Shizuhata on the Saturday closest to June 20, using this blackened canteen as a vehicle of honor and remembrance.
“I’m certain that this memorial service will be a bridge between our Nations and contribute toward peace” – Dr. Hiroya Sugano
Dr. Hiroya Sugano
A Ceremony of Reconciliation
Today, the Blackened Canteen ceremony is held in both Japan and the United States, bringing together people from former adversary nations.
At Pearl Harbor and in Shizuoka, bourbon is poured from the canteen – a symbolic act of remembrance, respect and peace.
Each year, participants gather not only to honor those who were lost, but to affirm a shared commitment to understanding and reconciliation.
