Overview

• On July 17, the northern bell was installed and rung at Urakami Cathedral, completing the twin-tower ensemble for the first time since 1945.
• Weighing 224 kilograms with a height of 66 centimeters and an 80.7-centimeter diameter, the bronze bell was manufactured and donated by over 500 U.S. Catholic supporters through a fundraising campaign.
• The Nagasaki Bell Project was led by Professor James Nolan Jr.—grandson of a Manhattan Project physician—and initiated by second-generation survivor Kojiro Morinouchi to honor atomic bombing victims.
• Archbishop Leonard Nakamura blessed the newly installed bell during the ceremony, describing its sound as a symbol of hope for world peace.
• The restored northern bell will ring alongside the surviving southern bell on August 9 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Nagasaki atomic bombing.