Date: June 9th, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
(Japan Standard Time: June 10th, 2025, 0:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
Location: Foothills of Mauna Kea, Big Island of Hawaii, vicinity of Pu'u Huluhulu
Organizer: NPO ASKA WORLD
https://www.askaproject.com
What is the Beacon of Hope ?
The Beacon of Hope Project was launched on May 15th, 2021, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
On this day, we erected a "Harmony Stone" brought from Japan to the Big Island and held a prayer ceremony with the local Hawaiian people.
Since then, we have been asking ourselves this one question: "Why do we pray?"
In ancient times, prayer was central to people's lives. By offering prayers to nature, ancestors, and the Earth that nurtures life, we have gained the wisdom to live and continued the chain of life.People were able to receive the wisdom of the vast universe.
However, today, we have forgotten this wisdom and are harming the Earth with our own hands. As a result, we are on the verge of losing our home. We believe the time has come to reclaim wisdom through prayer.
By connecting with indigenous peoples who preserve this wisdom and praying together, could we rekindle the flame of wisdom that has been extinguished within us? We need to learn from them.
We want to know what the “prayer” is and reclaim the power of it. "Prayer" is our ray of hope.
Our journey of prayer, the “Beacon of Hope Project” began at the monumental site on the Big Island where Harmony stone was placed.
Why Mauna Kea?
Mauna Kea is the highest peak in the Pacific Ocean, standing at 4,205 meters above sea level. For the people of Hawaii, it is a land where the spirits of their ancestors reside. The summit, in particular, is considered a sacred realm where the gods live, and it has been worshiped since ancient times as a special place connecting the universe and the Earth.
Through the Beacon of Hope Project, we have opened prayer sites in eight locations around the world, connecting the “stone” of each land to the next. These stones are symbols of “will” that embody the spirit of the land and people's thoughts, and they have become a symbol of bond between the indigenous peoples we have met through the project and ourselves.
We feel this bond is something similar to the kinship of a family, the family that loves the same Earth. As an Earth Family connected by prayer, we wish to protect the land, traditions, and culture that indigenous peoples have safeguarded.
In Mauna Kea, the four-year journey of prayer for the Beacon of Hope will conclude. We will return to the Big Island of Hawaii, where the journey began, and gather together. By praying together on Mauna Kea, the sacred mountain connecting the universe and the Earth, we will reconnect as an Earth Family and raise a beacon of hope for the Earth.
Pleiades ─ Prayer to the Stars
A prayer to the stars unites the Earth.
The Pleiades (Subaru) are a special star cluster that various cultures and indigenous peoples around the world have passed down as “ancestral stars” and “guiding stars.” In Japan, it is called “Subaru” and has been used as an indicator for agriculture and seasons. Many indigenous peoples, including Hawaiians, the Q’ero tribe, the Māori, and the Maya, have also associated these stars with their ancestors and the memory of life.
At this ceremony, indigenous peoples with traditions related to the Pleiades will gather at Mauna Kea to share their “prayers to the stars” rooted in their respective cultures.
The fact that people from different countries, with different languages and beliefs, have looked up at the same stars, and is going to gather in one place at this time creates new implications for the future.
Praying to the Pleiades is also about calling back the perspective that we are “an Earth Family living together in the planetary home called Earth.”
If we look at the Earth from space, we will see only one blue planet.Beyond culture and borders, we are already connected as one.This ceremony is a place to experience that connection through prayer.
Although this ceremony was initially planned as an open gathering, it will now be held as a private ceremony for those offering prayers on site.
Due to the sensitive nature of the location and limited parking, we ask for your understanding in helping us maintain a peaceful and respectful space.
We warmly invite those who feel called to join in spirit to offer prayers from home or wherever you may be.
Mahalo for your understanding and continued support.
Our Vision
~Protecting Sacred Land~
Through prayer, we want to connect with people around the world and shed light on the “sacred lands” that have been protected in each region, as well as the memories and cultures that reside there.
Participants of this project are indigenous peoples and guardians of the land from various parts of the world, and they will join the project through prayer.Their sacred lands have their own views of nature, beliefs, histories, and traditions, but they also face serious issues such as development, environmental destruction, and cultural loss.
In this section, we will introduce videos, messages, and local voices from these individuals to share what is happening in these sacred sites now.
This is not simply a report or introduction, but rather a way to ask ourselves how humanity, who live together on this Earth, will connect and what choices to make for the future.
About Mauna Kea
(15:09)
Hawai‘i
Ehulani Stephany
(6:03)
Peru
Santos
(2:29)
About Mauna Kea
(15:19)
Peru
Augustine
(1:55)
Japan
Kanetsugu Tuchimikado
(11:33)
Gathering for the Sacred EARTH
Before the ceremony on June 9th, we will hold a gathering with indigenous peoples on June 6th.
This gathering will be a valuable opportunity to share the challenges, histories, and traditional wisdom of those who are working to protect sacred sites in their respective lands.
Before offering prayers, we must first learn from them.By listening to the voices of the sacred sites and understanding the thoughts of their guardians, we believe that the ceremony on the 9th will be more profound and resonant.
Support This Prayer
We carry out all preparations and operations through donations and volunteers to pass on the culture of prayer to the future.
Your donations will be used for activities such as:
Inviting and supporting the stay of guests from around the worldSetting up and operating the ceremony venueDisseminating and preserving prayers through videos and records
Prayer spreads not only through those who pray but also through the thoughts of those who support them. Please lend us your support to keep this flame of prayer burning and pass it on to the next generation.
Host of the Beacon of Hope Ceremony
Yuuka An
Founder and Vision Holder of Aska Project
As the founder of the Aska Project, Yuuka leads various activities aimed at cultural exchange centered on prayer and the protection of sacred sites.In this ceremony, she plays the role of creating a site that connects the Earth, the universe, and people around the world through prayer.She strongly believes that "prayer will be a flame of hope and a power to illuminate the future," and aims to reconnect us as an "Earth Family" beyond cultures, beliefs, and languages.
Details
Date: June 9th, 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
(Japan Standard Time: June 10th, 2025, 0:30 PM – 2:30 PM)
Location: Foothills of Mauna Kea, Big Island of Hawaii, vicinity of Pu'u Huluhulu
Organizer:
NPO ASKA WORLD
Copyright 2025 NPO ASKA WORLD