12 September 2025: “Revisiting UNESCO Garden of Peace by Isamu Noguchi,” ceremony celebrating the completion of the restoration at UNESCO Headquarters

     
© Sacha HERON/UNESCO
© Marie ETCHEGOYEN/UNESCO
　
　On September 12, the UNESCO Secretariat hosted the ceremony “Revisiting the UNESCO Garden of Peace by Isamu Noguchi” to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the garden at UNESCO Headquarters, with support from the Japanese government. Approximately 200 guests attended, including representatives from the UNESCO Secretariat, Permanent Delegations to UNESCO, French and American Associations on Japanese garden, and artists.
　Located at UNESCO Headquarters and symbolizing peace and intellectual dialogue, the Garden of Peace, commonly known as the Japanese Garden, was designed by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi and completed in 1958. Following restoration works in 2000 and the 2024 restoration of the garden's Waterfall of Peace, several garden technicians from the Japan Federation of Landscape Contractors were sent from Japan between September 8 to 12, with the support of the Japanese government. They carried out work to restore the garden's original composition and plantings.
　During the ceremony, Ambassador Kano recalled in his speech the history of the garden as a symbol of peace. He emphasized the importance of preserving the archives kept at UNESCO Headquarters and announced that the Japanese Government had decided to allocate 150 000 USD to the Organization’s archives preservation project in the coming year.

Speech by Ambassador Kano (English）