Jerusalem, Israel, September 10, 2008--Members of the Japanese Buddhist association Agon Shu gather in traditional dress for a ceremony in honor of Israel's 60th anniversary and to promote Japanese tourism to Israel.

The focus of the ceremony is a fire where wooden sticks inscribed with wishes for world peace are tossed. The association has previously performed the ceremony for world peace in places such as Auschwitz, Paris, and New York. The association was established in 1978 by Seiyu Kiriyama.