By Sharen Shaw Johnson, Stars and Stripes Scene, Sunday, May 1, 2005 Take 123 artists, one each from a United Nations member state. Give each a white statue of a bear, paws upraised, about 6½ feet tall. Tell them to paint it however they wish, to represent their country of origin. Result: The United Buddy Bears. A cigar juts from the mouth of Cuba’s bear. America’s wears flowing robes and holds the torch of the Statue of Liberty. France’s displays wine bottles, the Eiffel Tower and a fashion mannequin wearing a hat and not much else. The bears are on display through May 8 on the plaza outside the Roppongi Hills tower in Tokyo’s Roppongi neighborhood. The colorful show has three strong selling points: It’s free. It’s aimed at fostering peace by increasing understanding — the exhibit’s motto is “We have to get to know each other better.” And through donations and souvenir sales, the United Buddy Bears are raising money for organizations, including UNICEF, that help children. As of January, the project had raised $1.34 million, organizers said. The bears are globe-trotters. They began life standing in a large circle, paw to paw, outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, which has a bear as its symbol. They’ve also visited Austria and Hong Kong, and they came to Tokyo from Istanbul, Turkey. At the end of their global tour, organizers said, all Buddy Bears will be sold at auction “in aid of children in need.” To see them: Exit the Hibiya Line or Oedo Line subway at Roppongi Station. Leave the station through Exit 1C. Turn left; walk away from Roppongi Intersection toward Roppongi Hills (look for the tallest skyscraper in the neighborhood). Take the escalator up to the plaza level. For more on the exhibition, visit: www.united-buddy-bears.com.