Heiwa no Kakehashi – “Bridge of Peace”

Students of Nobori-Cho Elementary School making paper crane boxes

Saturday, May 14, 2016 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute
Nisei Veterans Memorial Hall
1964 W. 162nd St., Gardena, CA 90247

Cost:  Pay what you wish

Sadako Sasaki (left) and the paper crane she folded (right)

Heiwa no Kakehashi - “Bridge of Peace,” will commemorate and continue the inspiring legacy of Sadako Sasaki, a young Japanese girl who died of leukemia after being exposed to radiation produced by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.  Sadako folded 1,000 origami cranes in the hope of surviving her leukemia, and Sadako and the paper crane have become international symbols of peace for children around the world.

The Heiwa no Kakehashi program will include the folding of paper crane boxes that are decorated by the students of the Nobori-Cho Elementary School in Hiroshima, Japan, the school that Sadako attended.  The crane boxes are decorated with images and messages of hope, peace, and friendship.  Each child who folds a paper crane box will keep the box. The crane boxes are made of recycled paper produced by “orizuru” (paper cranes) that are offered to the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima.  Each year, approximately 10 million paper cranes from around the world are offered to the monument.   In addition to folding the paper crane box, children will also be decorating paper cranes, and these paper cranes will be sent to the children of Nobori-Cho Elementary School.

Second part of the program features “Sadako’s Story,” written by Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s older brother, that tells the moving story of Sadako and her paper cranes.  Masahiro was four years old when the atomic bomb was dropped, Sadako was two years old.

Music will also be featured in the program, including the singing of “Inori” (Prayer), written by Yuji Sasaki (Sadako’s nephew), with lyrics in Japanese and English.  “Inori” is inspired by Sadako’s story; Yuji explains how he came to write the song: “Despite facing death, Sadako always showed a brave smile to her family. I tried putting myself in her place to compose the lyrics."  The song will be sung by members of the Wings of Peace choir conducted by Rachel Chew, along with guest artists.

The organizers hope that this will become an ongoing exchange of friendship between children in America and Japan.