One of a historical Japanese city is Hiroshima. Hiroshima is known as the first city in history to suffer an atomic bombing, which occurred on August 6, 1945 during World War Ⅱ. Despite this tragic event, Hiroshima has become a symbol of peace and resilience.
Hiroshima for Japanese
Hiroshima is a little far from Tokyo and Osaka so that there are even many Japanese people have never been to Hiroshima. When it comes to Hiroshima, the Atomic Bomb Dome and Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki come to mind.
Orizuru 折鶴
Japanese kids often play with Origami that is a traditional Japanese paper folding. You transform a flat square sheet of paper into various shapes and designs. The popular shapes is crane. A crane folded from origami paper means wish for longevity, happiness and recovery from illness. A thousand origami cranes are often displayed in hospitals.
A crane folded from origami paper is called “Orizuru 折鶴” in Japanese.
In addition, the thousand origami cranes are symbol of peace and nuclear disarmament.
Sadako Sasaki
There is the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima Peace Memoriam Park. It is a monument for peace to commemorate Sadako Sasaki and the thousands of child victims of the atomic bomb. There are always a thousand origami cranes.
When Sadako Sasaki was 2 years old, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. She became an atomic bomb survivor, but she grew up healthy and strong. However when she was 12, she suddenly showed signs of illness and passed away from leukemia. Then she was just 12 years old.
When she was in a hospital, she folded cranes from papers that were medicine in it to wish for recovery.
After her death, a movement began to build a monument to honor the spirits of. children who died in the atomic bomb and to promote peace. The Children’s Peace Monument was built with donation from all over Japan. Now, thousand origami cranes have been sent not only from all over Japan but also from around the world to the Children’s Peace Monument. It’s ten million cranes for one year.
School trip
Elementary school students around Osaka go to Hiroshima for a school trip when they are in sixth grade. Before that all students in a school fold a crane from origami and make a thousand origami cranes. Students in sixth grade bring the thousand origami cranes to Hiroshima and offer them to the Children’s peace monument. And they sing a song called “Orizuru” around the monument. There are Orizuru magnets and holders.
Summary
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is not Instagram-worthy spot. It’s better to learn thoroughly and be grateful for peace and health.
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