Peace Cranes Take Flight at Pearl Harbor

Once a month throughout the academic year, the Japan-America Society of Hawaii (JASH) in collaboration with Pacific Historic Parks (PHP) hosts the Sadako Peace Projects at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. For the fall semester, student and community volunteers joined JASH and PHP on October 28 and November 18 to share the story of Sadako Sasaki and her hope for world peace with memorial visitors. Visitors not only get to learn how to fold their own peace cranes, but they can also take home cranes folded by students in Japan! These donated cranes are folded and sent to JASH as part of lessons on world history and peace studies, and are coordinated by teachers in Japan.

For the October 28 workshop, we were joined by students from Pearl City High School, Kalani High School, the East-West Center, as well as community volunteers. Visitors who stopped by our booth came from all over the US, including Rhode Island, Florida, Michigan, and California. We also met families from China, England, Brazil, and even Japan!

Volunteers teach visitors about Sadako Sasaki while they fold their own peace crane

Mahalo to our October volunteers!

(L-R) Wiwik Dharmiasih, Kyson Nishitomi, Alena Kwon, Lhendup Tshering, Marlon Bacungan, Kimberly Nishitomi, and JASH Staff Christianne Ono

On November 18, we were joined by students from Ohana Arts’ production of “Peace On Your Wings,” a youth musical about Sadako Sasaki. Over the summer, the cast traveled to Hiroshima to perform the musical for an international audience. Earlier in November, these students also performed the musical for local audiences at Moanalua High School. In addition to the “Peace On Your Wings” cast, we were also joined by 2023 Hiroshima Peace Scholar Reina Gammarino, as well as other students from Punahou School and Moanalua High School! We shared peace cranes donated by Kodaira Nishi High School in Tokyo, Moka Hokuryo High School in Tochigi, and Satsukigaoka High School in Hiroshima.

(L-R) Volunteers Reina Gammarino, Megan Murakami, Kai Gammarino, and Natsumi Goedicke with peace cranes donated by schools in Japan

Ohana Arts’ “Peace On Your Wings” cast members teach visitors how to fold cranes

Cranes and messages of peace donated by Moka Hokuryo High School

To learn more about the Sadako Peace Projects and how your keiki, family, or youth organization can get involved, visit jashawaii.org/sadako-projects.