Hiroshima girl's paper crane comes to Pearl Harbor

touching!

Sadako Sasaki’s family donated the origami crane to promote peace and overcome the tragedies of the past.

“We have both been wounded and have suffered painfully. We don’t want the children of the future to go through the same experience,”

Such a great gesture. If only more people would think like that.

Maybe they should look West as well as East. Why do the Japanese focus on European and American input into the wars and not Asian? So typical of history education in Japan to downplay East Asian conflict.

“If we are going to pave the way to peace for the children of the future, we can’t pass on the grudges of the past,”

It's this sort of mind set that is the key to moving forward in many areas. If this was a predominant view, we all would be in much better circumstances. Sadly there are far too many @spudmans in the world...

“If we are going to pave the way to peace for the children of the future, we can’t pass on the grudges of the past,”

It's this sort of mind set that is the key to moving forward in many areas. If this was a predominant view, we all would be in much better circumstances. Sadly there are far too many @spudmans in the world...

A better key to moving forward would be if Japan would stop thinking it is a victim and not the aggressor.

Hardly they in America know anything about Sasaki Sadako and her story....

The country that started the war in the preemptive attack on pearl harbor and the country that ended the war by dropping the atomic bomb. By throwing away the grudge of the past and beyond the differences of culture and education can there be true mutual understanding between the two nations.

Hardly they in America know anything about Sasaki Sadako and her story....

While the majority of Americans may not be familiar, it is not uncommon for Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes to appear on reading lists or English curricula in the US.

I like the symmetry but I also agree that Japan hasn't properly confronted its responsibility with regards to WW2

I may be wrong but I thought she was only able to fold 644 cranes. I also like the symmetry. As for political comments, just think it's inappropriate in relation to this story. As for her request, we are still talking about her some 58 years later.

“We have both been wounded and have suffered painfully. We don’t want the children of the future to go through the same experience,”

Very sad and touching, and for these people and all the victims of war, be they the victims of atomic bombings or Japan's massacres in Asia, I feel so sorry for them. That said, imagine how nice it would be if Japan did a little bit more to acknowledge the aggression the Imperial Army committed and sought forgiveness instead of insisting people forget and 'let it go', etc.? This crane and the gesture remind us of the horrors of war, and that is a GOOD thing in order that we don't let it happen again. People who suggest things have been dealt with and we should forget it and move on are destined to let it happen again and then ask why.

I love the story and if children grow up not having the burdens of the past while knowing what occurred there's hope for forgiveness and human beings moving forward. However it might be needed to make a tour around Japan's and USA's current political scene as a more fitting recipient to kindle the same sentiment.

I may be wrong but I thought she was only able to fold 644 cranes.

This was my understanding as well.

I may be wrong but I thought she was only able to fold 644 cranes.

"never let facts get in the way of a good story"

Well I think that Pearl Harbor should donate something to Hiroshima and Nakasaki.... let's see how that goes....

ProbieSep. 20, 2013 - 09:05AM JST A better key to moving forward would be if Japan would stop thinking it is a victim and not the aggressor.

A better move would be if the U.S. started facing up to the fact that it isn't always the hero in every dispute. The U.S.'s conduct has been despicable for a long time, and while the Japanese were just as bad during WW2 they've changed and have behaved in an exemplary fashion for the last 7 decades... while the U.S. has continued to commit atrocity after atrocity after atrocity...

So yeah, maybe if the U.S. could just admit that it killed one little girl needlessly then that would be some sort of progress, but the U.S. has NO room to criticise anyone else, especially not a reformed nation like Japan.

Equating the attack on Pearl Harbor with the bombing of Hiroshima is incredibly cynical. The attack on Pearl Harbor did not save millions of lives; the bombing of Hiroshima did. American's can be rightfully proud of ending the war and saving Japan.

Interesting gesture. Just as interesting was that last week the US let China's navy pay a courtesy visit to Pearl Harbor. Talk about stiking you finger in Japan's eye! Chinese love the symbolism of that. Incidently, a recent study showed that among the almost 80% of Americans under 25 who know that atom bombs have been actually used, almost 70% thought they had been used against Korea.

Probie

A better key to moving forward would be if Japan would stop thinking it is a victim and not the aggressor.

This is just a gesture of peace and good will by a family. That's all. There is no other agenda here.

This is just a gesture of peace and good will by a family. That's all. There is no other agenda here.

Thanks for the sensible comment, I hope a few people take the time to read it. I fail to how reaching out a hand in peace and forgiveness can be construed as a bad thing. Whether or not this is a small or momentous gesture we can't tell at this point but it is a beautiful gesture and I am certain that this is how the world is going to change for the better; one person at a time, until there are large groups of such like-minded people. I don't think there can be anything bad to say about this, what a beautiful girl she was and what a beautiful family. Her life might have been tragically cut short but her legacy is huge. It doesn't help to cast every single act by every single Japanese individual that dares to mention this period of history as evil and seeking to somehow obfuscate the truth. In the most desperate times some beautiful souls always manage rise above the fear and show what all human beings are capable of achieving through love, compassion and understanding, this girl was such a person.

I almost broke down in tears today as I read this at the office. I hate thinking about such a precious little girl who had done nothing wrong in life at all at the time of her bombing, but sentenced to death anyway.

But I am glad she was recognized, monumented, and celebrated in stories that travel the world. Every one of her paper cranes is precious and having one sent to Pearl Harbor is the ultimate showcase of 2 nations having in the past done each other immeasurable harm to each other, but reconciling into best friends afterwards.

China could learn a lot from this.

This was such a heart-rending story... I had heard of it, but I didn't know the details. Now I wish I had known about Sadako a long time ago.

Everyone goes on about how the two A bombs saved millions of lives... but at what cost? Sadako was an innocent, and her death was slow and painful thanks to the radiation. How can this be acceptable? Yes, the attack on Pearl Harbour was an aggressive act, and helped to bring America into the war (better late than never)... but I don't think that civilians should EVER be targeted by bombings... be that London, Dresden, Hiroshima or Baghdad.

Sadako needs to be honoured by the world as a symbol of peace, or at least she needs some kind of international legacy.

Sadako chan is only 6th grade child. Nothing to do with W W I I or politics in Japan. /Origami Cranes. Hard to create. Bright history for change.

@LSpiro

I really appreciated your post until the last line. Why the need to bring China into this story? This story has nothing to do with China or Japan for that matter, it is a story about a family and an incredible gesture of humility. Why does everything have to become a jibe against China?

@probie

A better key to moving forward would be if Japan would stop thinking it is a victim and not the aggressor.

If you really believe that is 'better', then you are just part of the problem.

@sf2k

I love the story and if children grow up not having the burdens of the past while knowing what occurred there's hope for forgiveness and human beings moving forward.

Exactly. No one is asking that anyone forget anything. Indeed, this is all about remembering - but with a spirit that rises above hate and xenophobia.

Sadako's cranes could be distributed to TEPCO and the Prime Minister's.

I really appreciated your post until the last line. Why the need to bring China into this story?

You are right. I apologize.

I like China. I just wish they could get along with Japan as well as America does with Japan. I hope someday to see China send such a gesture to the Yasukuni Shrine or similar. I guess it didn’t come out right, but that is what I meant.

In high school we read this story, I've been making my own thousand cranes and let me tell you, its not easy and it does take a long time. I find it touching that her family have donated one of those precious cranes as a sign of peace.

@Heral: It is difficult to make crane with origami papers/ Hope you will be able to make 1,000 like sadako san. Symbol of peace. Tsurus are in Dobutsu-yen now? Used to be (my time) on Hirroppa in countries.

Japan should leave western countries and join SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) which will return Japan nationalism and pride. Japan has close blood, ethnic and geography with China and Asian more than western countries that will balance power with NATO so they can't attack Japan with nuclear bomb again as they are scare from China power and nuclear arsenal that build United Nation.

Isn't this article about a 6th grader Sadako-san? zmoy Japan, nit, Chuna, not Abe, Not Tepco. not western countries, not Shanghai, Not NATO, just Sadako-san and her crane made with origami art. She is just in 6th grade. She was not born during Shanghai incident time,