2014 / Hiroshima atomic-bombing victim Sadako Sasaki and her thousand paper crane story to be presented, Aug 3

Los Angeles-based musical troupe The Grateful Crane Ensemble will tell the story of Sadako Sasaki and her one thousand origami cranes on Sunday, August 3 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

Grateful Crane’s presentation at the JACCC’s Doizaki Gallery is part of the second annual “Remembering Sadako: Folding for Peace,” a three-day event presented by the JACCC to promote peace through art and culture.

Directed by Darrell Kunitomi with musical direction by Scott Nagatani, the short theatrical presentation tells the real-life story of a 12-year-old Hiroshima girl who folded over 1,000 paper cranes with hopes of defeating the “atom bomb disease” which she contracted ten years after the bombing.

Sadako’s wish, however, did not come true as she succumbed to leukemia at a Hiroshima Red Cross hospital in October, 1955.  But her story of determination, perseverance and hope has lived on to inspire children and adults around the world, and the origami paper crane has become an international symbol of peace.

Also featured in the program will be the telling of the classic children’s story, “The Tortoise and the Hare,” as well as the singing of “book songs” including “You are My I Love You” and “Where Does the Wind Blow?”

Cast members in the show include Haruye Ioka, Keiko Kawashima, Darrell Kunitomi, Helen H. Ota and Shaun Shimoda.  Scott Nagatani will accompany the group on keyboard.

The JACCC is located at 244 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 in Little Tokyo. www.jaccc.org

(Source: the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center and The Grateful Crane Ensemble)