Japanese man spreads hope for peace by teaching paper crane making after Nobel ceremony

A Japanese man who gives talks on the experiences of atomic bomb survivors has shown people in Norway how to fold paper cranes in an effort to spread hope for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The event was held at the Nobel Peace Center in the capital Oslo on Thursday, two days after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors.

Kamata Makoto passes on the experiences of a man who lost his parents in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. He handed out origami paper to the participants, who included local residents and tourists, and showed them how to fold cranes.

Kamata also talked about Sasaki Sadako, who died of leukemia at the age of 12 after being exposed to radiation from the 1945 blast in Hiroshima. She kept folding paper cranes while hospitalized to pray for her recovery.

Some participants had to start over again, but when their work was completed, they put their cranes on their palms and smiled.

A 23-year-old Oslo resident said he feels like they are slowly achieving peace together when they fold cranes. He added that it is obviously a small step, but he believes that world peace will be achieved one day if people try to do more.

Kamata said he hopes people who have learned how to fold paper cranes will teach others, so that the practice will spread.

He also said the ties made through origami cranes are important, expressing hope they will become a symbol of peace.

The Nobel Peace Center says it plans to give local elementary school students the chance to make paper cranes.