IN a deeply symbolic gesture, young people of The Marianas are marking 80 years of peace between their islands in the western Pacific and Japan since World War II with a gift of “senbazuru” — or 1,000 origami cranes — to the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima, Japan.
The island of Tinian in The Marianas served as the U.S. forward launching position from which the planes deployed to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Today, the islands are a U.S. commonwealth that maintains close ties to Japan through tourism, business, cross-cultural exchange, and family relations — connections that date back to 1914 when Japan took control of the islands from Germany.
“Senbazuru” — which translates to “1,000 cranes” in Japanese — is a longstanding tradition of folding one thousand origami paper cranes. In Japanese culture, the crane symbolizes longevity, happiness, and good fortune, and folding 1,000 cranes is said to grant the folder a wish.
The legend of “senbazuru” is perhaps best known outside Japan through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young victim of the Hiroshima bombing whose story is memorialized in the book, “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.” At age 11 she was diagnosed with leukemia caused by radiation exposure, and she set out to fold 1,000 cranes to wish for healing. Although she succumbed to her illness before reaching her goal, her family and friends completed the effort.
“I enjoyed participating in the project because it made me feel connected to the art of Japanese people, and it was relaxing,” said high school senior Michael Camacho, Jr. “It reminds me that small, intentional actions can lead to great results. Peace is also a result of small, intentional actions by people. Having and maintaining peace in our communities leads to peace with every country in the world.”
The story of Sadako was included in this year’s school outreach presentations by the Marianas Tourism Education Council. The council visits schools annually, teaching students about the importance of tourism for the archipelago and how young people can contribute toward making the islands an ideal place to live, work, and visit.
“MTEC’s theme this year in engaging our young people has been, ‘Planting Peace,’ highlighting the wonderful way The Marianas embraces the 20+ cultures who make up our small island community, a celebration of cultural diversity that is really an example for the world,” said MTEC Chairwoman Vicky Benavente, who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Marianas Visitors Authority. “Understanding our islands’ pivotal role during World War II, this has been an amazing opportunity for our schoolchildren to join this year’s commemoration by reflecting on what it means to live in a place of peace today and by extending a wish for peace to the world.”
The Marianas is located 3.5 hours via direct flight from Tokyo, and Japan was once the destination’s top source market for tourism, underscoring the strong historic and cultural ties between the two archipelagos.
This summer, the “senbazuru” will first be displayed at American Memorial Park in Saipan, a U.S. national park honoring American and Marianas people who gave their lives during the Marianas Campaign during World War II. The cranes will be hung in the Reflection Hall of the park’s visitors center and will be a highlight to the park’s youth summer reading program focusing on the story of Sadako. In September, American Memorial Park will send the gift to the Children’s Peace Monument at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
“Our annual Paper Cranes for Peace program is something we look forward to every year,” said American Memorial Park Ranger Brooke Nevitt. “Starting in June, we will have an origami station in our Visitor Center, and everyone is welcome to come in and help fold paper cranes.”
Annual pilgrimages are made to The Marianas by devotees from Japan who pray for world peace and for individuals who lost their lives in the islands during the World War II, with ceremonies held at various stone memorials found along open ocean vistas or lush jungles throughout the islands.
An international commemoration ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II will be hosted by the commonwealth at the historic North Field airport complex on the island of Tinian on Aug. 6, 2025. Individuals interested in the ceremonies may contact the Marianas Visitors Authority at info@mymarianas.com or (670) 664-3200/1 for more information.
Contributing groups to the “senbazuru” include Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Middle School, Chacha Ocean View Middle School, Da’ok Academy, Dandan Middle School, Garapan Elementary, Kagman Elementary, Kagman High, Koblerville Elementary, Marianas High, Oleai Elementary, Saipan Southern High, San Vicente Elementary, Tanapag Middle School, William S. Reyes Elementary, American Memorial Park volunteers, and the family of Larry Lee.
Students of school MY WAVE — or Marianas Youth Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically — Clubs learn to make paper cranes during the Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism Summit on Jan. 24, 2025, at Garapan Central Park in Saipan, The Marianas. Students folded a traditional Japanese “senbazuru” — 1,000 origami cranes — to mark 80 years of peace in The Marianas since World War II.
Students of MY WAVE Clubs learn to make paper cranes from the Northern Marianas Japanese Society volunteers during the Marianas Tourism Education Council Tourism Summit on Jan. 24, 2025, at Garapan Central Park in Saipan. Students folded 1,000 origami cranes to mark 80 years of peace in The Marianas since World War II.
Ceremonial “senbazuru” are laid at the Japanese Memorial on Saipan in The Marianas on May 10, 2025. The Marianas is the site of several annual pilgrimages by devotees from Japan who pray for world peace and for individuals who lost their lives in the islands during the World War II.
