By Bryan Manabat
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Variety News Staff
JAPANESE peace advocate Miwa Kuriyama arrived on Saipan Thursday to attend the 80th Liberation Day commemoration, but the event was postponed as Tropical Storm Bavi approached the Northern Marianas and was forecast to intensify into a super typhoon by Sunday evening.
Kuriyama received the 80th Commemorative Battle of Saipan medal on behalf of her late grandfather, Torazo Kuriyama, a Japanese Army anti-aircraft artilleryman who survived the 1944 Battle of Saipan. The medal was presented by Rita Chong, chief of staff for the Saipan Mayor’s Office, during a brief ceremony ahead of the storm.
According to Pacific Development Inc. Managing Director Gordon Marciano, Kuriyama also presented 1,000 origami cranes bearing the names of 1,000 people for inclusion in the commemorative collection, symbolizing peace and remembrance between Japan and the United States.
In a letter shared during the ceremony, Kuriyama recounted her grandfather’s story of survival. Near the end of the Battle of Saipan, he wandered through the jungle seeking a place to die until a wounded soldier urged him to live. Later captured by American troops, he was given water and treated with compassion — an act that shaped his lifelong message of reconciliation.
Her grandfather often spoke of the flame trees of Saipan, whose red blossoms became a symbol of hope amid the devastation of war.
“I am deeply grateful to the red flowers — the flame trees of Saipan — and to the soldiers who helped him live,” she wrote. “Though my grandfather completed his life’s journey at the age of 98, he still lives on in my heart, and together we continue to spread the message of peace throughout the world.”
Kuriyama has visited Saipan seven times, presenting 10,000 origami cranes to both Japan and the United States in gratitude for peace. Her visit this week underscores the enduring ties between former adversaries and their shared hope for lasting peace despite the Pacific’s turbulent history.
With Tropical Storm Bavi strengthening, Kuriyama is scheduled to depart Saipan on Friday as officials continue storm preparations. Local leaders said Liberation events will resume once weather conditions permit.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
