Hiroshima youth rallying to restore Sadako statueーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
The Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima commemorates the young victims of the city’s atomic bombing. It was modeled on a girl named Sasaki Sadako who was exposed to the bomb’s radiation and died at the age of 12. A statue modeled on Saddako used to stand in the US city of Seattle until it was stolen last summer. That led a student in Hiroshima to start a fundraising campaign to have the symbol of peace rebuilt. [Music] Hano Smith is a student at an international high school in Hiroshima. She raised funds at a school festival to help rebuild the statue in Seattle. Last July, the statue was cut above the ankles and taken away. It had been erected by local people in 1990 as an anti-war statement. Smith decided to raise as much money as possible for a new Saddako statue. One way to do that was to sell postcards she designed herself. They’re based on a photo I took two weeks before the statue was stolen. [Music] Smith has an American father and a Japanese mother. When she was 8 years old, she moved from Seattle to Hiroshima and first saw the children’s peace monument. The two statues symbolize the desire for peace and connect my two hometowns. They mean a lot to me. So, I was shocked when I heard one of them had been lost. I really want it rebuilt. Smith got a powerful supporter. Kamano Tomiko was a primary school classmate of Saddako. Kabano and her classmates led a campaign to have the Hiroshima monument created. We collected a lot of money from children all over the country. The monument was built using only donations. She has high hopes that Smith’s generation can do something similar. We want to pass the baton to young people quickly rather than rely on the older generation. But making progress hasn’t been easy. I’m so happy and grateful that younger people are taking part in new fundraising activities for Saddak. On this day alone, Smith was able to raise over $1,200. But for her, it’s not just about monetary support. I think support also means understanding each other and saying thank you. That helps create peace between people. It may be a small step, but I’m glad to move forward. Smith sent the money she raised to a group in Seattle that plans to rebuild the statue in hopes of restoring its message of peace.
A statue commemorating atomic bomb victim Sasaki Sadako in the US city of Seattle was stolen last summer. A student in Hiroshima has been working to have the memorial rebuilt. #japan #hiroshima #usa #seattle #education #ww2
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