Rise in recycling of paper cranes offered to Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
May 11, 2017
by Minako Okuda, Staff Writer
The volume of paper cranes that the City of Hiroshima has in storage, after those cranes were offered to the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, is decreasing. As of the end of March, the city is holding 60.6 tons of paper cranes, which is a decrease of 40% compared to the same time in 2012, the year the volume of cranes peaked. The primary reason for this decrease is the free distribution of paper cranes to people interested in making use of them. Since this distribution began in May 2015, more paper cranes have been distributed than have been brought to the monument.
The paper cranes, which are being distributed freely, have been subsequently exhibited at various events in Japan and overseas. At the same time, there is a growing trend for paper cranes to be reprocessed to produce recycled paper and make commercial products like business cards and origami paper. The city is supporting the commercial efforts pursued by private companies and individuals with a logo, created in February 2013, which indicates that the product has been recycled from paper cranes that were presented to the Peace Memorial Park.
The former mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, had sought for the paper cranes to be preserved permanently and exhibited on a long-term basis, and so the city has stored the cranes offered to the Children’s Peace Monument at an available city facility since fiscal year 2002. As a result of Mr. Akiba’s policy, the volume of paper cranes in storage surged to 97.4 tons by the end of 2012. Kazumi Matsui, the current mayor who was first elected in April 2011, then altered this policy and permitted the cranes to be distributed freely to individuals and groups that want to make use of them.
In fiscal year 2012, 22.4 tons of the paper cranes were distributed. Though the volume for distribution dropped to 11.9 tons in fiscal year 2013, when demand rose in fiscal 2015 for commercial ventures, the figure spiked to 23.3 tons, the largest volume to date. In fiscal year 2016, 17.5 tons of cranes were distributed.
Meanwhile, the volume of paper cranes offered to the monument through these years was from 10.9 to 12.1 tons, smaller than the amount of cranes distributed. If this trend continues, it is estimated that the city’s supply of paper cranes will run out in about 10 years.
Akira Takamaru, 74, is the president of Tomoe, a paper manufacturer in Asaminami Ward which produces origami paper and other products from recycled paper cranes in collaboration with a training facility for people with disabilities. Mr. Takamaru said, “Recycling the paper cranes has grown to be one of the important ways we can support the employment of people with disabilities. We want to continue this effort for years to come as we can convey a message of peace at the same time.”
While noting that the city’s original intent was not to provide the paper cranes for free, a city official explained that a limit may be set on the volume of cranes that can be received by an individual or group in order to avoid a situation where only certain individuals or groups are able to obtain them.
(Originally published on May 11, 2017)
The volume of paper cranes that the City of Hiroshima has in storage, after those cranes were offered to the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, is decreasing. As of the end of March, the city is holding 60.6 tons of paper cranes, which is a decrease of 40% compared to the same time in 2012, the year the volume of cranes peaked. The primary reason for this decrease is the free distribution of paper cranes to people interested in making use of them. Since this distribution began in May 2015, more paper cranes have been distributed than have been brought to the monument.
The paper cranes, which are being distributed freely, have been subsequently exhibited at various events in Japan and overseas. At the same time, there is a growing trend for paper cranes to be reprocessed to produce recycled paper and make commercial products like business cards and origami paper. The city is supporting the commercial efforts pursued by private companies and individuals with a logo, created in February 2013, which indicates that the product has been recycled from paper cranes that were presented to the Peace Memorial Park.
The former mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, had sought for the paper cranes to be preserved permanently and exhibited on a long-term basis, and so the city has stored the cranes offered to the Children’s Peace Monument at an available city facility since fiscal year 2002. As a result of Mr. Akiba’s policy, the volume of paper cranes in storage surged to 97.4 tons by the end of 2012. Kazumi Matsui, the current mayor who was first elected in April 2011, then altered this policy and permitted the cranes to be distributed freely to individuals and groups that want to make use of them.
In fiscal year 2012, 22.4 tons of the paper cranes were distributed. Though the volume for distribution dropped to 11.9 tons in fiscal year 2013, when demand rose in fiscal 2015 for commercial ventures, the figure spiked to 23.3 tons, the largest volume to date. In fiscal year 2016, 17.5 tons of cranes were distributed.
Meanwhile, the volume of paper cranes offered to the monument through these years was from 10.9 to 12.1 tons, smaller than the amount of cranes distributed. If this trend continues, it is estimated that the city’s supply of paper cranes will run out in about 10 years.
Akira Takamaru, 74, is the president of Tomoe, a paper manufacturer in Asaminami Ward which produces origami paper and other products from recycled paper cranes in collaboration with a training facility for people with disabilities. Mr. Takamaru said, “Recycling the paper cranes has grown to be one of the important ways we can support the employment of people with disabilities. We want to continue this effort for years to come as we can convey a message of peace at the same time.”
While noting that the city’s original intent was not to provide the paper cranes for free, a city official explained that a limit may be set on the volume of cranes that can be received by an individual or group in order to avoid a situation where only certain individuals or groups are able to obtain them.
(Originally published on May 11, 2017)
