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Sona Avagyan

Cranes Fly to Japan and Lanterns Flow to the Sea

Japanese Culture Finds a Home in Yerevan

Sadako Sasaki believed the old Japanese fable that if one makes 1,000 origami cranes from paper, your wish will come true.

When the Japanese town of Hiroshima was devastated by an atomic bomb in 1945, at the end of WW II, Sadako was only two years-old. Ten years later, the effects of the bomb blast took a personal toll on the child. She was diagnosed with leukemia.

In hospital, Sadako started to make cranes with any scraps of paper he could find; even paper from drug packages. The girl wanted to reach the magic number of one thousand.

After folding his 644th crane, Sadako finally succumbed to the illness and died. Her friends took up the challenge and folded the rest of the cranes. Sadako was buried with them.

The pupils at the National Aesthetic Center’s Decorative and Applied Art College in Armenia weren’t familiar with Sadako’s story. Karineh Piliposyan, who heads handiwork classes at the Center, related the story of the young Japanese girl quite by accident in 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. She instructed her pupils to fold paper cranes on the occasion.

The children were emotionally moved by the story and decided to fold 1,000 cranes and send them to the Hiroshima Peace Museum in tribute.

Karineh Piliposyan, who is also President of the Armenian-Japanese “Hikari” Center, (the Japanese word for “light”) says that Sadako used paper cranes to fight against the ills of war.

“This girl serves as the most powerful symbol against atomic warfare.”

 Lanterns venerate souls of the departed

Armenians pay respects to their departed loved ones by visiting their graves; burning incense and candles.

The Japanese pay their respects by purchasing lanterns. The ritual lasts from July 14-16. On the first night, lanterns are placed in the window so that the soul of the departed can find their way back home. Later, a remembrance linked to the departed or a wish is written on the lantern. The lit lantern is then placed in a river so that it can make the journey to the sea.

“They look to see how the lantern is making its way to the sea. By doing so, the living reaffirm their connection to the departed. This connection is constantly reaffirmed by scrutinizing the life they are leading. If friends and family of the departed, even years later, find fault with their conduct, they write an apology on the lantern,” according to Mrs. Piliposyan.

She decided that it wasn’t enough just to send cranes to Japan and that lanterns were also needed. Since the children didn’t know Japanese, they expressed their emotions through pictures denouncing the evils of warfare.

“The Japanese were overjoyed with our gifts but they couldn’t find Armenia on the map. There no Armenian community or church there. We had to explain where Armenia was,” recounts Mrs. Piliposyan.

She says the Japanese so loved the lanterns that they wanted to display them in the Peace Museum, but that her pupils were adamant that the lanterns be placed on the river for the voyage to the open sea. The Japanese complied.

On the same day, August 6, 2005, a similar ceremony took place in Yerevan.

“We also have thousands who died in the war. In addition, we wanted to declare that children must no longer become the victims of warfare because there are still kids in Artsakh maimed and killed by mines,” says Mrs. Piliposyan.

People in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still dying today due to the effects of the atomic bombs unleashed by the United States in 1945.

The director of the Hiroshima Peace Museum, noting that the Hikari Center was sending greater numbers of cranes and lanterns, called on children around the world to participate as well.  In 2008, the project was launched on an international level.

 Japanese “Doll Festival” marks ritual passage

Japanese culture is rich in holidays. One could spend every day of the year commemorating all of them,” says Mrs. Piliposyan.

One of the biggest holidays of the year is “Hinamatsuri” (Doll’s Festival). It’s held on March 3rd. This is a day to pray for young girl’s growth and happiness. It is also called "Momo no sekku (Peach Festival)" because of the peach blossom season on the old lunar calendar.

Most families with girls display "hina-ningyo" (special dolls for Hinamatsuri, see the photo below) and dedicate peach blossoms to them. They are usually arranged on a five or seven-tiered stand covered with a red carpet. At the top are the Emperor and Empress. The next step contains three court ladies (sannin-kanjo), followed by five musicians (gonin-bayashi), two ministers (udaijin and sadaijin), and three servants ending the bottom row in a five-tiered display. There are also small pieces of furniture, small meal dishes, and other things.

“It’s a kind of initiation of a girl’s passage into society showing how they have been raised and tutored in mastering various social skills. A girl’s doll collection id to be admired,” says Mrs. Piliposyan.

Last year the Hikari Center celebrated the holiday at the Yerevan Chamber Music Hall. On hand to participate was the Japanese Ambassador to Armenia who had made the trip from his offices in Moscow.

Due to the terrible earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, the Hikari Center decided to forgo any holiday commemoration this year out of respect.

Origami: A wellspring of positive energy

 Origami from ori meaning "folding” and kami meaning "paper" is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD.

On display at the Hikari Center are examples of origami that are said to possess positive universal energy.

The Japanese kusudama (lit. medicine ball) is a paper model that is usually (although not always) created by sewing multiple identical pyramidal units (usually stylized flowers folded from square paper) together through their points to form a spherical shape.

In the 8th century AD, the Japanese believed these paper models could be used to heal the sick if placed over the head.

Mrs. Piliposyan says that in the 20th century scientists place a piece of quartz in a large kusudama and that the rock began to shine. She also notes the healing properties of origami making itself and the inner peace it can bring to those suffering from various heart conditions.

“When the wings flap in tandem with one’s heartbeat, it’s very therapeutic, just like music or plant-based relaxants.”

Karineh Piliposyan, a lawyer by profession, learnt the art of origami on her own. She happened upon a kusudama pattern and took the plunge. A large work can take the better part of a day just to complete. There is no room for error in this detailed handicraft.

Arhiko Hasegava finds peace in Armenia

In 2010, she officially registered the Hikari Center that had already been operating for five years. “Culture emotionally moves me to no end and on every religious holiday to the Gods I bow down in reverence to Japanese culture while at the same time retaining my Armenian culture internally. Getting to know another culture revitalizes your appreciation of the native one.”

Arhiko Hasegava, a Japanese native who has been teaching Japanese at the Bryusov Linguistic University in Yerevan for the past 1.5 years, says that he has found peace in Armenia.

He has visited Etchmiadzin, Lake Sevan and the monasteries at Geghard, Sanahin and Gandzasar in Artsakh. He has also been to the pagan temple of Garni.

“I like Haghpat Monastery the best of all. I visit there occasionally with friends,” Arhiko says.

He has visited 85 countries in his travels. Eleven years ago, while in Georgia, he decided to cross over into Armenia.

“When I came to Armenia I was amazed to find students learning Japanese. There was no Japanese Embassy here or anything linked to Japan. When I asked the students why they wanted to learn the language their response was because they found it interesting. Their sentiments moved me greatly.”

Arhiko wants to open a Japanese library here in Yerevan where Japanese films can also be shown. An organization back in Japan has sent books for the library. Aleksan Avetisyan, the former president of Armenia’s Judo Federation has donated space for the library that will most likely open this spring.

Hikari Center to assist victims of Japanese earthquake

Arhiko occasionally helps out at the Hikari Center and accompanies the kids by playing guitar. There are about 70 enrolled at handicraft classes at the Center from all ages. Once the Center moves into its new location, Japanese language classes will also start. Karineh says she looks forward to learning the language.

Levon Igityan, Director of the National Aesthetic Center, has allocated space to Hikari and the Japanese government wants to renovate the place. After the earthquake, it remains to be seen how the project will progress.

Mrs. Piliposyan plans to organize a sale of the handiworks made by the children and send the proceeds to assist the earthquake survivors.

She says that the whole world came to the rescue of Armenia after the earthquake of 1988, especially those countries with Armenian communities.

“Even though there were no Armenians in Japan, the government till this day assists affected Armenian communities in a discrete way. I know they send tractors and other farming equipment. We have to reciprocate, even on a symbolic level. It’s not about how much money we send. It’s the thought that counts.”

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