"North-Eastern Japan hasn’t been defeated" Elementary scholars create a giant origami crane/Yokosuka February 2, 2012

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1202010012/

February 1, 2012

Supporting the disaster area, year 6 students (About 11 years old) created a giant origami crane. = Class 2 of Kamoi, Yokosuka’s Municipal Elementary School

Elementary school students offered their support to the disaster area of Eastern Japan. At the Kamoi Municipal Elementary School of Yokosuka (Kamoi city), thirty six children from the Year 6 2^nd class created a giant origami crane. Written on the 5 meter crane were such messages as "Let's smile together" and "North-Eastern Japan hasn’t been defeated". The children involved with the crane recorded an encouraging video letter, sent to students of the same age group in the disaster area.

Included in the video was the wish: "The crane flaps its wings, towards recovery." Meeting on school visitation day (January 20th), the project was planned out. Students of the entire school created a mount made from scotch tape for the crane, extending ten meters in each direction. On school visitation day, students not directly involved in building the crane sought cooperation from visiting parents/guardians and locals, having them write down over 200 encouraging messages which were bound to the crane.

"Creating the origami wasn't as difficult as it seemed," said a 12 year old boy of the 2nd class of Year 6. The whole class cooperated and worked cohesively in building and folding the crane, such as timing themselves to make a running jump together, in order to attach the stick used for the crane's neck.

Because of the large size of the crane, sending it to any of the disaster areas would be difficult. Instead, messages were recorded in front of the crane for a video letter. It will be sent to teachers of Ishinomaki, Miyagi, the municipal elementary school of Hashiura, Miyagi, Yoshihama elementary school and the Aikawa elementary school which were affected by the disaster.

The kids who took on the task of building the origami said: "If this crane gives the disaster area lots of encouragement, we would be grateful."

Original text:

「負けるな東北」、小学生が巨大折り鶴制作/横須賀

2012年2月1日

被災地を応援しようと巨大折り鶴を制作した６年２組の子どもたち＝横須賀市立鴨居小学校

東日本大震災で被災した小学生を応援しようと、横須賀市立鴨居小学校（同市鴨居）６年２組の子どもたち36人が、「一緒に笑顔になろう」「負けるな東北」といった言葉を添えた高さ約５メートルの巨大折り鶴を制作した。鶴とともに子どもたちによる励ましのメッセージを収録したビデオレターを作り、年度内に現地の小学校に届ける。

「復興に向けて鶴のように羽ばたけるように」との願いを込め、１月20日の授業参観日に合わせて企画した。各学年が授業で使った台紙をガムテープで貼り合わせ、10メートル四方の折り紙を制作。６年生や５年生の他学級のほか、授業参観に訪れた保護者や地元住民にも協力を呼び掛け、２００以上の応援メッセージを鶴に書きつづった。

「折るのが大変で諦めそうになった」という６年２組の男児（12）。走り高跳びの棒で鶴の首部分を固定するなど工夫し、クラス全員で「そっちを持って」「せーの」と協力しながら鶴の形に折り上げた。

サイズが大きく本体を現地に送ることは困難なため、鶴の前でメッセージを収録したビデオレターを制作することにした。鴨居小に宮城県石巻市出身の教諭がいる縁で、同市立橋浦小学校と、被災した影響で同校と同じ校舎で学んでいる同吉浜小学校、同相川小学校の児童たちに送るという。

折り鶴作りに取り組んだ子どもたちは「この鶴が被災地の大きな励みになればうれしい」と話している。