Twelve years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake.
On the 3rd, a class was held to learn how to fold the paper cranes that were given to the people affected by the disaster.
This origami crane is called "Kibo no Tsuru" (crane of hope).
It is made of paper that is thicker and larger than normal origami, and is characterized by the colorful wings spread out in the shape of a fan.
At the Hokkaido Toyako Summit 15 years ago, then-Prime Minister Fukuda's wife, Kiyoko, also used it to entertain the wives of world leaders.
After that, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, and I sent them to temporary housing without revealing my position in order to encourage the victims.
This led to the birth of a project to sell the cranes folded by the victims to support the disaster, which continues today.
In order to further expand the circle of such activities, a classroom to learn how to fold was held in Tokyo on the 3rd.
The participants carefully completed the cranes in about 20 minutes while receiving instruction from Kiyoko, who has folded many cranes.
According to the project secretariat, more than 100,000 cranes have so far taken off both domestically and internationally.
Ms. Kiyoko said, "I think that the people affected by the disaster have had a hard time. I would be happy if even one of these cranes helped to ease the feelings of the people affected by the disaster."