Our 24th annual Sadako Peace Day took place on August 6, 2018. It was the first public event at La Casa de Maria since the catastrophic mudslides that devastated the retreat center and many other places in Montecito in January 2018. Twenty-three lives were lost in the disaster. This year, we reflected on our local situation in addition to remembering the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all innocent victims of war.
Sadako Sasaki was a two-year-old girl living in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the morning the atomic bomb was dropped. Ten years later, she was diagnosed with radiation-induced leukemia. Japanese legend holds that one’s wish will be granted upon folding 1,000 paper cranes. Sadako folded those 1,000 cranes, saying, “I will write peace on your wings, and you will fly all over the world.” Sadly, Sadako never recovered from her illness. Students in Japan were so moved by her story, they began folding paper cranes, too. Today the paper crane is a symbol of peace and a statue of Sadako stands in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
Click here to download the full audio of the event.
All photos on this page are by Rick Carter.
Event Photos
A selection of photos from our 2018 Sadako Peace Day event are on our Flickr page. All photos by Rick Carter.
Kissing Joy as it Flies
Bob Nyosui Sedivy on the shakuhacki, the ancient Japanese bamboo flute. Audio file.
Original Poems by David Krieger
NAPF President David Krieger read two original poems: “In Our Hubris” and “Another Hiroshima Day Has Arrived.” Audio file.
Sadako’s Cranes Return
Original poem by Perie Longo, Chair of the NAPF Poetry Committee and Santa Barbara’s Poet Laureate from 2007-09. Audio file. Transcript.
Peace Beneath Our Wings
Original dance interpretation of the peace crane by NAPF intern Maranda Jory-Geiger, with Bob Sedivy on the shakuhachi. Video coming soon.
Peace in the Ethers
Original poem by Enid Osborn, Santa Barbara’s current Poet Laureate. Audio file. Transcript.
Walking on Water, Pyramid Lake
Original poem by Paul Willis, Professor of English at Westmont College and a former Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara. Audio file. Transcript.
God was Sleeping and Tractor for a Cab
Original songs by Hal Maynard and NAPF Director of Communications Sandy Jones. Audio file.
Nana korobi ya oki
Sarah Witmer, NAPF Director of Development, spoke about this Japanese proverb, which translates “fall down seven times, get up eight.” Audio file. Transcript.
La Casa de Maria
Stephanie Glatt, Director Emerita of La Casa de Maria, spoke about the meaning of holding Sadako Peace Day in the garden this year. Audio file.