Kids' Activities 07-2

Banners Made of Origami

On May 12 a community group called Welcome Niigata! 2002 hung two banners made from folded paper cranes in the Niigata City gymnasium as a way of boosting the World Cup mood in Niigata, which will host some of the games. The banners show the group's logo drawn using a total of over 10,000 origami cranes.

During the World Cup a giant TV screen will be installed in the gym, and the matches will be shown live. The banners were made to welcome people to the gym. They were each made using about 6,200 folded paper cranes and are each 2.4 meters (about 7 feet) tall and 3 meters (6 feet) wide. Hung from the ceiling, the smiling face symbol and "Welcome to Niigata" English slogan of the group's logo are clearly visible.

The banners were made by about 50 members of the Hamanasu no kai, a group of origami enthusiasts from Niigata Prefecture. Users of the gym also cooperated with the folding of the cranes, which began in January. Five colors of crane were strung together as the banners were completed. The head of the group, 78-year-old Mie Tsuno, was delighted with the results: "It was tough getting the writing part to match the original. Our success was thanks to the hard work of everyone who took part." (Niigata Nippo)

Photo courtesy of Niigata Nippo.