Over 1,000 origami cranes to be displayed during Iowa State Fair as tribute to Japan
The Cranes of Friendship Project was organized by the Japan America Society of Iowa (JASI). It started after an Iowa delegate visited Yamanashi, Japan, last year. He was gifted 1,000 cranes to bring back to Iowa.
In return, JASI wanted to do something special in honor of the 65th anniversary of their sister-state relationship. In Japanese culture, 1,000 cranes are made when people want to celebrate something.
Scholastic Spotlight follow-up: Crestview GOAT Party
JASI's Executive Director, Yoko Tanaka, started holding workshops across the state at different high schools, colleges, organizations, and even people's homes. During these workshops, she teaches Iowans how to make origami cranes and gets them involved in the project.
Her most recent workshop was held at the Zen Center in Des Moines, where 14 participants made 80 origami cranes.
JASI has already exceeded its goal and made over 1,100 cranes.
'I was not sure if I could make it all the way to 1,000 at the beginning of the project and I was thinking, if I couldn't make it then I have to take care of the rest of it,' said Tanaka.
She said she will continue to host workshops for people to be involved in the project. Their new goal is to have as many cranes as possible.
Tanaka will soon start to thread all of the cranes together.
'Making the cranes is one thing, [but] threading them is going to be another daunting task,' she said,
A Japanese company based outside of Cedar Falls, Iowa makes fermented thread and they are gifting one spool of this thread for JASI to complete the display.
The finished product will be on display during the Iowa State Fair in the 4-H Building. Tanaka will also hold a crane-making workshop in the 4-H Building on August 15.
Tanaka will soon hold workshops in Muscatine and Sioux City, showing that she travels anywhere in the state from as far east as Muscatine to as far west as Sioux City.
Iowans can schedule a workshop by emailing info@japaniowa.org.
Buttigieg gives a strident anti-Trump message in Iowa, demands Democrats make their agenda clear
Over 1,000 origami cranes to be displayed during Iowa State Fair as tribute to Japan
Madison County leaders have a vacancy to fill, how that will happen is unclear
Iowa crops planted ahead of schedule thanks to dry weather
Work requirements for state Medicaid sent to Gov. Reynolds
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hill
5 hours ago
- The Hill
Fire on US warship in Japan leaves 2 sailors with minor injuries, Navy says
WASHINGTON (AP) — A fire broke out Wednesday on the USS New Orleans warship off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, leaving two sailors with minor injuries. The fire on the amphibious transport dock ship has been extinguished and its cause is under investigation, the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement. The fire on the 684-foot-long vessel lasted almost 12 hours, igniting as the USS New Orleans was in water near White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa. Sailors on the ship got help fighting the fire from the crew of the USS San Diego, another warships that transports troops and aircraft, as well as the Japanese coast guard and military. The Navy said its crew will stay aboard the ship. The USS New Orleans, which was commissioned in 2007, can hold up to 800 people. It comes after another fire that burned for five days on the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego in July 2020. A sailor was charged and later acquitted of starting it. A Navy report concluded that there were sweeping failures by commanders, crew members and others involved. The ship was left with extensive structural, electrical and mechanical damage and was later scrapped.


CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Kids 4 Kids bake stand in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, raises funds for Ronald McDonald House
At the corner of Ponds View Drive and Willits Way, a group of children is spending part of their summer not at the pool, but behind a table filled with cupcakes, cookies and cake pops for a good cause. The annual bake stand, called Kids 4 Kids, is the brainchild of Glen Mills mom Brianne Krysiak, who started the fundraiser in 2018 in memory of her son, Gordon, who was stillborn at 19 weeks. This August, Gordie would have turned 10. "It's a great excuse to help others and just see something positive out of something that was tragic," Brianne said. The event runs for three days every August. Children from the neighborhood, including Krysiak's five kids, take part in the effort, selling baked goods to drivers and passersby from 11 a.m. to noon. All proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Delaware, which provides free lodging and support to families with children undergoing medical treatment far from home. "Ronald McDonald House is just incredible," Brianne said. "Anything to help alleviate the stress for traveling parents is huge." Brianne's 11-year-old son Bennett, who was just a toddler when Gordie died, helps lead the stand each year. "We just bake and get stuff ready so we can donate it to the Ronald McDonald House," Bennett said. "[Gordon] passed away. It was brutal because I was like 3 or 4. I was, like, really sad." This year, kids and neighbors are hoping to top last summer's total of $3,000 raised. "This year I made cupcakes for the bake sale and it's always a great turnout," 17-year-old Addison Neff from Glen Mills said. All the baked goods are either homemade or donated by local bakeries. The impact of the fundraiser goes far beyond the neighborhood. "We think it's pretty cool that we have kids that are raising money to help other children," Pam Cornforth, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Delaware, said. "We love that." Even local officials stop by to show their support for the stand. "I think it's great," James Callahan, director of zoning for Concord Township, said. "I think the kids should be out. Every time I see them, I try to support them." The stand is open through Friday. On Saturday morning, the kids will hand-deliver the donation to Ronald McDonald House, a tradition that brings neighbors together year after year. "It's very heartwarming," Brianne said. "Some years, you're just blown away by how many people show up. It's special."
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Crews are fighting a fire aboard a US Navy amphibious warship that's been burning for hours
The US Navy amphibious warship USS New Orleans caught fire near Okinawa, Japan. Crews have been responding to the fire, a Navy spokesperson told Business Insider. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are currently unknown. A fire broke out aboard the US Navy amphibious warship USS New Orleans off the coast of Japan on Wednesday evening. Navy sailors have been battling the blaze, the cause of which is unknown. A defense official told Business Insider that the fire has now been contained but is still ongoing. The Navy first confirmed the fire on Wednesday morning. "Crews are responding to a fire aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) this evening, Aug. 20, (Japan Time), which is in the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan. We will provide more details are they become available," a Navy spokesperson told BI. According to local Japanese media, Japan's Coast Guard assisted with firefighting activities around 5 pm local time. Footage from local broadcasting showed firefighting ships assisting with putting out the flames. The USS New Orleans is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock commissioned in 2007. The warship is designed to move Marines, their gear, and aircraft like CH-46 Sea Knights and MV-22 Ospreys into combat zones. It was in the water near White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa when the fire broke out. The Navy previously fought a vicious fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego in July 2020, an incident that saw four days of around-the-clock efforts to put out all active fires aboard the ship. That fire left 62 people — 40 sailors and 23 civilians — injured from smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. Repairs for the USS Bonhomme Richard, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, were estimated to take up to seven years and cost billions of dollars. It was ultimately decommissioned and scrapped. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword