Los Angeles Town

LOS ANGELES (July 3, 2014) – The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) will present Remembering Sadako: Peace through Our Children, a three-day celebration from Friday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 3 at the JACCC in Little Tokyo.  The event honors the legacy of Sadako Sasaki, a young victim of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, whose commitment to fold a thousand cranes has become an international symbol for peace.

 

The signature event for the weekend celebration will be the Concert for Peace, which will be held on Saturday, Aug. 2 at the Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo.  The concert features Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester, well-known for her hits such as “Through the Eyes of Love” and “Don’t Cry Out Loud.”  The concert will also include multi-instrumentalist, David Lindley, and saxophonist Justin Klunk. 

 

The concert will also feature a special appearance by Japanese singer/songwriter Yuji Sasaki, the nephew of Sadako Sasaki.  An active participant in peace events in Japan, he has received international praise for his song Inori, meaning prayer in Japanese, which narrates the story of his aunt’s life. 

 

Tickets for the Concert for Peace start at $30, and $60 VIP seats will include an autographed CD of Melissa Manchester’s new album.

 

JACCC will also host a variety of free, family-friendly events over the weekend that include storytelling performances by Grateful Crane Ensemble, traditional Japanese tea ceremony demonstrations, an inter-faith ceremony for peace, and origami crane-folding workshops. 

 

“Sadako and her inspirational story have shown us the power that a simple symbol - a paper crane - can have in inspiring a worldwide commitment to peace,” said Leslie Ito, President and CEO of JACCC.  “What better way to honor her life and legacy than through a celebration of art and culture.”  

 

Throughout the weekend, paper cranes created by visitors during the event will be included in a thousand-crane display that will be sent to Hiroshima, Japan, and displayed at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, along with other thousand-crane arrangements sent from all over the world as a symbol and commitment to world peace.

 

Attendees to the Concert for Peace or any of the events at the JACCC are encouraged to wear a origami crane as a symbol of individual and the community’s commitment to peace.

 

“We’d like to invite everyone in the Los Angeles community to come out to our Remembering Sadako events, and join us in wearing a paper crane as a symbol of a commitment to world peace.” said Ito.

 

Remembering Sadako: Folding for Peace, will begin Friday, Aug. 1 and continue until Sunday, Aug. 3 at the JACCC (244 S. San Pedro Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).  Events such as the Grateful Crane Ensemble performances, tea ceremony demonstrations, origami workshops and the Ceremony for Peace are free; tickets for the Concert for Peace featuring Melissa Manchester can be purchased online or by phone at (213) 628-2725.  For more information or to purchase tickets to the Concert for Peace, visit www.jaccc.org/concertforpeace.php

 

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