Origami in the Plaza de Armas

By Alexis Psarras

When the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan on Friday 11th March, the whole world looked on in shock.

If any one nation could empathise in particular it was Chile, who had experienced its own earthquake and tsunami just over a year ago.

For two Japanese backpackers from Tokyo, the morning of Friday 11th March provided a truly rude awakening. On seeing the devastation mother nature had unleashed upon their country, and once assured that their families were safe, husband and wife Yuki and Miwa Homma, 32 and 34 respectively, began to come to terms with what had happened, and whether they could do anything to help.

A touch of old and new

While wondering what they could possibly do to help, they headed out into Santiago city centre to clear their heads.

The more time they spent sightseeing, the more they were approached by locals asking after their families and telling them that their nation could overcome, as Chile had done following the events of February 27th 2010.

And thus the seeds of action were sown.

Together, Yuki and Miwa came up with the idea of a Japanese-Chilean collaboration involving the traditional art of origami and the more modern one of video messaging.

By combining the folding of paper cranes using origami (literally, ‘folding paper’), and filming Chileans giving messages of support to Japan, they hoped to bring a sense of joy and hope to their compatriots in their time of need.

Crane origami is very significant in Japanese culture; the cranes are symbols of good luck and fraternity and are presented in times of need.

Yuki (holding the sign) and Miwa (right) were joined by other Japanese tourists in the Plaza de Armas. The number 440 represents the number of origami cranes so far. Photo by Yuki Homma

The videos would be uploaded to their travel website, and in turn, could reach the victims of the disaster directly via the internet.

Thanks to a mix of kindly locals and foreigners in Hostel Tales, where they were staying at the time, Yuki and Miwa produced a series of “How-to” guides and information signs about what they were doing, before heading off to the Plaza de Armas to put their plan into action.

Yuki (left with ponytail) directing proceedings in the Plaza de Armas. Photo by Yuki Homma

Throughout the Saturday and Sunday following the earthquake, amongst the usual crowd of entertainers in the Plaza de Armas, Yuki and Miwa were joined by a handful of other Japanese tourists and some helpful passers-by in engaging the Chilean public.

Next to the entrance to the cathedral could be found a mixture of Chileans and foreigners indulging in origami classes, video message recording, and a general inter-cultural mingling.

By Sunday evening they had filmed hundreds of people leaving messages of good will and 511 paper cranes had been folded.

‘Touched our hearts’

Yuki and Miwa were “exhausted but elated” by what they had experienced. Miwa explained that the Chileans had “touched our hearts” by the solidarity and caring they had shown.

Locals pose for a photo after having made their origami cranes and filmed their video messages. Photo by Yuki Homma

In terms of the video itself, they hope that the more people who see it, the more good it will do. “If even one person benefits and has a smile on their face (from watching it) then it’s been worth it”, said Yuki.

The couple have now left Santiago to continue on their travels, with a new found respect for the Chilean people. In asking if they had a message for them in return, Yuki and Miwa looked at one another, before replying in unison, “thank you”.

Their video can be seen here: http://h-b.asia/2011/03/17/fuerzajapon/

The 511 origami cranes in the Plaza Libertad de Prensa. Photo by Yuki Homma

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