“They called us the ‘ragged class,’” recalls Tomiko Kawano of her sixth-grade group at Noboricho Elementary School in Hiroshima. “Half our class had lost family in the atomic bombing or were survivors themselves.”

Client: Japan Times, providing the latest news and features from Japan including business, politics, culture, entertainment, and more.

Project Description: Write a piece for the lead up to August 6th, focusing on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

A Quote

“They called us the ‘ragged class,’” recalls Tomiko Kawano of her sixth-grade group at Noboricho Elementary School in Hiroshima. “Half our class had lost family in the atomic bombing or were survivors themselves.”

The Inside Scoop

Sometimes you find the story, and sometimes the story finds you.

Of course, a lot of people know about Sadako Sasaki, the famous little girl who survived the A-bomb only to perish 10 years later of leukemia while folding paper cranes on her hospital bed.

But what most people don’t know is that Sadako and her paper cranes are really only half the story. The other half is nothing short of a testament to the beauty of friendship, and the power of young people to change the world.

After learning how Tomiko Kawano and the other young members of the Unity Club swore an oath that they would build a monument to the memory of their deceased friend — and then worked tirelessly to fulfill that promise — I knew their story had found me.

I sent my pitch to the Japan Times, and got approval for an early August publication — just in time for the August 6th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

My Favorite Part

Interviewing the best friend of Sadako Sasaki, and learning the deep history behind one of the peace movement’s most iconic figures.

See the results:
60 years after Sadako Sasaki’s death, the story behind Hiroshima’s paper cranes is still unfolding