Make origami cranes at the Iowa State Fair and see 3,000 on display

DES MOINES, Iowa — Over 3,000 origami cranes are on display at the Iowa State Fair, honoring the 65th anniversary of Iowa’s sister-state relationship with Yamanashi, 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.

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In Japanese culture, 1,000 cranes are made as a celebration.

In return, the executive director of JASI, Yoko Tanaka, started holding workshops across the state at different high schools, colleges, organizations, and even people’s homes. During these workshops, she taught Iowans how to make origami cranes.

In total, Iowans created 2,443 cranes, and now these cranes are on display in the 4-H Building alongside the cranes from Yamanashi.

Along with seeing the unique display, fairgoers can also learn how to make their own origami crane for free.

JASI will be holding a crane-making workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.

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