Our thoughts are with all those affected by the recent Japanese disaster

This is a bit of a different blog post….not about our normal topics.

Last year before we started, Helen, the founder of Opulent Ethics designed and made a bowl inspired by her trip to Hiroshima in Japan. After the nuclear bombing in the Hiroshima prefecture a museum was opened to tell the story of the event and what happened to the city and its people afterwards. It is the most well curated museum as it works towards ensuring that the same thing never happens again.

In one section of the museum are all the letters that various mayors of Hiroshima have written to other world leaders every time their country has taken part in nuclear testing.

The most resonating story that Helen took away with her was that of Sadako Sasaki a girl who was only two years old when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. A few years later she became ill from exposure to the radiation and was diagnosed with leukaemia.

A school friend of Sadako told her that if she folded 1000 paper cranes using Japanese origami, then she would be granted a wish and could be cured. Sadako only made it to 644 before she died. Her school friends finished the 1000 and took them to her funeral.

In modern day Japan, the crane is now the symbol of peace and all Japanese school children visit the museum in Hiroshima, taking paper cranes with them to leave as a sign of respect for those affected and to ensure that they are not forgotten.

Peace bowl

The peace bowl made by Helen took inspiration from this story and developed it into a more literal interpretation. Opulent Ethics hopes that in light of what has happened in Japan over the past few days then the Peace Bowl may be a symbol of hope for those people who have been affected by this most recent natural and nuclear tragedy.

That’s all for now….