This year the children of the YMCA Hiroshima Center have sent traditional lanterns made by the hands of Japanese children to honor the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.
The press office of the "Hikari" AJ Scientific, Educational and Cultural Centre has told ArmInfo that on May 18, at 8 pm, the members of the "Hikari" Armenian-Japanese Center, representatives of the Japanese Embassy in Armenia will visit the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to pay their tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide. Afterwards the lanterns will be set afloat.
To note, in August 2005, on the 60th Commemoration Day of Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb attacks, 1000 cranes and 250 painted lanterns made by the hands of Armenian
children were sent to Hiroshima YMCA to pay tribute to the victims. The Hiroshima dwellers kindly appreciated this program called "Peace Lanterns". The folded lanterns sent by the Armenian children were set afloat by Japanese children. Armenian children also sent letters of best wishes to Japanese children. Those letters were read in numerous schools in Japan. On the same day, August 6, at 10 p.m. in one of Yerevan central pools Armenian children carried out the Armenian part of Peace Lanterns Program. Hundreds of painted lanterns were set afloat as the token of peace and concord. This program is continued up to date.