Sharing Peace Across Borders: How Yasuda and UC Davis Students Turned History into Dialogue

In Japanese culture, orizuru (paper cranes) symbolize peace, hope and a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. On January 22, 2026, students from Yasuda Women’s University in Hiroshima, Japan, brought peace education to life by sharing their lived experiences with UC Davis students in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. It was a bilingual, peer-to-peer exchange shaped by language learning and mutual understanding of peace. 

“Peace is not something distant or abstract,” said Ayumi Matsuda, a student from Yasuda University. “It is something we actively choose through our actions, conversations and awareness. Remembering Hiroshima is not about blaming the past, but about thinking responsibly about the future.” 

A Longstanding Partnership, A New Kind of Exchange 

Each fall, Yasuda Women’s University sends students to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s International Programs to participate in the Academic Engagement Track—an academic preparation program designed to help international university students advance their academic knowledge and enhance their awareness of global competencies while improving their English skills. 

This year’s student-driven Hiroshima peace education presentation was the first of its kind in a partnership spanning nearly a decade—and it is intended to become a recurring part of future visits. 

“We were deeply honored that our students had the opportunity to present to students in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at UC Davis,” said Shuko Shikata, a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Yasuda Women's University. 

The presentation provided an opportunity for Yasuda students to not only rediscover and deepen their understanding of themselves but also engage directly and meaningfully with UC Davis students. 

“This occasion was truly precious,” said Shikata. “Students were able to meet face-to-face, sense one another’s presence and reflect together in their respective languages on the meaning of peace.” 

Following the presentation, there was a question-and-answer session and a chance to make origami paper cranes together. This peer-to-peer exchange proved valuable for both Yasuda and UC Davis students beyond language learning and academics. 

“Their heartfelt presentation deeply moved both my students in the Japanese Program and me,” said Junko Ito, Japanese Language Program lead instructor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at UC Davis. “Although the atomic bomb is covered in Japanese language and literature classes, hearing direct messages from peers proved especially powerful.” 

“UC Davis students admired the courage it took for Yasuda students to present in English, which fostered a meaningful emotional and cultural connection,” said Ito. “This exchange reminded us that even small acts of dialogue can contribute to a more peaceful world.” 

Why Origami Cranes—and Why Hiroshima Still Matters 

In Hiroshima, paper cranes are closely associated with Sadako Sasaki—a young girl who developed leukemia because of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Inspired by the Japanese legend that folding 1,000 paper cranes grants a wish, Sadako began folding cranes in the hope of recovering. 

Today, people from around the world continue to send paper cranes to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park as a commitment to never repeat the tragedies of nuclear warfare. 

For Yasuda students, many of whom were born and raised in Hiroshima, this presentation was an opportunity to show Hiroshima as a living city and Sadako’s story as more than just a memory of war. 

“Many people only associate Hiroshima with the atomic bomb,” said Ayumi. “I wanted to show that Hiroshima is also a city of learning, reflection and strong commitment to peace.” 

In Hiroshima, peace education starts from a young age, with college-age students often focusing on how to connect history with current global issues. Introducing paper cranes and Sadako’s story allowed Yasuda students to share the importance of peace education in a meaningful and accessible way. 

Language, Dialogue and Mutual Learning 

At the UC Davis International Center, four Yasuda students stood at the front of the multipurpose room to share their stories. Initial feelings of nervousness gave way to a proud and hopeful moment, connecting across cultures and engaging in conversations with American students about Hiroshima’s message. 

“Growing up in Hiroshima, peace feels very personal—it is not just an idea, but a responsibility,” said Ayumi. “Sharing Hiroshima’s story with students outside of Japan made me feel that even small actions—like having conversations—can contribute to peace.” 

For UC Davis students in the Japanese Program, learning about Hiroshima’s past and legacy from people living in Hiroshima was deeply meaningful. 

“It made the stories more personal and real,” said a UC Davis student. “Instead of learning about it from a textbook, I was able to see how it still affects young people today.” 

“By knowing people that continue to live in Hiroshima and carry out a new life, it also raises the topic to a higher level of importance and significance,” added another student. 

Many UC Davis students were able to connect the experience to their Japanese studies, deepening not only their understanding of Japanese history and culture but also the importance of building cross-cultural connections. 

“It made me realize why I am studying Japanese in the first place or why students in Japan learn English,” said a UC Davis student in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. “We learn languages that are different from our own in order to teach and learn from others.” 

“Even though we come from different cultures and backgrounds, our longing for peace is the same,” said a UC Davis student. “When we reflect on peace, there is a sense of dignity and affirmation. It opens the topic to a more international level and adds more weight to the word ‘peace.’” 

Studying at UC Davis and participating in peace education abroad gave Ayumi a new perspective as well. 

“I now see myself not just as a student from Hiroshima, but as someone who can help bridge cultures and promote peace globally,” said Ayumi. 

This presentation represented a shared commitment by both institutions to experiential learning that empowers students to engage with global issues. 

Why This Kind of Exchange Matters Now 

Hearing directly from Hiroshima’s students humanized history and made peace feel more immediate and shared. It helped students from Japan and the U.S. recognize common values and the importance of global learning. 

“These exchanges help create empathy and respect, which are important for global understanding,” said a UC Davis student. “It’s important to break down walls and form new connections with others to not get stuck in an ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality.” 

Through dialogue-based global learning, talking with people from other cultures and sharing different experiences, students learn things beyond what’s written in textbooks and on the internet. 

“It allows us to experience genuine culture—something that can’t be digitalized,” shared a UC Davis student. 

Creating small, but intentional exchanges between international students and UC Davis students is an integral part of the study abroad experience at UC Davis. Looking ahead, UC Davis International Programs will continue to create enriching educational events like this that strengthen collaborations with partners and a commitment to global learning.