(Editor’s Note: Sunday, Nov. 3 is Culture Day, one of Japan’s national holidays. Since it falls on a Sunday, it will be celebrated Monday, Nov. 4)

 ABOARD JS KAGA (DDH 184) IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN — Careful attention. Intricate work. Precise execution.

While these characteristics describe the F-35B Lightning II developmental test (DT) currently underway aboard Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Izumo-class destroyer JS Kaga (DDH 184), they could also be applied to art.

While conducting flight test and the process of folding squares of paper into representational shapes might same as far away from each other as east is from west, they intersected recently at Naval Base San Diego ahead of sea trials taking place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Origami

Origami is an art commonly associated with Japan. The word origami (from Japanese oru [“to fold”] and kami [“paper”]) has become the generic description of this art form.

“Both origami and the stamped stamp originated in Japan,” Command Master Chief Junichi Manabe explained about why he chose the art and card as the gift to the ship’s guests. As they were folding the origami, they thought about the DT coming, about how they were going to welcome their guests, and they focused their thoughts and emotions on the forthcoming partnership, he said.

Hope

With a hope for both good relations and for successful DT, Kaga’s crew folded about 200 cranes, called Orizuru, and placed them with stamped cards on the beds of their guests, explained Manabe.

These guests include members of the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force, as well as U.S. Sailors and Marines who are embarked for DT to gather the necessary data to certify F-35B Lightning II short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft operations.

This is the first ever time we’ve welcomed American people (and others), … on a JMSDF ship,” said Manabe. Additionally, he said this was the first time a Japanese ship has done DT.

“We welcome all the ITF members, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marines. All together we will spend almost three weeks underway on Kaga, so we wanted to welcome all of you,” Manabe explained why they created the origami and the cards. “We wanted to share our hope that we will get along with each other.”

To achieve success, we need to get along with each other, to have good relationships, he said. He acknowledged there may be challenges because of the lack of experience and the newly formed relationships, but we wanted to express our hope for good relationships and welcome everyone by folding Orizuru, Manabe said.

The ship’s crew spent a total of four days cumulatively folding the Orizuru, he said.

The shape of choice was very intentional.

Orizuru

“It’s our nature to make Orizuru for wishing something, or for wishing for someone,” Manabe said. “When it comes to wishing for something, or wishing for someone, Japanese … for hundreds of years have been folding Orizuru” Manabe said. “It’s our tradition.”

“The crane, in Japan, is not just a bird,” Manabe explained while seated at a table in the Chief’s Mess where Japanese sailors folded the art.

“For us, this is a symbol of taking care of others.” If a person was very sick and in the hospital for a year, for example, one’s family and closest friends would make the Orizuru by the hundreds as an expression of hope for better health.

In this case, the thing hoped for is the success of the developmental test, Manabe said.

“So, in order to succeed during DT, it requires our good relationships—between the Kaga crew and other (embarked) personnel,” he said.

“The DT is not just about Kaga, but also the ITF, the U.S. Navy, and the Marines,” Manabe added. About two years ago, the Initial Planning Conference started this DT project, he said. “We are now wishing for the success of the DT, and that we get back to (Naval Base) San Diego with the test points completed.”