<Collaborations Rapidly Expanding!> 'Hana-okuri': Delivering Gratitude with 'Origami Flowers' for Hanamatsuri (April 8)

In conjunction with Hanamatsuri (Kanbutsue / Buddha's Birthday), 'Hana-okuri', a participatory project where people write messages of gratitude on the back of origami paper, fold them into flower shapes, and offer them to the Hanamido (flower pavilion), is expanding its regional and classroom collaborations. With the cooperation of a children's participation project at the Muko City Tourist Exchange Center 'Machi Terrace MUKO' and the Tsugumi Calligraphy School Kids Class, the collected origami will be offered at the memorial service on April 8, and the event will be live-streamed on YouTube (starting at 17:30 on Wednesday, April 8).

▷ Streaming URL: https://youtube.com/live/PmjsozEMqY4?feature=share

Hanamatsuri (Kanbutsue) is a Buddhist event held on Wednesday, April 8, to celebrate the birth of the Buddha, and the custom of pouring sweet tea over the statue of the infant Buddha in the flower pavilion is well known.

This project, 'Hana-okuri', attempts to open up this religious event as a 'cultural experience anyone can participate in' by overlaying the context of Hanamatsuri with a participatory method of 'offering gratitude as flowers' for the 'thank yous' we often fail to express daily.

## What is 'Hana-okuri'?
Participants write a message of gratitude to a loved one on the back of origami paper, fold it into the shape of a flower, and mail or bring it to a temple. The collected origami flowers are displayed in the Hanamido and offered to the Buddha during the Hanamatsuri service on April 8. The service will be live-streamed on YouTube (starting at 17:30 on Wednesday, April 8).

## Key Points of Expanded Collaboration (2026 Edition)
This year, through the following collaborations, we are expanding the format to make it easier for more children, families, and local residents to participate from the 'entrance'.

**1. Regional Collaboration (Muko City)**: In conjunction with the 'Terrace Marche & Maru Hello Work' held at the Muko City Tourist Exchange Center 'Machi Terrace MUKO', children participated in making origami flowers as part of a 'job experience'. This time, a total of 77 children were able to experience it. University students also helped out, creating a lively vocational experience venue.