Thousands of paper cranes made by people wishing for peace have been put on display in Sosa City in Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, ahead of the anniversary of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

At a ceremony on Monday, about 50 people observed a moment of silence in front of a statue dedicated to peace.

The annual event had been canceled for the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Local residents donated about 100,000 cranes this year.

A junior high school student, Ooki Kanon, gave a speech. She asked if war has ever made anyone happy. She said she believes peace can be achieved if everyone thinks about its significance, and takes action.

An 80-year-old participant, Hashiguchi Yoshinori, said he lost his uncle who was on a suicide mission in the war. He said it's good for children to learn about peace.

The paper cranes will be on display until August 15, the day Japan marks the end of World War Two. They will then be sent to the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.