Hannover - At the German-Japanese Society's stand, everything revolves around encounters, exchange and understanding. Interested visitors can obtain fascinating information about Japanese culture, learn basic Japanese vocabulary and find out more about the work of the association and the town twinning between Hanover and Hiroshima, which has stood for reconciliation, dialogue and friendship for decades.

A particularly moving activity is origami folding, which is linked to the story of Sadako Sasaki. The girl fell ill with leukaemia after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and folded more than 1,000 paper cranes in the hope of being cured. Since then, the paper crane has been regarded worldwide as a symbol of peace and hope – a message that is still relevant today.

Visitors can also learn about Japanese calligraphy – the ‘way of writing’. Using brushes, ink and paper, names are written in artistic script and taken home as personal souvenirs.

The presentation by the German-Japanese Society brings Japan to life at the ABF in a special way – informative, touching and interactive. It is well worth a visit for anyone who wants to not only see culture, but feel it too.