Courses & Events

Documentary Film Screening & Discussion: Paper Lanterns

Wednesday, Aug 6, 2025

04:15 pm - 05:45 pm

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A Film by Barry Frechette 

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, we invite you to a special screening of the documentary Paper Lanterns. This event pays tribute to those impacted and to remember the enduring efforts toward peace and reconciliation. Dr. Richard Dasher, Director of the US-Asia Technology Management Center, will moderate a discussion with Nobuko Saito Cleary, Producer of Paper Lanterns’, and Dr. Gary Mukai, Director of the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), following the film screening.

The event will also feature a photography display of images from Nagasaki and Hiroshima provided by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Japan House Los Angeles, and conclude with a networking reception with light refreshments.

The film Paper Lanterns is based on the inspiring story of Shigeaki Mori, a Japanese atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima, who dedicated his life to sharing the stories of Normand Brissette, Ralph Neal, and ten other American prisoners of war (POWs) who were killed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945, in Hiroshima. Those Americans were held at the Hiroshima Military Police Headquarters since July 28 that year, when they were shot down during a bomb raid. For decades, many of the families of those 12 Americans were never informed regarding the fates of their loved ones. Mr. Mori has spent several decades researching about, and obtaining official recognition for, those U.S. aviators. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the names of those 12 Americans are now included in the Hiroshima Peace Museum.

Although it is nearly impossible to accurately showcase the tragedy that had happened due to the atomic bombing, the film depicts the efforts that were made to build long- lasting friendships through reconciliation between former enemies. Mr. Mori is displayed in the documentary as not only a Japanese atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima but also as an individual who keeps hope for a better future alive by embracing people who caused him suffering.

Panel Discussion and Q&A

Panelists: 

Nobuko Saito Cleary is a cross-cultural consultant, film producer, and longtime advocate for U.S.-Japan relations, whose work spans diplomacy, education, and the arts. In recent years, she has brought the internationally acclaimed documentary Paper Lanterns—which she produced—to audiences around the world, including the UN Headquarters in New York, the UN Office in Geneva, Rice University, and the WTO’s “Trade for Peace” dialogue, etc. Her dedication to peace-building and cultural remembrance has earned her recognition from organizations such as the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and the Government of Japan, which awarded her the Order of the Rising Sun with Silver Rays. Beyond film, Ms. Saito Cleary has chaired and led major fundraising galas for the Japan Society of Northern California, successfully bringing together thought leaders, cultural icons, and business innovators (including 4 prime ministers of Japan). She also serves in leadership roles for institutions such as the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, Glaucoma Research Foundation, Northeastern University with the Nobuko Saito Cleary Trail Blazer Scholarships, and the Community School of Music and Arts with concerts introducing Japanese culture. Through storytelling, advocacy, and decades of bridge-building, she continues to amplify underrepresented voices and foster mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S.

Dr. Gary Mukai is the Director of the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), a program of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, where he has worked since 1988 following a decade of teaching in Japan and California. His academic interests includes curriculum design, educational equity, and teacher professional development. Dr. Mukai holds degrees from U.C. Berkeley and Stanford University. He has authored numerous curricular resources for SPICE and written for a wide range of publications and institutions, and has taught at universities including the University of Tokyo. Dr. Mukai has been recognized for his contributions to international education. Honors include the Franklin Buchanan Prize, the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation, the Stanford Alumni Excellence in Education Award.by the Graduate School of Education, and the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government. 

Moderator:

Dr. Richard Dasher has directed the US-Asia Technology Management Center and served as adjunct faculty at Stanford since 1994. From 1998 – 2017, he served concurrently as Executive Director of the Center for Integrated Systems (now Stanford System X Alliance). In 2004, Dr. Dasher became the first non-Japanese person to join the governance of a Japanese national university, serving on the Board of Directors and then on the Management Council of Tohoku University until 2011. Other service (selected) includes the Program Committee of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) of MEXT since its founding in 2007, and advisory roles with research institutes, accelerators, and nonprofits in Thailand, China, Japan, S. Korea, Canada, France, Germany, and the U.S. Dr. Dasher received the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation in 2023 for long-term promotion of economic relations between Japan and the U.S.

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Organized by:
US-Asia Technology Management Center (US-ATMC)
Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS)
Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE)