15/08/2025
On the date commemorating Japan's surrender which marked the end of WWII, in the week 80 years ago that the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this paper crane symbolises a wish for peace.
The story is that Sadako Sasaki a two year old child in Hiroshima, developed Leukemia at the age of 12. When in hospital she attempted to fold a thousand paper origami cranes after hearing the legend that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes (senbazuru), the gods will grant you a wish.
When she died at 12 in 1955 her classmates and friends raised funds to build a memorial in her memory, and in 1958 the Children’s Peace Monument was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
At the monument is a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane, and inscribed on it are the words:
“This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world
To give a paper crane is to send a blessing—whether for health, happiness, love, peace, or perseverance, because making one requires time and precision. The gift is valued as much for the effort as for the meaning.
*A warm thanks to Lia Schmidt for the image.
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