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Paper Cranes

The Crane has become an unofficial symbol of Hiroshima since the story of Sadako Sasaki became world famous.

Sadako Sasaki was born in Hiroshima in 1943 and was only 2 years old when the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Sadako survived the blast but several years later in 1954, she started to develop a rash on her neck. 3 months later the rash worsened and purple lesions started to form on her legs. She was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia and was hospitalised in February 1955, with under a year left to live.

Following a vist from a friend, who told Sadako of an ancient Japanese tradition, which said that anyone who folded 1000 origami cranes would be granted one wish, Sadako set out to fold 1000 paper cranes.

Some say that Sadako managed to fold over 600 paper cranes before her death, while her friends and family finished the thousand after her death and buried them with her. However, the accepted truth is that Sadako did indeed reach 1000 cranes but continued folding the cranes until her death in October 1955.

Today origami cranes from all over Japan and the world continue to be sent to the Children’s Monument in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and the thousands upon thousands of cranes on display around the monument are a moving symbol of children’s solidarity with Sadako and all the other child victims of the atomic bombings in Japan.