The Origami Crane Story

The Origami Crane Story

Long life, prosperity and good health are wishes associated with the beautiful origami crane. Japanese legend says the person who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish. More recently a crane has also become a symbol for peace.

Cranes have been revered in both Chinese and Japanese history and images of cranes are often found painted or embroidered in works of art. Graceful cranes mate for life and are loyal to their partners. 

Origami cranes are traditionally given as wedding gifts to wish a thousand years of happiness and prosperity.  They are also given to a new baby to wish long life and good luck. Friends give them to each other as lucky charms and tokens of affection and friendship.  Origami cranes are sometimes also used for matchmaking, but for this purpose you need to fold 1000 and present them to the target of your affection.  That is a lot of paper folding!

The moving story of Sadako Sasaki expresses the significance of the crane as a symbol for peace. Sadako was only two years old when the first atomic bomb was dropped on her home town of Hiroshima. As a result of the radiation ten years later she developed Leukaemia, and in a wish for long life she began to fold 1000 cranes. Sadly she had only finished 644 cranes when she died, but her classmates folded the remaining 356 cranes in her honour. This story is told forever through a statue of Sadako holding a crane in a Hiroshima Peace Park and through the ongoing efforts of people who fold paper cranes to contribute to the wish for peace.