1000 Paper Cranes
Photo by Kamoda.
The paper crane has become an international symbol of peace in recent years as a result of it’s connection to the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki born in 1943.
Sadako was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1955, at age 11, while practicing for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with Leukemia, “the atom bomb” disease.
Sadako’s best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. She started to work on the paper cranes and completed over 1000 before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve.
The above story inspired me to start folding my own 1000 paper cranes, only mine will be folded from recycled paper since we need to be careful with our resources.
Do you feel inspired to help me? That would be fantastic!!
Send me eve@foldingtrees.com a high res pic (800 x 600) of your recycled paper crane in a peaceful place or on a peace monument and I will post it here on the site (with a link to your blog if you like or anonymous) and to the Flickr set you can find here. Every crane will get a number and will be part of the total of 1000.
Here is number 0001:
www.origami.org.uk has great 3D animated instructions on how to make an origami peace crane to get you started.
Posted: June 15th, 2008 by Eve under 1000 Paper Cranes.
Comments: 11
Comments
Comment from Sooz wilson
Time: June 17, 2008, 12:55 pm
My husband and I did 1000 cranes for our wedding, actually it ended up being 1021 because of the ones we needed for decorations on the cupcakes. it only took us 3 months. I found that if everytime i started folding I had to fold 10 it woudl go buy much quicker.. Good luck finishing them! I’ll stay tuned to see the progress, you can see the cranes on my blog, there are a few shots of us with all of them and the wedding pics to show how we used them.
Comment from Em Stronach
Time: June 20, 2008, 2:13 am
I recently folded cranes out of recycled paper for an art exhibition we have in Newcastle called “Waste as Art”, I used to use proper origami paper for my creations, but then I decided that there is so much paper in my house anyway (magazines, postcards, letters etc etc) that I might as well just fold that. They look far more interesting too.
http://emeraldarts.blogspot.com/2008/06/waste-opening.html
I like your project, let me know if need any hints on stringing them up or turning them into bonsai 
Pingback from Folding Trees » 1000 Paper Cranes
Time: June 24, 2008, 6:31 am
[...] more information on the 1000 Paper Cranes project have a look here. Or if you would like to see the cranes that have been folded so far go and have a look at the [...]
Pingback from Sugarlemon » Walking in the Woods
Time: June 26, 2008, 9:43 am
[...] folded from recycled paper and photographed in peaceful places or on peace monuments. (Read more here). Mine is folded from a 10cm square of paper cut from a security envelope – the patterns inside [...]
Pingback from SparklieSunShine » Sometimes There Are Things That You Just Know You Have To Do.
Time: July 31, 2008, 4:53 pm
[...] somehow I got to reading some of the history behind making 1,000 paper cranes and now I have it in my head that this is something that I need to do. Great. I don’t even [...]
Comment from kem
Time: August 15, 2008, 10:27 pm
i am folding a set of 1000 as well. i am looking for something more while i am folding my cranes, and i am hoping that i will complete them and hope that they will have a meaning to them once done. feel free to PM me ^_^
Comment from elsa gygax
Time: October 18, 2008, 8:56 am
I already sent one but will make some more to help you get to the 1000!!!
Comment from Rhea J. Mateo
Time: May 6, 2009, 10:10 am
I have a very deep passion for origami. It all started when my Japanese penfriend sent me strings of cranes or a thousand cranes or senbazuru when we were in highschool.(1969) We met after twenty years. (1989) I visited her in their hometown and we drove to Hiroshima where I saw Sadako Sasaki’s statue.and thousands of cranes all over the place. Last October 2008, I had the chance to see her again with her husband for the second time after almost twenty years. We drove to Hiroshima again, followed the same path we’ve been before but this time, we also went to a museum where they stored all the origami cranes sent to Hiroshima by different people from all nations all over the world. I was just expecting to see thousands and thousands of cranes, but when we went inside the building, all the rooms were filled with paper cranes. It was an extraordinary experience to see more than ten million cranes…I felt the surge of energy emanating from those cranes filling not only my body but also my spirit…For sure, I will go back to that place again and again if I have the chance.
I can no longer count the number of cranes I have folded. I sold each one at bazaars, crafts fairs, etc. Right now, I will be making origami cranes as souvenirs for my son’s wedding this month. I stiffened my cranes so they really last long.
I’ll be happy to fold one for your project. Thank you for the privilege.
Comment from Blowfishgirl
Time: July 9, 2009, 11:46 am
It takes such dedication to make so many. I thought I could do it but ended up running out of time. My wedding is now in a month and I still have about 400 to go (it took me about 5 months to get this far). I don’t know if it’s something I can ask friends to help with (or if theirs would look as good if they didn’t know how to fold them). Is it tacky to find them pre-made somewhere?
Comment from Gabrielle Rettinger
Time: August 17, 2009, 10:22 am
When we go to Seattle, I’m going to take a paper crane with us and set it beside Sadako’s statue at the peace park.
Comment from Cherlane13
Time: September 6, 2009, 10:41 am
Paper cranes are special to my heart. I recently moved into a retirement complex and it is so peaceful it just waked up all the inspiration in me. I started crocheting and everything and then the orgami came. I was so greatful for all my new found friends and wanted to hug them all. I made paper baskets and put a small card with a haiku on it and a tiny crane in each one and then several nights before Christmas piled them all in a big basket on my walker and went down each hallway to each door and placed a basket at each door. My heart was just swelling up.
I got the name the bird lady. It felt so good and peaceful.
I don’t know how to send the picture of my smallest crane yet, but when I find out I will send it with peace attached for everyone.
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