The Paper
Crane Story
Cranes are considered a symbol of “peace” and have long been considered to bring good fortune. The tradition dates back to the Heian Era (a period of approximately 400 years, when the capital was established in Kyoto). Over time, people started folding paper cranes and giving them away as a gesture to express their prayer for happiness or good luck. The orizuru became a symbol of peace when a girl who was exposed to radiation in Hiroshima folded paper cranes in hope of making a full recovery from leukemia.
Have You Ever Heard of Sadako Sasaki?
Sadako Sasaki was born in Hiroshima in 1943 during the Second World War. When she was two years old, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and she was exposed to radiation. Sadako grew up as an active girl who was good at sport, and she studied at the Noboricho Municipal Elementary School in Hiroshima City. One day, about ten years after she was exposed to radiation, she was diagnosed with leukemia and was admitted to the hospital.
“I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.”
-Sadako Sasaki
Prayer Expressed Through a Thousand Cranes
When Sadako was in the hospital, she received an orizuru. Sadako started to fold paper cranes herself, using any type of paper she could find. When the paper was so small that it was too difficult to fold by hand, she used a needle. One by one, she would fold the orizuru with the desire to live, believing that when she folded one thousand paper cranes, she would make a full recovery. Her prayer was not answered, and after eight months fighting for her life, she died in the hospital.
Orizuru As A Symbol of Peace
This true story led to the construction of the “Children’s Peace Monument” in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Sadako’s story spread across the world, and the orizuru became known as the “symbol of peace”.
The AÉCH-CHRA Logo
Bred from a period of violent conflict, the paper crane emerged as a symbol of hope, peace, and love proving that with enough unity and determination we are capable of bringing about positive change.
An animation of an origami paper crane transforming into a real-life crane, flying around in a circle and spelling “AÉCH-CHRA”