1000 Paper Cranes!

This term, Ms Ward's Japanese classes have been working on making a 1000 paper cranes to send over to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial in Japan. In 1945, a little girl named Sadako Sasaki survived the bombing of Hiroshima but passed away ten years later from leukemia. 

Japanese folklore says that a crane can live for a thousand years, and a person who folds an origami crane for each year of a crane's life will have their wish granted. Sadako, ten years after surviving the Hiroshima atomic bombing as a toddler, developed leukemia and began folding origami paper cranes, believing this Japanese legend that folding 1,000 would grant her wish for health. 

Despite falling ill, she remained hopeful, inspiring her family, friends, and community. She sadly passed away after folding many cranes (some say 644, others more, with classmates finishing the rest). Since this time, the tradition of folding 1000 paper cranes has become a lasting symbol of peace and resilience.  

Dannielle Ward | Human Society and its Environment