A popular Japanese legend states that if a person were to make 1,000 of these paper cranes, or senbazuru, they would be granted one wish. Other versions of the legend say that completing 1,000 cranes will grant you longevity, good luck, or recovery from an illness or injury. Today, you can find sets of 1,000 cranes all over Japan. They are often used to decorate world peace monuments and as good luck charms in the home. They can also be given to gifts to friends and family. 1,000 cranes are often given to a newly-wedded couple to wish them happiness and good luck in their marriage, or to a newborn baby to wish him or her a long, happy life.
I first learned about the legend of the 1,000 cranes while reading the story of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was a toddler living near Hiroshima when the city was bombed during World War II. As a result of being exposed to the bomb's radiation, Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia at age 12 and would die shortly after. During her hospital stays, Sadako began folding 1,000 cranes in hopes that she would be cured from her illness. I have read several different endings to Sadako's story, but my favorite one (though very bittersweet) is that Sadako was unable to finish all 1,000 before her death. However, her friends and hospital staff came together to finish Sadako's project and buried them with her.
After Sadako died, her family and friends put together a fundraiser to build a monument to honor all the children who died in the bombing. This is the result of their effort:
Today, you can find this statue of Sadako holding a paper crane in Hiroshima. The statue acts not only as a memorial to the bombing victims, but also as a monument to pursuing world peace. The pedestal reads, "This is our cry. This is our prayer: for building peace in the world." Thousands of paper cranes are sent to this monument every day.
No comments:
Post a Comment