We Folded One Thousand Cranes for Children

Key Takeaways

▪ Senbazuru is a Japanese tradition of folding 1,000 paper cranes to express hope, healing, or peace.
▪ The paper crane symbolizes long life and resilience in Japanese folklore.
▪ Sadako Sasaki, a Hiroshima bombing survivor, made the tradition globally known while battling leukemia.
▪ Her story turned the paper crane into an international symbol of peace and remembrance.
▪ The Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima honors Sadako and carries a universal message for peace.
▪ Inspired by this legacy, Ria employees worldwide folded cranes during origami workshops.
▪ 1,304 paper cranes were sent as good wishes to Save the Children projects in Mexico and the Philippines.

The Tradition of a Thousand Paper Cranes

Every year, thousands of paper cranes are placed at the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima, Japan, following the tradition of 千羽鶴 (senbazuru). Senbazuru is a Japanese custom rooted in ancient folklore where the crane is regarded as a mystical and sacred creature symbolizing long life. An old Japanese saying even claims that “cranes live for a thousand years”.

Because of this symbolism, folding one thousand paper cranes and offering them at sacred sites became a tradition for those seeking blessings. Today, cranes are often given to people who are seriously ill as a symbol of hope for recovery. They are usually made collectively by friends, classmates, or colleagues, and are either offered at a holy place on the person’s behalf or given directly to them.

Sadako Sasaki’s story

Sadako is one of the most well-known hibakusha, a Japanese term meaning “bomb-affected person”, and her story is now known across the world. She was born on January 7th, 1943 in Japan. Her parents owned and operated a barbershop in the heart of Hiroshima, and she was two years old when the Boeing B-29 Superfortress called Enola Gay released “Little Boy”, an atomic bomb containing about 64 kg of uranium.

Though most of the family managed to escape, Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia ten years later, a delayed consequence of the atomic bombing.

During her time at the hospital, her father introduced her to the tradition of Senbazuru, leading Sadako to search for every scrap of paper she could find and begin folding paper cranes. “During her stay in the hospital, she never once said the words “It hurts” in front of me or my parents,” her brother later remembered. “Every day, she kept her desire to cry locked away in her heart and never cried. Instead, Sadako desperately folded paper cranes, speaking to them as she poured her pain, suffering, and anguish into each one. She entrusted her anxiety and loneliness when she was alone to those paper cranes.”

Sadako succeeded in folding one thousand paper cranes by August. But despite her determination, her condition did not improve. As the disease progressed, she continued to believe and to fold cranes. Sadako Sasaki passed away on the morning of October 25th, 1955. She was twelve years old.

Legacy and globalization of the paper crane tradition

After Sadako’s passing, her brother continued to share her story, spreading a message of peace and unity. Thanks to students from more than 3,000 schools across Japan, including Sadako’s former classmates, funds were raised to build the Children’s Peace Monument in her honor in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park.

At the base of the monument lies a black marble slab engraved with the words: “This is our cry, this is our prayer: for building peace in the world”. Even today, people from around the globe continue to offer paper cranes to the Children’s Peace Monument. If one day you are among them, you will notice, at the top of the monument, the statue of Sadako holding a paper crane aloft, symbolizing hope for the welfare of children.

Ria Sends Good Wishes to the Children

Since 2022, we have worked closely with Save the Children to support vulnerable children and improve access to education. We share the belief that children everywhere have the right to grow up healthy, safe, and with proper education.

Our partnership is built on the steady foundation of common principles and goals. For the third year in a row, we have been deeply involved in Save the Children’s long-term programs in Mexico and the Philippines. And they have inspired us to keep showing up and advocating for those who need it most.

Over the course of one month, Ria employees around the world folded paper cranes during company-organized origami workshops to send good wishes to the children of the Save the Children projects funded by Ria in Mexico and the Philippines. Together, we folded 1,304 paper cranes, completing our goal and honoring the senbazuru tradition.

You can learn more about our impact and partnership with Save the Children in our blog post and fold your own paper crane to send good wishes to those who need it most in this video.

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