Although I don’t really want to talk about Hiroshima, as I think that whatever I’d say it would be utterly banal in relation to the event. I would love to share the story of Sadako Sasaki and her legacy though.
Sadako, was 2 years old in 1945 and lived just a mile from ground zero. She was thrown out of a window when the bomb hit and surprisingly survived her fall. Ten years later she developed leukaemia (caused by radiation).
While in hospital she started to fold paper cranes (origami) probably because an ancient Japanese legend says if one folds one thousand paper cranes the Gods will fullfil a wish. Sadako folded 100s of cranes and strung them together into Senbazuru’s (strings of paper cranes)which she hung of the ceiling in her room. A story goes around that Sadako only folded 644 before she died and her friends continued to fold cranes till they had 1000 of them. Sadako was buried with her cranes.
Her story spread and people from all over the world started sending in paper cranes to the Peace Monument in Hiroshima.
See HERE for some info about where the cranes are from and how many are send (since they started recording this).
There is now a beautiful memorial in the park and when we were there groups of school children paid their respect to the little girl who tried in her simple way share a message of peace, and bring cranes to add to the thousands that are already there.
Wiki has more info about Sadako HERE
Children’s Peace Monument – Note the glass cubicles which contain all the cranes send to the memorial.
Cubicle filled with cranes and senbazuru
Memorial plaque next to the monument
For those of you who want to learn how to fold a paper crane this LINK gives excellent instructions.
Tomorrow I will also see if I can scan/photograph the form that you fill in and include with your folded crane if you’d like to send it to the Children’s Peace Memorial.
With this a good night to all, and may all fold a pape crane as a gesture of a wish for peace
*R*
C'est l'histoire d'un escargot d’or 