JCCC ORIGAMI CRANE PROJECT MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS & STUDENTS

MEANING OF THE ORIGAMI CRANE

TheJapaneseword,origamiisacombinationof twowordsinJapanese:oriwhichmeanstofold andkamiwhichmeanspaper.Itisbelievedthat Japaneseorigamibeganinthe6thcenturyand becauseofthehighcostsofpaper,origamiwasonly usedforreligiousceremonialpurposes. InJapan,thecraneisamysticalcreatureandisbelievedtoliveforathousandyears.Asaresult,inthe Japanese,ChineseandKoreanculture,thecranerepresentsgoodfortuneandlongevity.TheJapanese refertothecraneasthebirdofhappiness.Thewingsofthecranewerebelievedtocarrysoulsupto paradise.Motherswhoprayfortheprotectionofthecraneswingsfortheirchildrenwillrecitethe prayer: Oflockofheavenlycranes covermychildwithyourwings. Traditionally,itwasbelievedthatifonefolded1000origamicranes,oneswishwouldcometrue. Ithasalsobecomeasymbolofhopeandhealingduringchallengingtimes.Asaresult,ithasbecome populartofold1000cranes(inJapanese,calledsenbazuru).Thecranesarestrungtogetheronstrings usually25stringsof40craneseachandgivenasgifts. AfamousstoryaboutsenbazuruisthatofSadakoSasaki(seeSadakoandtheThousandPaperCranes byEleanorCoerr[1977]).Sadakowasalittlegirlwhowasexposedtoradiationasaninfantwhenthe atomicbombwasdroppedonHiroshima.Althoughshesurvivedthebomb,shewasdiagnosedwith leukemiabytheageof12.Shedecidedtofold1000cranes,hopingthatherwishtolivewouldcome true.Unfortunately,sheonlywasabletofold644cranesbeforeshepassedaway.Herclassmatesthen continuedtofoldcranesinherhonourandshewasburiedwithawreathof1000cranestohonourher dream.ThereisnowastatueofSadakoinHiroshimaPeaceParkalittlegirlstandingwithherhand outstretched,holdingapapercrane.Everyyear,thousandsofwreathsofsenbazuruaredrapedoverher statue.

ILLUSTRATIONCOURTESYOFDAVIDNAMISATO,2011