Paper cranes would be an unremarkable origami figurine if not for one belief and story associated with it.
Sacred paper figurine
This belief goes deep into the Japanese Middle Ages, when it was popular among the nobility to send notes to each other in the form of folded origami figures. One of the simplest is paper crane or as it is called in Japanese “tsuru”. Folding it requires only twelve operations. At that time in Japan it symbolized longevity and happiness. This is where the belief came from: if you make a thousand tsuru and make a wish, it will definitely come true.
A gifted paper crane was sacred, and it brought good luck and happiness to the person being gifted. In 1917, a book was published in China, the title of which was Sembatsuru Orikata, which means “folding a thousand cranes.” This book discusses various ways of folding a paper crane and variations of its decoration.
Paper crane - a symbol of goodness and peace
The story related to the above belief happened not so long ago.
During World War II, a very little girl, Sadako Sasaki, lived in Hiroshima, Japan.
In 1945, the world's first atomic bomb was dropped on the city. The girl was only a couple of kilometers from the scene of the accident, but did not receive any visible injuries.
She grew up, went to school, played and studied, like all the kids. But nine years after the incident, radiation sickness made itself felt. Doctors diagnosed her with leukemia.
When Sadako was admitted to the hospital, a friend came to her and brought a paper with her. She made a crane out of it and, telling her friend the legend, gave the figurine to her. This figurine became the first of the subsequent thousand cranes of happiness.
The girl believed in the legend, as anyone who wants to live would. She diligently folded the tsuru when she felt better.
But her strength left her every day. She died on October 25, 1955, without having completed a thousand cranes your salvation.
Having learned about this story, children from all over the world began sending figurines of cranes to Hiroshima to finish her work.
This little girl, with all her willpower, became a symbol of protest against the war. She wanted world peace.
Inspired by her courage, Sadako's friends and acquaintances began planning the construction of a monument in memory of herself and the thousands of others who died during the atomic bombing.
The statue depicts Sadako Sasaki with a paper tsuru in her hand. The pedestal reads: “This is our cry, this is our prayer, world peace.”
To this day, children and adults send to the Peace Museum in Hiroshima paper cranes as a symbol of goodness and peace.
The crane is a fairly ancient bird, glorified in poetry and prose. The image of this bird has also found its place in the practice of Feng Shui.
It is believed that cranes outlived even dinosaurs, and during their centuries-long existence on Earth, their appearance has undergone transformation more than once. Around 160 AD. the crane turns snow-white. After a thousand years, it turns blue - the blue bird of good luck, happiness. Another 1000 years will pass, and the cranes will become black, like anthracite.
Crane - a strong-winged mythical bird
Over its long life, this bird has become the hero of a huge number of legends, myths, an object of veneration and a symbol of certain qualities.
In ancient mythology it is repeatedly described how the crane was revered by the Gods, and was a companion of three Gods at the same time:
- The god of light Apollo revered the crane as a solar bird.
- The god of trade, eloquence, and astrology, Hermes, when creating the first seven letters of the alphabet, was inspired by the flight of the crane.
- For the goddess of fertility Demeter, the crane foreshadowed bountiful harvests.
Chinese mythology says that the crane is a strong-winged bird, given to accompany angels across the sky and the dead to the next world.
In the East, this bird is considered a symbol of morality, including justice, wisdom, and nobility. In addition, the crane is the bird of longevity - “Xianhe” - the immortal crane is one of the ten symbols of eternal life. And cranes take strength for eternal life from the pure substance of fire and metal.
Crane in feng shui
As you noticed, the crane is a very powerful symbol and has a special place in Feng Shui. Since this bird represents good health, longevity, good luck in business and the happiness of the whole family, it is recommended to carry small pictures, medallions with images of cranes with you as a talisman or amulet.
There are many beautiful legends associated with wildlife in Japan. Identifying animals, birds, trees with the best human qualities, the Japanese created their own unique culture, where every object or action has meaning. A whole galaxy of legends are associated with the crane, so the history of the Japanese crane is extremely interesting.
The meaning of cranes in Japanese mythology
Japanese cranes are one of the most beautiful and graceful birds. It grows up to one and a half meters and personifies grace and elegance. It is believed that the crane is a person, and the Japanese refer to these birds as an honorable citizen. According to some beliefs, cranes can take the form of people, in particular monks. Snow-white, it has only a red head and black feathers in the tail and wings.
Paying tribute to the nobility of these birds, whose numbers are declining, the Japanese equip them with the following image:
- Houseware;
- dishes;
- decorations;
- emblems;
- stamps.
For the Japanese, this bird symbolizes longevity and hope. Origami in the form of a crane is known all over the world. Japanese paper cranes have a special history. They began to fold them back in medieval times, investing in the craft a deep meaning of wishes for longevity.
The name of the crane in Japanese has the symbol of a turtle in its hieroglyph, which gave it such an interpretation. There is a legend about a crane that was saved by a young man. The crane turned into a beautiful girl. She married this young man and sewed magnificent fabrics from her feathers. But when her husband spied on her, the girl turned into a bird again and flew away. This symbolizes the independence of the cranes. 
Externally, the origami crane is very simple and the technology of folding it can be done not only by the Japanese. The simple paper design clearly highlights the main feature of the crane – its long, flexible neck.
The Japanese believe that if you fold a thousand of these origami, your wish will certainly come true, and the patient can be healed. Not so long ago, another meaning penetrated into the symbolism of the crane - a symbol of peace.
New meaning of the red-crowned crane
Today, the Japanese crane is better known not so much for its origami as for its song. The song "Japanese Crane" tells about an amazing story that happened during World War II.
After surviving the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the girl Sadako Sasaki received radiation sickness. The belief that by collecting a thousand origami she could recover, the girl made flexible necks of cranes out of paper. She managed to fold all 643 cranes, dying at the age of 14. In the last years of her life, the girl folded origami from any scraps of paper she could get her hands on.
The song about the paper crane is written about this sad story. It talks about the difficult fate of a girl and the symbol of hope that is embedded in origami. The story of that girl is world famous; there is a monument dedicated to her in Japan. The history of the Japanese crane is multifaceted and carries deep meaning.
Even despite serious measures to preserve the species, they have not helped to effectively conserve the birds. However, the Japanese are very sensitive to the majestic crane, which symbolizes such significant health, longevity, faith, and peace. Many legends and beliefs are associated with the Japanese crane, but after the story of the girl from Hiroshima, the crane became a symbol of faith and longevity.
However, now the crane itself needs protection, so the irony of fate - the symbol of health itself is on the verge of extinction - requires increased attention to solving this problem, to which the Japanese devote a lot of effort.
Video: Making an origami crane
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The Japanese crane "tsuru" is a symbol of longevity and a happy life. There is a beautiful ancient legend according to which, if you lovingly and carefully fold a thousand (senbazuru) of these cranes, give them to others and receive a thousand smiles in return, your cherished wish will come true.
***Once upon a time, there lived a very poor master on earth who devoted his entire life to origami and was amazingly kind to everyone and everything that surrounded him. He spent whole days folding various figures from sheets of paper, and then distributed them to the children. But one day he met a wandering monk on the road and gave him a figurine of a crane. The monk was touched. Then he said: “Stack your figures further. The main thing is your belief in their importance. Even if there is war around, stay true to your art, and it will thank you by making you rich and famous.”
This story began in 1945 - when the Japanese girl Sadaka was 2 years old, a nuclear bomb fell on her hometown of Hiroshima. Her house was located a mile from the explosion, yet outwardly she continued to grow up as a healthy child.
10 years later, the girl fell ill with radiation sickness. One day, a friend, visiting her in the hospital, brought with her a sheet of gilded paper and made a crane out of it. She told Sadako an old Japanese legend: whoever folds 1000 paper cranes will receive one wish from fate - a long life, a cure for illness or injury. The crane will bring this desire in its beak.
Sadako folded cranes as best she could from any paper she could find, but she only managed to make 644 cranes. On October 25, 1955, Sadako passed away. Her friends finished their work and Sadako was buried along with a thousand paper cranes. Alas, the disease won. But the white crane remained a symbol of hope. And a symbol of peace without war.
Three years later, a monument appeared - on a high pedestal, a fragile girl holds a crane above her head, soaring upward. The authors called the monument the Children's Monument to Peace. Locals more often call it the Obelisk of Paper Cranes.
It stands surrounded by the large trees of the Peace Park, very close to the place where the atomic pillar shot into the sky on August 6, 1945. Today, many senbazuru are enclosed in glass enclosures around the monument.
Words by Vladimir Lazarev
Music by Seraphim Tulikov
Returning from Japan, having walked many miles,
A friend brought me a Japanese crane,
And with this little crane the story is the same,
About a girl who was irradiated.
You are an ever living souvenir.
“When will I see the sun?” - I asked the doctor.
And life stretched on thinly, like a candle in the wind.
And the doctor answered the girl: “Spring will come again,
And you will make a thousand cranes yourself.”
I'll spread paper wings for you,
Fly and disturb this world, this world,
Crane, crane, Japanese crane,
You are an ever living souvenir.
But the girl did not survive and soon died,
And she didn’t make a thousand cranes.
The last little crane fell from children's hands -
And the girl did not survive, like many around.
I'll spread paper wings for you,
Fly and disturb this world, this world,
Crane, crane, Japanese crane,
You are an ever living souvenir.
At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, paper cranes made by Sadako are placed next to a mock-up of an atomic bomb as two incompatible symbols of life and death.
The Japanese crane "tsuru" is a symbol of longevity and a happy life. There is a beautiful ancient legend according to which, if you lovingly and carefully fold a thousand (senbazuru) of these cranes, give them to others and receive a thousand smiles in return, your cherished wish will come true.
***Once upon a time, there lived a very poor master on earth who devoted his entire life to origami and was amazingly kind to everyone and everything that surrounded him. He spent whole days folding various figures from sheets of paper, and then distributed them to the children. But one day he met a wandering monk on the road and gave him a figurine of a crane. The monk was touched. Then he said: “Stack your figures further. The main thing is your belief in their importance. Even if there is war around, stay true to your art, and it will thank you by making you rich and famous.”
This story began in 1945 - when the Japanese girl Sadaka was 2 years old, a nuclear bomb fell on her hometown of Hiroshima. Her house was located a mile from the explosion, yet outwardly she continued to grow up as a healthy child.
10 years later, the girl fell ill with radiation sickness. One day, a friend, visiting her in the hospital, brought with her a sheet of gilded paper and made a crane out of it. She told Sadako an old Japanese legend: whoever folds 1000 paper cranes will receive one wish from fate - a long life, a cure for illness or injury. The crane will bring this desire in its beak.
Sadako folded cranes as best she could from any paper she could find, but she only managed to make 644 cranes. On October 25, 1955, Sadako passed away. Her friends finished their work and Sadako was buried along with a thousand paper cranes. Alas, the disease won. But the white crane remained a symbol of hope. And a symbol of peace without war.
Three years later, a monument appeared - on a high pedestal, a fragile girl holds a crane above her head, soaring upward. The authors called the monument the Children's Monument to Peace. Locals more often call it the Obelisk of Paper Cranes.
It stands surrounded by the large trees of the Peace Park, very close to the place where the atomic pillar shot into the sky on August 6, 1945. Today, many senbazuru are enclosed in glass enclosures around the monument.
Words by Vladimir Lazarev
Music by Seraphim Tulikov
Returning from Japan, having walked many miles,
A friend brought me a Japanese crane,
And with this little crane the story is the same,
About a girl who was irradiated.
You are an ever living souvenir.
“When will I see the sun?” - I asked the doctor.
And life stretched on thinly, like a candle in the wind.
And the doctor answered the girl: “Spring will come again,
And you will make a thousand cranes yourself.”
I'll spread paper wings for you,
Fly and disturb this world, this world,
Crane, crane, Japanese crane,
You are an ever living souvenir.
But the girl did not survive and soon died,
And she didn’t make a thousand cranes.
The last little crane fell from children's hands -
And the girl did not survive, like many around.
I'll spread paper wings for you,
Fly and disturb this world, this world,
Crane, crane, Japanese crane,
You are an ever living souvenir.
At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, paper cranes made by Sadako are placed next to a mock-up of an atomic bomb as two incompatible symbols of life and death.
