The Original Paper Cranes For Peace

The art of origami is an ancient and traditional cultural practice for Japanese children. But after WWII it was a nine year-old girl who gave the symbol of the crane a new meaning; peace. She had survived the bombing as an infant, but had not even reached puberty before she was diagnosed with terminal cancer caused by exposure to radiation. It became her personal mission to fold thousands of paper cranes as an effigy for peace. Today schoolchildren all around Japan and the world still fold these cranes as a sign of peace - but these cranes were the first.