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Sadako Paper Cranes Guide |
By:
Brett Franklin |
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Sadako Paper Cranes
Many stories of hope come from the horror of war. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 ushered in a new age of nuclear weapons. The bomb had a devastating effect on the citizens of the Japanese city. A Peace Memorial Park was made to honor the dead and to offer a space to pray for peace. Many of the victims were children, as a direct result of the blast or from illnesses caused by radiation poisoning. The Park contains a Children’s Peace Memorial in memory of them. One child has been an inspiration to the world and has been adopted as a symbol for the peace movement. Her name was Sadako Sasaki and she is famous for the Sadako Paper Cranes.
Sadako was just two years old when the bomb fell and she died from leukemia when she was twelve years old. She was familiar with the symbolism of longevity and happiness of origami cranes and she proceeded to fold them whilst she was in hospital, hoping to reach the target of 1,000. Her hope was that she could overcome her illness and save humanity from further war. She folded hundreds of them but couldn’t reach the target. Today, there are always millions of Sadako Paper Cranes placed around the Park Memorial.
In 1958, Sadako was honored when a statue of her holding a golden crane was erected on top of the Children’s Peace Memorial. The Memorial receives thousands of visitors every year and everyone is profoundly moved by the story of the Sadako Paper Cranes. There is also a statue in dedication to Sadako and other child victims of war in the Seattle Peace Park.
Thanks to Sadako, an old Japanese legend has spread throughout the world and the Sadako Paper Cranes have become a tangible tribute to war’s innocent victims. An Eternal Flame burns at the cenotaph in the Hiroshima Peace Park. The flame will be extinguished when the final atomic weapon on earth has been destroyed. The Sadako Paper Cranes are a very simple idea, a universal way of focusing people’s attention on an event. Sadako’s dream of bringing peace to the world has not yet been realized but she did achieve a means of bringing people together with one goal in mind. For some Japanese people, the cranes have become just as significant as cherry blossom, the annual event that represents new life and hope into the hearts of the Japanese, young and old.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article76773.html |
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