has become an international symbol of peace, a Peace Crane, through the sad but inspiring life story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was born in 1943 in Hiroshima, Japan. She was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, on 6th August 1945. Following that Sadako seemed to continue growing up well into a happy and healthy girl. In the 6th grade she was one of the fastest runners in her school and her dream was to become a physical education teacher.
But towards the end of November 1954, Sadako caught a little cold and lumps developed on her neck and behind her ears, swelling her face as if she had the mumps. Sadako was soon diagnosed with Leukemia, which people in Japan called "the atom bomb" disease. In February she entered the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital.
In August, while in the hospital, she was shown colourful paper cranes and told an old Japanese legend, which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that by folding the paper cranes she would get well again. So she began making the cranes and completed over 1000 of them before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve. While making the cranes she also wished and helped towards world peace. Her classmates felt deeply sad to lose their dear friend. They discussed what they could do for her, and came up with the idea of building a monument to Sadako and all the children killed by the atom bomb. Young people all over Japan helped collect money for the project. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Park.
“I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.”
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