One day, I and my friend had a couple of coffee at cafe in Sydney.
While we were chatting , we made many Orizuru, folded paper crane.
Many cafe customers were coming to our seats and asked us about orizuru.
Orizuru, Ori meaning “holding” and Turu meaning “crane” ,is one of the most popular Origami art work.
This art is to transform a flat square sheet of a paper into a finished the crane form sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques.
The techniques is not difficult so all generations can make it.
Japanese people beliebe proverbs and common expressions that
“A crane lives a thousand and a tortoise ten thousand years”.
So crane and tortoise are symbol of longevity.
Making thousand number of Orizuru is wish for long life.
It’s popular custom that people make and present it to sick or old people .
Or it’s famous of true story about Orizuru. Sadako Sasaki, who suffered from leukemi from atomic bomb attack in Hiroshima.
She kept making Orizuru wish for her long life until she died.
I found English book about her.
After that Orizuru is known as symbol of peace.
Her memorial bronze statue is at atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima.
The museum shows many sad photographies. I cried a lot in there.
I highly recommend you visit this museum to know the history.