A collection of 1,000 origami cranes are known as a senbazuru. Senbazuru are typically crafted from a diverse selection of many different designs of paper, ranging in color and pattern. They are a bright and cheerful decoration, made to inspire. In Japanese lore, the crane was once believed to live for 1,000 years. Lore evolved into tradition, and the senbazuru tradition grew into legend; and the legend claims that folding 1,000 paper cranes offers the folder a chance to make one special wish come true.
The legend of the 1,000 origami cranes may be a folkloric Japanese tradition, but it was a child’s dream that popularized the idea across the world. The child’s name was Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. At the age of 2, the effects of radiation poisoning were prominent in Sadako, and not 10 years later she developed leukemia. Inspired by the senbazuru legend, Sadako began folding paper into origami cranes. She completed 644 cranes before becoming too ill to complete her task. She died at 12 years of age. The Sasaki family, along with Sadako’s classmates, completed the senbazuru in her honor. The story of Sadako is remembered as an international symbol of the innocent children impacted by the destructive capabilities of humankind.
Creating a senbazuru alone is an arduous project. And as before, so now; no project needs to go unaided. It’s for this reason, we gift you 10 pieces of custom printed Silk Laundry origami paper. It’s common for groups of people to join together to make a senbazuru, and this is what we ask of you. Join us, from around the world, in building a Silk Laundry senbazuru. Send us your creations. Post about your project. And make a wish with us for a sustainable, and prosperous future on this earth.
