Latest news with #SadakoSasaki
News18
6 days ago
- General
- News18
80 Years Of Hiroshima Bombing: Remembering Sadako Sasaki And Origami Cranes
Last Updated: Sadako Sasaki, exposed to radiation at age 2 during Hiroshima's bombing, later developed leukaemia. She folded 1,000 paper cranes, hoping for healing and world peace. Today, August 6, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. On this day in 1945, during the final stages of World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb, nicknamed Little Boy, on the Japanese city. The attack, followed by a second bombing in Nagasaki on August 9, played a pivotal role in Japan's surrender and the end of the war. In the midst of history's most tragic events lie some stories that shine with grace for eternity. One such story belongs to a small girl named Sadako Sasaki. Her name is now etched in silence beneath a memorial in Hiroshima, yet her legacy continues to flutter across generations. Who Was Sadako Sasaki? Sadako Sasaki was just two years old when the atomic bomb devastated Hiroshima. Though she survived the blast, its effects resurfaced a decade later in the form of radiation-induced leukaemia. What followed was a quietly powerful story of resilience, hope, and a nation's longing for peace, told through the delicate folds of a thousand paper cranes. Sadako and her family lived a little over a mile from the bomb's hypocenter. When Little Boy burst over Sadako's hometown, a bright white light swept through the city, followed by a massive explosion audible miles away. Immediately, fires erupted throughout the city, and radioactive black rain began to fall. Sadako, her mother, and brother fled the fire. However, her grandmother couldn't survive the attack. Her father, Shigeo, was not in Hiroshima during the bombing. Shigeo was reunited with his family following the attack, while Sadako and her family returned to Hiroshima to rebuild their lives. Aftermaths Of The Devastating Atomic Bombing The Sasaki family, like many others living in Hiroshima after World War II, struggled with illness, financial difficulty and food scarcity. Things took a more devastating turn for the Sasaki family when Sadako was diagnosed with Leukaemia- known locally as the A-bomb disease- at the age of 12. At the time, survival rates were extremely low. Sadako was aware of the implications of the diagnosis, yet she refused to give up. Sadako And The Origami Cranes During her time in the hospital, Sadako was happy when the Red Cross Youth Club presented her and the other patients with origami cranes. People believed that origami cranes may help them recover from illness. Sadako's father, Shigeo, was visiting her in the hospital when she asked him, 'Why did they send us origami cranes, father?" To which he responded by telling her about the traditional Japanese crane mythology. According to Japanese tradition, a crane can live for a thousand years, and whoever folds an origami crane for each year of its existence would have their wish granted. Inspired by the tale, Sadako then had a new purpose in life: to have her wish of being well again granted by folding one thousand origami cranes. She then started collecting papers to make origami cranes, and soon her room was filled with different colours and sizes of cranes. After folding her thousandth crane, Sadako made a wish to be well again. Unfortunately, Sadako's wish did not come true. She stayed unwell, but her belief in the origami cranes remained the same. Sadako began folding more of them in order to have her father's debt cleared, which was her new wish. Sadako continued to fold cranes, some as little as a grain of rice, until her death. She died at the age of twelve, with over 1,300 origami cranes hanging overhead in her room. Sadako's Monument For Peace She always wanted to make the world a peaceful place for all and shared those thoughts and feelings with her friends and family. Sadako's determination and origami cranes inspired her friends and classmates to raise funds for a monument to Sadako and the children who died as a result of atomic blasts. Since 1958, thousands of people have visited the Sadako statue in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Sadako's figure carries a giant paper crane aloft. A plaque at the foot of Sadako's statue reads: 'This is our scream. This is our prayer. There is peace throughout the globe." Sadako Sasaki lived only twelve years, but her story is as strong as a thousand cranes. The News18 Lifestyle section brings you the latest on health, fashion, travel, food, and culture — with wellness tips, celebrity style, travel inspiration, and recipes. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : hiroshima japan lifestyle view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NHK
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NHK
Sadako classmate inspired to share her story
Sadako, the 12-year-old Hiroshima atomic bomb victim memorialized in a statue, has touched generations. Now, one of her classmates has found new inspiration to share her story.
Japan Times
7 days ago
- General
- Japan Times
Passing on Hiroshima's message of peace, one paper crane at a time
The massive amounts of paper cranes offered to a statue in Hiroshima modeled after a girl who died of leukemia following the U.S. atomic bombing of the city 80 years ago have continued to relay the message of peace to future generations. Every year, about 10 million paper cranes weighing about 10 tons in total are donated from people both in and outside of Japan and displayed at the Children's Peace Monument at the city's Peace Memorial Park. Over 10 years ago, the Hiroshima city government started a recycling project in which the donated paper cranes are distributed to companies and citizens. "The desire for peace woven into the paper cranes is reaching numerous people around the world and passed on to the next generation, and their wishes for the abolition of nuclear weapons and lasting world peace are spreading," a city official said. The statue commemorates Sadako Sasaki, who, at the age of 2, was exposed to radiation from the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, in the closing days of World War II. She died at the age of 12. As the story of Sasaki folding paper cranes in hospital in hopes of getting better was told through picture books and school textbooks, people started to offer paper cranes to the statue. The donated paper cranes are stored after being put on display in booths set up at the foot of the statue. In 2012, the Hiroshima city government launched the recycling project. Since then, a total of over 600 companies and organizations have used paper recycled from the paper cranes to make items such as business cards and notepads. In addition, the recycled paper is used for lanterns that are floated on the Motoyasu River in front of the city's Atomic Bomb Dome, which survived the nuclear attack, in a ceremony on the night of Aug. 6 every year. Thousand Crane Project for A Hopeful Future, a local organization, works on recycling the donated paper cranes with 53 welfare facilities for people with disabilities both in and outside the city. About 670 users of the facilities take apart the paper cranes and send them to factories. Recycled paper is then sent back to the facilities to make badges, notepads, sticky notes and other products. "Wishes for peace are spreading as (the paper cranes) are transformed into other products by the hands of people with disabilities," Yukari Kawahigashi, the 34-year-old manager of Smile Studio, one of the 53 facilities, said. The project is "extremely meaningful," she said. "I feel that I'm contributing to society by recycling the paper cranes for peace, instead of just working," a woman involved in creating notepads and other products said. "I'm extremely thankful (for the project)."
7 days ago
- General
80 Years On: Paper Cranes Pass on Message of Peace from Hiroshima
Hiroshima, Aug. 6 (Jiji Press)--The massive amounts of paper cranes offered to a statue in Hiroshima modeled on a girl who died of leukemia following the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japan city 80 years ago have continued to relay the message of peace to future generations. Every year, about 10 million paper cranes weighing about 10 tons in total are donated from people both in and outside of Japan and displayed at the Children's Peace Monument at the city's Peace Memorial Park. Over 10 years ago, the Hiroshima city government started a recycling project in which the donated paper cranes are distributed to companies and citizens. "The desire for peace woven into the paper cranes is reaching numerous people around the world and passed onto the next generation, and their wishes for the abolition of nuclear weapons and lasting world peace are spreading," a city official said. The statue commemorates Sadako Sasaki, who, at the age of 2, was exposed to radiation from the U.S. atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, in the closing days of World War II. She died at the age of 12. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
05-05-2025
- General
Hiroshima Children's Peace Monument Marks 67th Anniversary
News from Japan Society May 5, 2025 19:47 (JST) Hiroshima, May 5 (Jiji Press)--A ceremony was held Monday to mark the 67th anniversary of the establishment of the Children's Peace Monument at the Peace Memorial Park in the atomic-bombed western Japan city of Hiroshima. Students from Hiroshima Jogakuin University, which organized the ceremony, placed about 7,000 paper cranes at the monument. "We shouldn't just wish for peace," said Sayaka Okada, a second-year student at the university. "We'll pass on what we heard from hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) to people in the next generation and around the world." The monument, unveiled on May 5, 1958, is modeled after Sadako Sasaki, who was exposed to atomic bomb fallout at the age of 2 and died at 12. She continued to make paper cranes from her hospital bed after being diagnosed with leukemia. The paper cranes offered on Monday were made during a three-day event in the city earlier this month. About 1,000 paper cranes are donated each year from around the world. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
