40 pages • 1 hour read
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
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Background
Historical Context: The Bombing of Hiroshima and Its Aftereffects
On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb struck the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Before this, the city had not been attacked during World War II, although Hiroshima’s prominence as a military center made it “a potential target for Allied bombing” (“Hiroshima, Japan.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2023). The uranium bomb, which was named Little Boy, was dropped by the United States Air Force B-29 bomber Enola Gay. The blast destroyed most of the city, and about 55% of Hiroshima’s population perished within the year. More than 70,000 people died during or soon after the explosion, and about 70,000 more died of related complications by December 1945. Over the next decades, the death toll continued to rise as radiation caused severe illnesses among Hiroshima’s population. The symptoms of radiation injury include hair loss, internal bleeding, “confusion, convulsions, weakness, and fatigue” (“Hiroshima, Japan”). In addition, many people in Hiroshima developed cancers, such as leukemia, due to radiation exposure.
Reconstruction efforts began in 1950, and the city has become an important economic, historical, and spiritual center. Hiroshima is a gathering place for members of an international peace movement that seeks to ban nuclear weaponry. In addition, the city is a manufacturing hub for many products, including ships, steel, and automobiles. Hiroshima Castle, which was destroyed in the bombing, was restored in 1957 and is now a museum dedicated to preserving the city’s history. Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima contains a museum and monuments commemorating those who lost their lives in the bombing. A memorial service is held at the park every year on August 6.
Cultural Context: Sadako Sasaki’s Legacy
Sadako Sasaki was a victim of the atomic bomb who became a global symbol of peace. She was born in Hiroshima, Japan, on January 7, 1943, and she was only two years old when the bomb fell on her city. Although the Sasaki family’s home was destroyed, the young Sadako appeared unharmed and grew into a strong and athletic child. At 12, Sadako became one of the many children in Hiroshima diagnosed with leukemia due to radiation exposure. During her time at the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital, she heard an old Japanese legend: “Fold 1,000 paper cranes and your wish will come true” (“Death of an A-Bombed Girl.” Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, 21 June 2023). She resolved to achieve this goal, hoping that doing so would cure her. Sadako died on October 25, 1955.
The true story of Sadako and the paper cranes touched hearts across Japan and around the world. Her classmates raised funds to build a monument “to console Sadako’s spirit and those of all children who died from the atomic bombing” (“Death of an A-Bombed Girl”). The result of their efforts was unveiled on May 5, 1958. The Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park features a statue of Sadako holding a crane aloft. Inspired by her story and united by their wish for peace, visitors leave millions of origami cranes at the monument each year. Her message also lives on through the Sadako Legacy NPO, which her family founded with the objective of abolishing “discrimination, conflict, war, nuclear and non-humanitarian weapons” (“Sadako Legacy NPO.” Armed with the Arts, 2023). In addition, her story has inspired artists and educators worldwide to create songs, films, musicals, statues, paintings, and peace education programs. Her life is the subject of more than 30 books, including Austrian writer Karl Bruckner’s Sadako Will Leben (The Day of the Bomb) (1962); Canadian-American author Eleanor Coerr’s Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (1977) and Sadako (1997); and American author and illustrator Sue DiCicco’s The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki (2018), which she co-wrote with Sadako’s older brother, Masahiro Sasaki.
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