Sadako was born to be a runner, as Sadako was full of energy and life, until one cold February day when that powerful energy started to be taken from Sadako. Sadako was practicing for the track team when Sadako collapsed on the field and was rushed to the hospital. Sadako was scared and all alone. Her family quickly joined her only to find that Sadako had succumbed to the “Atom Bomb Disease”, more commonly known as Leukemia. Sadako did not feel that ill and she knew that many were able to beat this disease; Sadako knew that she would be home soon and running once again.

After a very lonely night, and a morning that was anything but typical, Sadako had her first visitor, Chizuko, her very best friend. Chizuko was very happy and came bearing a gift. Chizuko asked Sadako to close her eyes, and she placed her gift on the bed next to Sadako. Once Sadako opened her eyes, she looked at her friend rather puzzled; there on the bed was brightly colored paper and a pair of scissors. Chizuko proudly exclaimed that she had found the way to make Sadako well again. Chizuko went on to tell the story of the old crane, it is said to have lived for a thousand years, and if any sick person folds a thousand cranes their wish to be well will be granted. Chizuko showed her very best friend how to fold a crane and left Sadako with a beautiful golden crane. This was the first Crane of Peace.

Sadako took so much comfort from her friend’s idea, that all that knew Sadako, including Sadako’s nurses, began to supply Sadako with all the paper they could come across. Anything from candy wrappers to medicine bottle labels came to Sadako’s bedside, and Sadako folded them all into cranes of peace. Sadako’s brother began to hang them from the ceiling for her, quickly making it look like a flock of beautifully colored cranes of peace watching out for little Sadako.

After a wonderful visit from her family, nearly a year after Sadako fell on that track field, Sadako folded a crane of peace out of a candy wrapper that her youngest brother had given her. This was Crane of Peace number 644. Sadako was tired but felt that being over half way to her goal was giving Sadako strength. Little did Sadako know that it would be her last crane of peace. Through the following few weeks Sadako grew weaker and drifted in and out of consciousness. Sadako attempted to fold more cranes of peace during this time, but Sadako could never seem to get her hands to work. Sadako gazed up at her cranes of peace that guarded Sadako’s bed and slipped away quietly. Sadako was only twelve years old.

Chizuko and her schoolmates folded the remaining 356 cranes of peace for Sadako, and Sadako was buried with 1,000 cranes. Sadako’s schoolmates never forgot her and they worked endlessly to make a memorial to their friend that had fought so bravely. They did succeed in collecting enough money to erect a statue of Sadako standing on a granite platform, holding a golden crane of peace in her out-stretched hands. It has an engraving that echo’s all the children’s plea:

This is our cry
This is our prayer
Peace in the world

Sadako will not be forgotten and every year on August 6th, Peace Day, thousands of cranes of peace are laid at the foot of her statue.

Peace to you my friend, may this gift bring you good health.

Hatori Koshiro has a very complete history on his page: K’s Origami : History of Origami.

Additional information was found on Eric Anderson’s history page.

The SIAM News, Volume 34, Number 8 has a very good article called “In the Fold: Origami Meets Mathematics”