Senbazuru

Cranes live a long time. In Japanese culture they are considered magical creatures and thought to have special powers. Click here to make an origami crane and earn KenYen.

Fourteen years ago my mother was very, very ill. While she was in the hospital a large, but lightweight, box arrived for her. It was from her Japanese friends and covered with “Air Mail” stickers. We opened the box and were shocked. Inside were 1,000 origami cranes. They were organized in groups of 100 by stringing the cranes on string. My mother’s friends sent her “senbazuru,” a thousand paper cranes to wish her a speedy recovery. Such an idea is based on the tradition that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, such as long life or recovery from illness. Senbazuru is also associated with the story of Sadako Sasaki, whom you will remember from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum website, and a wish for world peace. My mother still has the senbazuru and it is just as colorful as the day it arrived.


Mr. Jim and J-Dude are big time Boston Red Sox fans. They wear their hats and lucky socks whenever “THE SOX” play. This picture will make them happy.

On the left is Daisuke Matsuzaka and on the right Hideki Okajima. These Japanese men are both players for “THE SOX” and are standing in the Fenway Park dugout with senbazuru! The girls made it to wish the Boston Red Sox good luck. Mr. Jim and J-Dude may want to start folding cranes...