Tower of Thousand Cranes aka Children's Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, is a memorial in remembrance of all the children who died as a result of dropping of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The memorial is based on the true and poignant story of a Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died at the age of 12 years due to the nuclear radiation. During her sickness she innocently believed that if she made thousand origami birds (cranes) she would be cured of her disease. Although she was very weak, she kept on making paper cranes with her feeble hands in the hope that once she made 1000 cranes she will be cured of her illness. Unfortunately before she could reach her target, death took her away on the morning of October 25, 1955.
Her friends and class mates shocked by her illness and death decided to erect a memorial to comfort her soul and also to express their desire for peace. Their idea soon spread all over Japan and became not only a National but an International movement. With the aid of funds raised through donations from over 3,100 schools in Japan and other foreign countries the monument was finally unveiled on Children's Day - May 5,1958. Even today many school children send paper cranes to her which are kept in glass cubicles near the memorial. More details and photos in Travelogue Of An Armchair Traveller.
The memorial is based on the true and poignant story of a Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died at the age of 12 years due to the nuclear radiation. During her sickness she innocently believed that if she made thousand origami birds (cranes) she would be cured of her disease. Although she was very weak, she kept on making paper cranes with her feeble hands in the hope that once she made 1000 cranes she will be cured of her illness. Unfortunately before she could reach her target, death took her away on the morning of October 25, 1955.
Her friends and class mates shocked by her illness and death decided to erect a memorial to comfort her soul and also to express their desire for peace. Their idea soon spread all over Japan and became not only a National but an International movement. With the aid of funds raised through donations from over 3,100 schools in Japan and other foreign countries the monument was finally unveiled on Children's Day - May 5,1958. Even today many school children send paper cranes to her which are kept in glass cubicles near the memorial. More details and photos in Travelogue Of An Armchair Traveller.
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