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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 19, 2007

Cranes symbolize peace, memorialize Sadako

 •  On the wings of hope

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

Folded paper cranes, a staple of origami artistry, have become a symbol of peace worldwide, thanks to the story of Sadako Sasaki and the thousand cranes she attempted to fold. She was 2 when an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima; she lived to be 12, inspiring friends and classmates in Japan to fulfill her mission of folding 1,000 cranes.

Island children taking in "A Thousand Cranes" are connecting with Sadako's mission of hope and peace by bringing origami, laden with personal messages, to the play.

School contributions are tagged with scribbled and art-accented messages.

Mika's reads: "I will make peace by not slapping my 4-year-old brother and I will listen to my parents."

Brissa's reads: "My peace wish is to have peace in the world by working together in harmony and taking care of each other. There should be no bragging, no wars, no mistreating people; people should treat people the way that you want to be treated."

Nolan's reads: "There are no letters from fight in the word peace."

Hiroshima is Honolulu's sister city, so there's been a longstanding sympathy for Sadako's plight over the years.

Neighbor Island audiences have brought several thousand folded cranes; by the end of the Honolulu run, HTY expects thousands more.

"The cranes will be sent to the Hiroshima Peace Park, where the origami are placed at the foot of a statue of Sadako," said Reiko Ho, director of "Cranes."

Children attending weekend performances independently with parents or friends are encouraged to bring cranes, too, for placement on the apron of the stage at Tenney Theatre. A mountain of colorful birds grows by the day. In Island culture, origami cranes also are typically mounted and framed in a variety of images, including Japanese mon, or family insignia, commonly displayed at local weddings.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.