1000 PAPER CRANES
Friday 18th March 2011
My book Cherry Crush is about a girl who is half-Japanese, and a Japanese theme runs all through the story. For me, as for all who love Japan and its culture, the recent earthquake, tsunami and threatened nuclear disaster has been shocking and scary.
I wanted to do something to help, and found myself thinking of the story of the 1000 Paper Cranes. In Japanese legend, anyone who makes 1000 paper cranes is granted a wish. In 1955, a Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki, became ill with radiation sickness after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Sadako planned to make 1000 paper cranes, but she had folded only 644 cranes when she died aged just 12. Her friends made the remaining paper cranes and buried them with her… one of the saddest yet most beautiful stories of friendship ever. In Japan, the paper crane is a powerful symbol of peace and hope.
What better way to send your support, good wishes and prayers to Japan? Find yourself a square of paper, click the link and make your own paper crane for Japan – then send in your pics through any of the website links. Tell your friends, family and teachers and spread the word. Together, we can make 1000 cranes… and show Japan that we care.
If you’re able to raise money for those made homeless by the disaster, you can donate to the Red Cross.
Look out for more ideas of how you can help on the Secret Page and in the April online newsletter… with comps to reward all your hard work. If you haven’t signed up for the free online newsletter, you can do it here – you’ll find a clue for the password to the Secret Page in the newsletter, too.
Get folding… and send your thoughts and prayers to Japan.
xxx
I really hate whats going on in Japan too, but I live in New Zealand, and recently there was an earthquake in Christchurch. It was really sad, and I live in Wellington so luckily I wasn’t affected, though my heart still was. I am trying to do anything I can to help!
hi cathy i just love japan i came first in my class in my japanese test it was so cool now ever one says that i am the best at japanese it was amazing i will make some japanese cranes for japan i feel sorry for them
I am very sad for the japanese people. Ithas been a traumatic time for so many people! When christchurch had their second black day of the year, (if you don’t know, they had an extremely bad earthquake and this wasn’t the first time) I live in NZ, and I know quite a few people, and thye are all suffering, but getting there, I prayed that there would never be any more diasters anywhere in the world, but things went differently. I hope you are all alright over there, and things will change soon. xx
I am a realy caring person, but when it came to the japan disaster, if felt I could do nothing to help them, but the I realised my friend emi was in japan at the time, iI was like, Oh no, but I looked in my emails, and I found an email from her, it said that she’s ok, so thats good.But about the book I would like to read it, but only if it is funny or has lots of cool stuf in it to read. Did you know there is a chinese mith, if you make a thousand paper cranes you get one wish. Our school did that so that we could make a wish that this girl, she hade very bad caner, bone marow caner,could get well again, And she did!
What’s been happening to Japan is really devastating to watch-even the pics on the news make me want to cry. It just goes to show that even rich and famous countries can be affected by disasters like this too-it’s not just places like Haiti that are affected. I really love this idea Cathy, and am working on my crane right now! I know that my friends will join in, I just want to help these poor people… Japan ♥ xxx god bless the survivors ♥
I think it’s terrible whats happening in Japan at the moment- people lying dead under the rubble, not knowing whether their loved ones are dead or alive- It makes me feel so lucky to have what I have. I think it is a great idea to do 100 paper cranes, and I am definitly going to try it- fingers crossed it works for them! Lindsey xx
I’ve really been affected by the Japenese tsaunami because there was the big one in 2006 in Indonesia. My friends family lived in Indonesia and I know how nerve wracking it can be to not be able to contact your family or find them. I think it’s really sweet with what you’re doing!
xx
Hiya Cathy!
I think this is a really good idea and I am so going to make a paper crane for the people affected by the earthquake in Japan.
At my school, we have a `VLE` where evryone has an account. On that account we can message people, go on forums and edit/create our homepage. On my homepage, I have made a breaking news section about the Japanese disaster. Everyone in my year reads it and edit the news/headlines every hour. Has anyone else thought about making a newspaper report about the disaster… it could be featured in the Cathy Cassidy newsletter some-time!
So proud of all of you who’ve replied and are making paper cranes. I really do have the best, most caring readers ever.
Akeela, the legend/story is Japanese not Chinese… but great that your school studied it.
Jade, your idea is FAB… if anyone has a school website/newspaper/mag please use it to spread the paper cranes story and message. Thank you! xxx