Why make a thousand cranes?

A crane is a symbol of long life and hope in Japanese culture. The Japanese people have always been attracted to the way the cranes graciously fly through the sky with their large wings spread wide. It is thought that cranes will take away ones illness when they fly away.  Cranes were also believed to live for a very long time which is the origin of the Japanese phrase; "Cranes live for 1,000 years and turtles live for 10,000 years."


"Origami" is the traditional Japanese art of paper folding, which started in the 17th century AD  and was popularized in the mid-1900s. It has since then evolved into a modern art form. The goal of this art is to transform a flat sheet of material into a finished three dimensional object through folding and sculpting techniques, and as such the use of cuts or glue are not considered to be origami.

 paper cranes

"A thousand cranes" is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes held together by strings. An ancient Japanese legend promised that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. In Japan, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person's wish come true. 

 A Thousand Cranes

Today, it is a common gesture for Japanese to send a thousand cranes to people who are suffering from illness or injury and to those who are having a difficult time in their life, wishing for their fast recovery.