Sadako Sasaki (January 7, 1943 -- October 25, 1955) was a Japanese girl who lived near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. She was only two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. At the moment of explosion she was at her home, about 1 mile from ground zero.
Sadako's story became familiar to many schoolchildren around the world through the novel "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr, first published in 1977. Sadako is also briefly mentioned in "Children of the Ashes", Robert Jungk's historical account of the lives of Hiroshima victims and survivors.
As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1954, at age eleven, while training for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia, the "atom bomb disease".
She started folding origami paper cranes after a friend reminded her of a legend: if one folds a thousand cranes, one will live to be very old. As she folded the cranes, she would say the following words:
“I will write peace on your wings
and you will fly all over the world.”
After her death, her friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who died from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. It was also a popular cause for children and others in Japan. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. At the foot of the statue is a plaque which reads, "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world."
There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war. She continues to inspire people and organizations around the world. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is one of those organizations.
In 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and La Casa de Maria dedicated the Sadako Peace Garden in Santa Barbara, California. This August 6th they will hold the 14th Annual Sadako Peace Day at the Sadako Peace Garden.
They have asked everyone to be part of this ceremony for peace even if they cannot attend by e-mailing messages and prayers for peace. They will list as many as they can on their website and choose a selection to read at the Peace Day ceremony in Santa Barbara. Afterwards, they will compile all the messages of peace and send them to the White House.
One voice can become a powerful force for change when it joins millions of others all seeking the same thing.
Here is a video showing photos of Sadako.
1 comment:
If you are not teary yet, try listening to Fred Small's song about her. Fred is a folk singer, a minister, and a genuine lover of people. His song is called "Cranes Over Hiroshima", part of my favorite CD, "No Limit." iTunes carries both. I listen to that song to feel the needed hurt and to keep my efforts strong.
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