The image of the crane is prevalent throughout asian art appearing as the most common origami paper form to the most elegant of details on ceramics such as the porcelain vase I saw the other day. The Japanese consider the crane, or Tsuru, as a national treasure. In folklore, the crane is fabled to live a thousand years. Therefore the crane symbolizes longevity and good fortune. It is also symbol of fidelity, in regard to the way cranes mate for life.
In the modern era, cranes have come to symbolize hope and peace. The reason for this is because of Sadako Sasaki, a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing in World War II. After being exposed to the radiation of the nuclear bomb, Sasaki became diagnosed with leukemia. In hopes of persevering through her illness and being rewarded with good health, she set a goal to fold 1000 paper cranes. Unfortunately, she passed before she could reach her goal. Today, the tradition of folding 1000 origami cranes symbolizes the hope of persevering through life's challenges.
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