Embassy of Japan in South Africa

Senbazuru folded by South African students, sent to Japan

In September 2008, the students from Crawford Preparatory Lonehill School in South Africa performed a play called “Sadako & Senbazuru (Thousand Paper Cranes)”. This play was based on a true story of Miss Sadako Sasaki who was infected by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima at the age of 2 and passed away at the age of 12.

Crawford Preparatory School made a decision to perform this play in honour of the importance of human life and world peace. More than 100 students from the school performed in this two-hour play. One thousand paper cranes were used in this play, which was folded by the students, the teachers as well as the parents.

Senbazuru In January 2009, these paper cranes were donated to the Hiroshima Peace and Culture Centre in Japan. Below you will find some pictures that were taken of the paper cranes in front of the Genbaku no Ko no Zou (Children’s Peace Monument) in Hiroshima.

An appreciation letter was sent to the school from the director of the Hiroshima Peace and Culture Centre stating the following:

We strongly believe that your students’ empathy, which was put into the thousand paper cranes, will be reflected through the many people who visit the Monument.

Our wish is that we will have a peaceful world without nuclear weapons so that the tragedy of Sadako experienced will never happen again.

For more information on Sadako and Sembazuru, please visit the following website.
http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/KPSH_E/top_e.html