Japanese A-bomb victim's paper cranes eyed for UNESCO heritage list
(VOVWORLD) - Sadako Sasaki, a 12-year-old Japanese girl who died from radiation-induced leukemia caused by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the United States, is remembered for making over a thousand origami paper cranes in her hospital bed under the belief it would aid her recovery.
Paper cranes of Sadako Sasaki are displayed at Hiroshima museum (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)
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Now her older brother Masahiro, 81, and other relatives are preparing to submit her paper cranes, along with other items such as her handwritten notes, to a UNESCO documentary heritage program for registry in 2025 to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and others, such as 85-year-old atomic bomb survivor Keiko Ogura, told Sadako's story to leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May, where they were also presented with stainless steel replica "paper crane" mementos of the girl.
Support from the national government and the authorities in Hiroshima Prefecture has given the case the international recognition and momentum the family says it needs to get Sadako's paper cranes, medical records, and memos listed in the documentary heritage program.