In Japan, it has long been believed that the crane lives for a thousand years and brings happiness. Therefore, it was called a symbol of longevity, a bird of happiness, and numerous legends and traditions were associated with it. The paper crane appeared many centuries ago, at the dawn of origami in the Land of the Rising Sun. This figure is a simple one: it only takes 12 steps to create. According to legend, if you fold a thousand origami cranes, your most cherished and desired dream will come true.
History of the Red-crowned Crane
Nowadays, there are very few red-crowned cranes left in the entire world. These amazing birds are still considered sacred and are valued by the Japanese not only for their beauty. Tantezuru - this is the name in Japan for this majestic bird with a red cap on a black head - was called the “man in feathers” , they attributed wisdom and incredible longevity to him, and countless legends and fairy tales were composed with his participation.
A distinctive feature of the Japanese crane is its amazing and amazing dances. Other species of these large birds also dance, but this is primarily due to the mating season. For the Japanese crane, dancing is a state of mind. Perhaps this is a way of communicating with other birds in the flock or expressing emotions, but Tantezuru do this very often. Just as a nightingale closes its eyes while singing, so the crane forgets about everything in the world thanks to its delightful dance.
The Japanese love to contemplate and find beauty in everything that surrounds them. Therefore, the majestic synchronized movements of these birds simply could not go unnoticed. The crane dance can be single, paired, and there are often cases when the whole flock dances - this unforgettable spectacle is reflected in Japanese culture, in which the crane plays one of the most important roles. Tantezuru was depicted on various household and interior items, fans, painted vases, as well as holiday emblems, postage stamps and memorial signs.
In Japanese culture, along with the turtle, the crane has become a symbol of longevity, prosperity and hope. It’s not for nothing that the tradition of folding these beautiful birds out of paper began in order to fulfill your most cherished desires. There are known cases when even fatal diseases receded and a person recovered - the crane figurines made by himself or his family and friends gave him strength to fight the disease and instilled in him faith in healing.
A symbol of peace
In the middle of the last century, the whole world was shocked by the story of the little girl Sadako Sasaki, who survived the atomic explosion in Hiroshima at the age of 4 and was stricken with radiation sickness. This girl, until she was 12 years old, was a very ordinary child - she went to school, loved to play and run, and was very friendly, cheerful and life-loving. However, the consequences of the terrible disaster soon made themselves felt, her health worsened, and then one day she was given a terrible diagnosis - leukemia.
How can you design an origami crane in an unusual way?
Of course, paper plays a major role in your craft: You can use colored paper, wrapping paper, metallic effect paper and other decorative effects. You can color it already folded.
An entire origami composition will look beautiful, for example, using a decorative hole punch or other origami.
Application of figures
The step-by-step instructions for an origami crane are simple, and even a beginner can handle it. The finished product is very elegant and can be used as a decoration for a card or a themed party. There are many ways to use these figures:
- Paper cranes will be a wonderful addition to any interior - in minimalism you can use monochromatic figures, and in the nursery you can place birds made of multi-colored craft paper.
- You can assemble a mobile from figurines, add a drop of lavender oil to each and place it above the bed - this decor will speed up the process of falling asleep and improve the quality of sleep. You can hang cranes with orange or grapefruit essential oil above your desk to stimulate performance and improve body tone.
- Tantezuru garlands under the ceiling at different heights look very beautiful. Such a decorative element will give the room an oriental flavor and improve your mood.
- You can use a small crane as a pendant in a car - initially carrying positive energy, it will help moderate the manifestation of negative emotions on the road and prevent accidents. And if you apply a little of your favorite aroma - essential oil or perfume - you will get a wonderful air flavoring. True, you can’t overdo it here - unlike a room, there is much less space in a car, so the smell can get intense.
- You can follow the example of the Japanese and give such a figure to a loved one, wishing them longevity, prosperity, prosperity and the fulfillment of their cherished desires.
In any case, the crane is intended to bring joy and hope, and a hand-made gift will emphasize the importance of the recipient to the giver.
How to make an origami crane for beginners
To fold a simple crane out of paper, you don’t have to master the origami technique. Enough perseverance, attention and desire.
To work you will need:
- square sheets of paper (it is better to choose a larger format, this will make the work easier. The ideal size is 20x20 cm);
- ruler (with its help it is easier to make the correct straight bends).
Let's take a step-by-step look at how to make an origami crane:
- Bend a sheet of paper crosswise in two directions.
- Do the same, but diagonally.
- Fold the resulting triangle again diagonally.
- Straighten one of the two resulting triangles from the inside so that you get a square.
- Do the same with the second triangle.
- Fold the top edges towards the center.
- Bend the resulting upper triangle so that clear outlines appear on the paper when we unfold it.
- Bend the bottom corner along a horizontal line on the paper.
- Fold the sides towards the center and straighten them inside the folds to form a diamond shape.
- Do the same on the other side. You should get 2 diamonds.
- We take the sharp end and fold it along the inner bend. This turns out to be the neck of a crane.
- We bend the second “leg” on the other side and get a tail.
- We bend the tip of the neck to create something like a beak.
- All that remains is to bend the wings at a slight angle and the crane is ready.
Now you can color it with colored pencils, felt-tip pens or paints. Or initially use colored paper.
Tip: to make the crane “fly”, take the breast in your left hand and the end of the tail in your right. If you pull the tail, moving it slightly to the side, the wings will bend, creating a simulated flight.
This scheme is considered simple, but it is still difficult for children. Therefore, it is best to engage in joint creativity, helping the child.
Step-by-step instruction
It is very simple to make a crane out of paper according to a detailed description of the stages of its manufacture. Having folded the first 2-3 tantezuru, you no longer need any hints.
Basic blank
The first and fundamental element of this product is the double square. This blank is very often used in origami for various figures of flowers, animals and birds. This basic element is formed as follows:
- A square sheet of paper is folded diagonally. If you only have a rectangle, it's easy to make a square out of it. To do this, bend any upper corner down to the base and combine the sides. Smooth the fold line. The excess paper can be cut off to create a square piece of paper with a diagonal fold.
- Next, the sheet is unfolded and folded along a different diagonal. The fold is also pressed - just run it with your finger or nail.
- Now you need to unfold the paper again and bend it in half - first on one side, then on the other.
- After this, the newly unfolded piece of paper is placed in front of you at any angle towards you. All other corners need to be bent to the bottom, starting from the side ones. Using the marked fold lines, this is easy to do.
- The result is the same double square.
Bird with beautiful wings
This work is easy to do and is quite popular, because even a primary school student can handle it.
You can fold such a figure together with your child; he will be happy to see how simply the figures are folded from plain paper:
- This time the figure will be a square of several levels. It must be positioned so that the bottom corner is facing down. Fold the top part towards the center.
- The resulting figure is turned over, and the same manipulations are carried out with the second layer.
- All folds are straightened, the resulting mold unfolds, and the corners are bent into the middle. Externally, the figure should resemble a rhombus.
- One of the corners of the figure rises up, and the figure turns inside out.
- The edges of the figure must be folded, the upper part bent.
- Externally, the figure looks like a triangle with wings. The upper wings bend back, and the lower wings fold like an accordion.
- In the center you get 2 identical triangles. The top of the first triangle is bent, while the second triangle remains unchanged. This is the head and tail of the figure.
Origami crane represents basic elements that anyone can master.
The origami technique is associated with the creation of a crane.
Even a child can make a crane figure with his own hands. It all depends on patience and desire.
Kotobukizuru for special occasions
For festive interior decoration, the Japanese have a special variety of cranes called “Kotobuki Tsuru”. The models are distinguished by a fan-shaped tail, slightly reminiscent of a peacock. Most often, they are used to make pendants, additionally decorated with beads, ribbons and braided cords. If for traditional “tsuru” you can use any paper, here special sheets with a beautiful heterogeneous texture called “washi” are highly recommended. They are made from the bark of the gampi tree, Japanese mulberry or bamboo. Due to the special weaving of the fibers, washi paper is thin and very durable; it is almost impossible to tear it with your hands.
Detailed diagram of the festive origami crane:
A similar origami toy can be given as a gift for a wedding, birthday or housewarming. It is believed that “Kotobuki Tsuru” brings happiness, prosperity and prosperity to the home. If the scheme for creating an exquisite talisman is not entirely clear, you can make it by following the video instructions:
Interesting fact
At the time of the atomic bombing, a large number of Koreans lived in Hiroshima. More than 20,000 of them died in the atomic nightmare. A monument was erected to them in the Memorial Complex. It is not possible to establish the exact number of dead after the tragedy, since no one counted them due to belonging to an ethnic minority. More than 400,000 more Koreans were taken out of the country to Korea after the bombing. How many people died there from radiation exposure and related diseases, and how many remained alive is unknown.
Memorial Day
Every year on August 6, a ceremony is held at the Hiroshima memorial complex to commemorate the victims of the nuclear bombing of the city. The Japanese call it "Bomb Day". Local residents, relatives of the victims, and tourists from other countries take part in it. It starts exactly at 08-00 o'clock. The minute of silence is counted from 08-15. It was at this time that the city was covered by a wave of a nuclear explosion, in which thousands of people died and did not understand what happened to them. According to the organizers and city leadership, the goal of this event, as well as the entire complex as a whole, is to prevent such a horror from happening again.
Source
Sadako Sasaki and a thousand paper cranes
The girl did not want to die, she dreamed of living with her mother, whom she loved very much. One day, her school friend Chizuko Homomoto came to the hospital and brought scissors and origami paper. She told Sadako that there is a legend according to which cranes bring people happiness and long life. When a person is sick, he needs to make a thousand paper cranes, which will definitely bring recovery.
This simple tale inspired the girl, and now she made cranes every day. The paper soon ran out. Sadako began to fold them from everything that came to hand - paper napkins, magazine and newspaper sheets. But she had less and less strength left; on some days she could make one or two birds. The time allotted by fate was enough for the girl to make only 644 cranes. She died on October 25, 1955.
Memorial complex in Hiroshima
There is a park and a monument to Sasaki Sadako here. It was designed by Japanese architect Kenji Tange. The park is located on what was once Hiroshima's busiest commercial and business district. There were shops, restaurants, and cinemas here. After the explosion, all that was left was a clear field. It was decided to create a memorial complex using public funds in memory of the victims of the nuclear bombing. It contains several monuments, museums, and lecture halls. Up to a million tourists from all over the world come here every year.
