Orizuru

The orizuru (折鶴 ori- "folded," tsuru "crane"), also known as the origami crane or paper crane, is one of the most classic designs in Japanese origami. In Japanese culture, it is believed that the wings of the crane carry souls up to paradise, and it represents the Japanese red-crowned crane, called the "Honourable Lord Crane." People often use the origami crane as a special wrapper or a beautiful decoration for restaurant tables.

When a thousand origami cranes are strung together, it is called senbazuru (千羽鶴), meaning "thousand cranes." There is a belief that if someone folds a thousand cranes, they will be granted one wish. This idea is featured in the story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, which is based on the life of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who lived in Hiroshima. Her story and the thousand paper cranes have become symbols of hoping for recovery and peace.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum displays two paper cranes that were made and given to the museum by President Barack Obama during his visit in 2016. These cranes carry a message of peace and hope, continuing the meaningful tradition of the origami crane.

Renzuru

The term renzuru (連鶴, "conjoined cranes") describes a special way to fold many cranes from one sheet of paper. Usually, this paper is square, and you make careful cuts to create smaller squares. These smaller squares are then folded into cranes that stay connected to each other, like at their beaks, wings, or tails.

One common way to make renzuru is to create a circle of four or more cranes linked at their wing tips. A simpler version, called imoseyama, uses a half-square piece of paper to make two cranes that share a whole wing. If the paper has different colors on each side, the cranes will end up being different colors too.

This folding method was first shown in an old origami book called Hiden Senbazuru Orikata from 1797. You can see updated diagrams in a modern book by Japanese origami author Kunihiko Kasahara.

Folding the orizuru

The orizuru is a classic origami design in Japan, often called the paper crane. It is one of the most well-known origami shapes. In Japanese culture, this crane is special because people believe its wings carry souls to a place called paradise. The design also represents the Japanese red-crowned crane, known as the "Honourable Lord Crane." People often use the paper crane as a decorative item in restaurants or as a ceremonial wrapper.