I think you know about the catastrophic disaster that occurred in eastern Japan on Mar. 11th. Lots of people lost not only their possessions, but also even the lives of loved ones. I don't know how to express the sorrow of the affected people even in my native language, Japanese.
By the way, I watched in a news item that a group of people were making 1000 paper cranes for the victims. The cranes were going to be sent to one of the evacuation shelters, but some might think they were insane. The sets of 1000 paper cranes are absolutely of no use in such conditions. What the tsunami victims needed was food, water and clothes or something to be able to avoid the chill of the night air. Eastern Japan is rather cold in March. They didn't have enough fuel to warm the shelters. However, I could understand paper-folding represented people's sincere sympathy.
What kind of relation is there between the victims and paper cranes? Some Japanese might not know the reason, but it is totally a mystery for foreigners. I'll explain the history of paper cranes and Origami, which has been a Japanese traditional amusement and is now in the English dictionary.
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In Japan, most people do origami when they're children. No special equipment or tools are required - just a square of paper to fold. You don't even need scissors or glue. All kinds of things can be fashioned with origami. Here's an iris....a crane....and a paper balloon. From wild flowers to objects found around the house - with origami, a child's imagination can run free.
Since the old days in Japan, paper was not just something to write or paint on; it was a sacred object invested with spiritual meaning. An ancient custom involves cutting paper into the shape of a person and letting it float away down a stream. This is done as a symbolic way to get rid of impurity.
Paper has also long been important as a wrapping material for gifts. And about 600 years ago, strict rules of etiquette were established, governing the way paper was folded and wrapped. In this way, each method of gift wrapping was endowed with its own specific meaning. While folding the paper, people would bless it with their prayers, so that no impurities were transferred to the gift inside. Then, wrapped in the paper, the gift would be delivered to the recipient. The techniques used in gift wrapping eventually gave rise to the sophisticated craft that is called 'origami'.
This origami form is known as renzuru, meaning 'linked cranes'. With a few incisions, a single sheet of paper can be folded into numerous cranes, all connected. In the 18th and 19th centuries, origami techniques of this type were developed to a remarkable level of sophistication.
Origami cranes took on a special significance after Greater East Asian War. The Children's Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park depicts a girl lifting a paper crane towards the sky.
The girl who was the model for this statue was exposed to radiation in the bombing of Hiroshima when she was two years old. Nine years later, she developed leukemia. One day, lying in her hospital bed, she heard that folding 1000 paper cranes would make her wish come true. Her wish was to get well, so she began folding paper cranes using medicine wrappers and whatever paper she could find. But her wish did not come true, and she died at the age of 12.
The story of this girl became widely known, and later, people began to consider sets of 1000 cranes to be a special form of origami imbued with hopes and prayers.
For people in Japan, origami is more than just a leisure activity; it's a compact form of art reflecting people's thoughts and feelings.
(Vocabulary)
chill [U], a/the ~ 冷たさ, 冷気, 寒さ
the chill of the night air 夜の冷気
represent [他] (人・状況など) を表現する, 描く
run (考えなど)が浮かぶ
invest sb/sth with sth
(フォーマル) ＜人・組織など＞に＜権限など＞を与える, 付与する
(フォーマル) ＜…＞に＜性質＞が備わっているように見せかける
Being the boss invested her with a certain glamor. 上司だということで彼女には何がしかの魅力が備わっているように見えた．
govern [他] 〈規則・法律などが〉 〈制度・組織など〉 を管理［統制］する
endow (学校・病院など) に寄付する, (基金など) を寄付する
endow sb/sth with sth
＜人・施設＞に＜金＞を寄付する
(フォーマル) ＜…＞に＜…＞を授ける, 賦与する
sophistication 洗練されていること, 教養のあること / 精巧さ, 高度さ, 高性能
take on sth
(異なる性質・様相など)を見せ始める, 帯びる
Her face took on a fierce expression. 彼女の顔に荒々しい表情が浮かんだ．
(難しい仕事など)に取りかかる, (重要な事など)を引き受ける
wrapper （紙・ビニール製の) 包装紙, 包み紙 / (新聞・雑誌用の) 帯封
imbue sb/sth with sth (フォーマル) ＜…＞に＜感情・性質など＞を吹き込む, 鼓吹する
(和訳)
日本では多くの子どもが、一度は折り紙で遊んだことがあります。折り紙に道具は必要ありません。四角い紙を折るだけです。ハサミものりも使いません。折り紙は様々な形を生み出せます。こちらはアヤメ。鶴。紙風船。野に咲く草花から身近な生活用品まで。折り紙は、子どもたちの想像力をいっぱいにかきたててくれます。
古来、日本人にとって紙は、絵や文字を書くだけでなく、願いを込める神聖なものでした。これは人の形に切り取った紙を川に流し、心身の穢れを拭い去る風習です。
また、紙は贈り物を包むための大切な素材でした。今から６００年ほど前には、贈り物を包むための折り方が作法として定められ、折り方そのものに特別な意味を持たせるようにもなりました。穢れ（けがれ）が贈り物に移らないように祈りを込めて紙を折り、紙に包み、贈り物を大切な人に届けました。こうした折り方の技術が、やがて技巧をこらした折り紙へと発展していきました。
「連鶴」と呼ばれるこの折り紙。一枚の紙に切り込みを入れ、何羽も鶴が連なるように作られています。こうして折り紙の技巧は江戸時代後期に高度に発達していきました。そして戦後、鶴が日本人にとって特別なものになっていきます。広島の平和記念公園にある「原爆の子の像」。少女が折り鶴を高々と掲げています。
この像のモデルとなったのは、広島で被爆した一人の少女。わずか２歳で被爆した少女は、その９年後、白血病を発症します。病魔と闘う少女はある日、「鶴を千羽折ると願いが叶う」という言い伝えを耳にします。「元気になりたい」、そんな一心で薬の包み紙などありったけの紙を使って鶴を折りました。しかしその願いもむなしく、１２歳でこの世を去ったのです。
このエピソードは広く世に知れ渡り、千羽鶴は願いを込めて作る特別な折り紙になっていったのです。日本人にとって折り紙はただの娯楽ではなく、メッセージを映し出す小さなアートなのです。
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