Key Facts
• Sadako Sasaki, model for Hiroshima’s ‘Children’s Peace Monument,’ died at age 12 in 1955.
• She folded 1,000 paper cranes during her battle with leukemia caused by the Hiroshima bombing.
• Her nephew, Yuji Sasaki, revealed the monument plan during a post-war 80th anniversary discussion.
• The monument, designed by Hiroshima high school students, will be installed in Hawaii by the end of 2025.
• It will be placed at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, alongside paper cranes donated by Yuji Sasaki in 2016.
• The center plans to create a peace-focused space centered on paper cranes, with construction starting in 2027.
• Yuji Sasaki met former President Barack Obama in February 2025, gifting him one of Sadako’s cranes.
• A live-action film, ‘The Light of Hope: The Miracle of the Paper Cranes,’ is planned for release in fall 2026.
• Singer Kumiko, who collaborated with Yuji Sasaki, hopes to perform at the monument’s unveiling.
Summary
A monument honoring Sadako Sasaki, the model for Hiroshima’s ‘Children’s Peace Monument,’ will be installed at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center in Hawaii by the end of 2025. Designed by Hiroshima high school students, the monument symbolizes peace and remembrance. Sadako, who died at age 12 from leukemia caused by the Hiroshima bombing, is globally known for folding 1,000 paper cranes during her illness. Her nephew, Yuji Sasaki, revealed the plan during a discussion marking 80 years since World War II. The center will also feature a peace-focused space centered on paper cranes, with construction starting in 2027. Yuji Sasaki recently met former President Barack Obama, gifting him one of Sadako’s cranes. A live-action film about Sadako’s life is set for release in fall 2026, further spreading her message of peace.
