The Toyukai Crane Pins

These paper crane pins were sold to raise money for atomic bomb survivors. They were produced by the Tokyo Federation of A-Bomb Sufferers, also known as Toyukai. The organisation supported survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings who lived in Tokyo.

The design of the paper cranes can be traced back to Sadako Sasaki, an atomic bombing survivor who died of leukaemia in 1955 at the age of 12.

From her hospital bed, Sadako folded more than 1,000 paper cranes, hoping that this act would help her survive leukaemia since cranes symbolise long life in Japan. Although her wish did not come true, her legacy lives on. Paper cranes have become a symbol of peace and are featured today in ceremonies and personal remembrances of Hiroshima.

From 1959, Toyukai sold these pins to finance their activities. The pins have evolved into a global symbol of peace and of the anti-nuclear movement.