Incomplete Senbazuru 644 Akira Toda

Programm Notes

Senbazuru means a chain of 1000 folded paper (origami) cranes. This piece is inspired by the story of the young girl, Sadako Sasaki.

Sadako was a victim of the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. She was only two years old at the time and contracted leukaemia as a result. She believed she could heal herself through the process of making a senbazuru. Through the years, she made origami cranes using only the paper packaging from her medicine. Sadly, Sadako passed away when she was 12 years old. At that time, 644 orizuru (origami cranes) dangled from the ceiling of her room. To fulfill her wish, her friends made the remaining 356 cranes and buried the senbazuru with her.

In Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park there is a Children's Peace Monument surrounded by many senbazuru. Standing in front of this monument and the Atomic Bomb Dome, I feel a sense of deep sadness and many other emotions. These feelings permeate the music.