After Japan’s earthquake devastations, Japanese teacher Masako Onakado encouraged students to create origami cranes for relief efforts. In total, she has collected 3,715 cranes from the Upper School community and sent them to the chosen organizations: Cranes for Kids and Students Rebuild.

Onakado first got the idea from other educators’ postings from a mailing list for Japanese teachers. However, because of The Japan Bowl, she realized there was not much time. The deadline for Cranes For Kids was only three days after and Students Rebuild was two weeks. Therefore, she asked several students from each class to make announcements to their respective classes that Tuesday.

“I wanted to organize it with students but didn’t have the time,” she said.

Onakado put a box at her classroom door and an envelope with origami paper. Students were able to pick up that paper, make them on their own time, and drop them off; students who did not know how to make cranes could follow a provided instruction sheet.

She received over 1,000 cranes within two days, and the cranes kept coming in large amounts. On April 8, after collecting the cranes from the box that morning, another 100 more were in there the following hour. That day alone, 700 cranes were donated.

“I think the most surprising thing was the sheer number of cranes that came pouring in,” Indica Sur (10) said. “One afternoon in [Onakado]’s room, by the time I had finished counting a box of cranes, the paper box outside we had just emptied was overflowing again.”

Other students, such as Amie Chen (10) agree.

“What surprised me the most was how many people actually wanted to make so many cranes,” Amie said. “I would have only expected people who were taking Japanese or interested in Japanese culture to do it, but I saw that all sorts of people were willing to try it out.”

That first week, Onakado ran out of paper, and students kept coming into her classroom asking for more. She continued to buy more origami paper throughout the weeks.

“So many students consistently came back to donate cranes. It turned out to be really wonderful,” Onakado said. “I didn’t expect that huge response from the entire school community. I’m sure hundreds and hundreds of students were involved with this.”

Expecting 100,000 cranes, Students Rebuild set a budget for $200,000 by donating $2 per crane that they received. But because they were sent more cranes than expected before the deadline, they doubled their donation.

“I was really touched by so many students’ warm hearts,” Onakado said. “I was just so moved by how strongly students were willing to do something to support Japan, and I really appreciate all the support and participation from students.”

Students such as Renu Singh (9) saw the cranes as a helpful symbol towards Japan.

Renu said, “When we send these cranes to the Japanese, we are not only sending the money, but also the hope for better times and the comfort that we are thinking of them.”