The origins of the crane as a symbol for peace began with Sadako Sasaki, who was two years old when she was exposed to the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in 1945. She was diagnosed with leukemia at age 12, in February 1955. While hospitalized, she began folding origami cranes (called orizuru in Japanese). In Japanese folklore, cranes are mythical creatures representing longevity because they are believed to live for 1,000 years. The practice of the senbazuru (folding 1,000 cranes) is believed to grant one wish to anyone who completes the task. Sadako continued folding cranes for the remainder of her life, passing away on October 25, 1955.

Sue DiCicco, artist and founder of the Peace Crane Project, was chosen to fold the crane used on the stamp, and Sally Andersen-Bruce was selected to photograph it after working with art director Antonio Alcalá on the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Lunar New Year stamps.

While the stamp may look like a simple design, art director Alcalá says it’s more complicated than it seems. After Andersen-Bruce photographed the crane, he had to adjust the shadows to make the crane look like it was in flight. He said arranging the text around the crane so it would appear in a natural position and fitting it on the small size of the stamp was a challenge.