In Japan, cranes are auspicious, symbolizing good fortune, health and longevity, and perseverance. Clusters of origami cranes are a familiar sight at shrines and memorial sites in Japan, and they are given as gifts to mark significant birthdays and important transitions. Tradition holds that with one thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true—your own wish, if you fold the cranes, or a collective wish for another, if they are a gift.