Origami

Origami
	; Hiro is shocked to receive an origami crane from Charlie.
First reference:	The Crane
	"Origami" on Wikipedia

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. Legend has it that if a person folds 1,000 paper cranes, they are granted a wish. Hiro Nakamura appears skilled in the practice of origami.

About

Graphic Novel:The Crane

As a tribute to his deceased grandfather, Hiro folds a paper crane out of Issue #1 of his valuable Superman comic book. When he arrives at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, he finds that the location is covered with paper cranes, as is customary at the monument.

Six Months Ago

Hiro Nakamura is trying to find a way to convince Charlie Andrews that he has traveled back in time to see her. First, he brings a newspaper to the diner and shows Charlie Japanese baseball results, where the "Swallows slay the Dragons". Hiro attempts to explain the Japanese tradition of origami and Charlie responds she read about it. She comments that if someone folds a thousand cranes that they'll be granted one wish. Hiro concentrates, and in an instant, Charlie is surrounded by hundreds of paper cranes hanging from the ceiling.

Graphic Novel:Walls, Part 1

Future Hiro sets a trail of origami cranes outside the Moab Federal Penitentiary. He tells the prisoners inside to follow the trail over the hill to safety.

Graphic Novel:Walls, Part 2

Later in the night, after having freed the prisoners, Future Hiro collects his origami cranes so that he can find his way and leave no trace.

Once Upon a Time in Texas

Charlie gives Hiro a piece of origami paper, saying she was going to make a thousand cranes.

Brave New World

Charlie, hearing that Hiro might be in the same hospital as her, sends Hiro a note and an origami crane.

Brave New World

Ren Shimosawa goes to Miko Otomo's apartment and sees a shelf lined with origami cranes. When he sees Miko, she is busy folding an origami design, surrounded by others she has made. Later, when Miko goes into her father's study, she sees more origami cranes on his desk.

Hiro idly folds a paper airplane out of a left behind lunch receipt. Later, he has an idea and asks Charlie if she knows about the ancient Japanese tradition of paper folding called origami. He explains that in Shinto, cranes were considered sacred birds, and an origami crane was a sign of good luck. Charlie recalls that if a person folds a thousand cranes, they'll be granted one wish. Hiro stops time and folds 999 cranes. When time starts again, Charlie is amazed and touches the birds. Hiro tells her that one of the thousand is missing, and that Charlie will have to make it because the wish is for her. Hiro puts his hands on hers and guides her though the folds. She finishes the final creases on her own, and makes a wish. (Chapter 20)

Notes

There appear to be both origami cranes and other origami creations on display in Miko Otomo's apartment in Brave New World (Heroes Reborn). The cranes shown in Miko's apartment are of similar design to those shown at the Burnt Toast Diner in Six Months Ago, while other origami creations in Miko's apartment shown have additional folds, especially in the wings, and are generally larger than the cranes in her apartment.

Gallery

Hiro dismantles a Superman comic book...
...to fold into an origami crane.
Hiro leaves his crane at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial shrine.
Hiro stops time and folds a thousand origami cranes for Charlie.
In Utah, Future Hiro uses a crane to mark a path...
...so that he can find his way in the night.
After Hiro arranges to have Charlie's aneurysm removed, Charlie gives Hiro a paper crane.
After sixty-five years, Charlie sends Hiro a final origami crane.
The cover of Saving Charlie features origami cranes.
Miko's apartment contains both origami cranes...
...and other origami creations. A large pink paper model with bat-like wings is on a storage chest while Miko folds something else.
Miko's apartment also contains a large two-horned red-and-white paper origami model (far left) and a large creased-neck blue paper origami model (second from the right).
Miko creates four similar origami models while held at Yamagato Tower.
Hachiro Otomo has paper cranes on his desk when he pulls Katana Girl from Evernow.