A Japanese artist who always considered the origami crane to be tightly linked to war and peace is now giving a new meaning to it by incorporating thousands of them into his works of art. Tiny, hand-folded paper cranes take on new life as “leaves” on the branches of bonsai-style tree sculptures, inviting viewers into a state of contemplation. For Tokyo-based artist Naoki Onogawa, 30, origami has been a passion since childhood. “Among the forms you can find in origami, the origami crane stands apart as a particularly famous, traditional form of the art,” Onogawa told The Epoch Times via email. “Within the cranes, I see a central point of reference for myself, together with a special ‘something,’ a special quality.” Onogawa begins each artwork by creating an asymmetric stem before adorning its branches with between 500 and 1,000 expertly folded, monochromatic paper cranes, each no bigger than a fingertip. …