Today the Department of Phenomenal Papercraft is oohing and aahing over the work of Japanese artist Naoki Onogawa. Inspired by the ancient legend of 1000 Origami cranes and the story of Sadako Sasaki, Onogawa creates exquisite bonsai trees with miniature origami cranes for leaves.

“Since ancient times, Japanese people have been mindful of natural phenomenon. While confronting our fears of the natural world, we worship and co-exist in harmony with nature. As one symbol of nature, trees possess a life force which lies in all natural things,” Naoki writes on her blog. “I’ve tried to endow my artworks with this energy. Through looking at my works, I hope you can feel this life force too.”

Follow Naoki Onogawa on Instagram to keep up with her latest work.