Origami

Can you believe that a piece of paper can become anything such as a plant, animal, or human? What made it possible is origami, one of traditional Japanese entertainments. It is popular among people of all ages. Today, some people can make very complex shapes with origami and there are several exhibitions of those works, so origami is beginning to be recognized as one of arts.

This is the most basic origami packets which have a wide variety of colors. They are aimed mainly for young children. In Japan, there are some elementary schools where how to fold origami is taught in classes. Even in kindergartens, children often enjoy origami. The kindergarteners make something by cutting and sticking origami rather than folding origami into three-dimensional world. In elementary schools, most students start to fold various shapes with a piece of origami paper. The most popular shape is crane. I don’t think there are any people who don’t know how to fold paper crane in Japan.

Turn over the packets and look at the origami instructions on the back side. It shows how to fold 'origami crane', which is the most famous form of origami. It is said to be the first step to origami making, especially for school children.

The skill of origami is applied to various things. The most familiar way for Japanese to use origami skill is trash boxes in home as shown in the first picture of the above. In fact, I make paper trash boxes with a piece of advertisement paper every day. My grandmother who was good at origami was making more elaborate trash boxes shown in the second picture of the above. This is also made with advertisement papers. You might not know that because it’s varnished into brown. I don’t know how to make it, however, I’m sure a lot of time had been spent on making the trash box and a really complex hand movement must have been needed.

Although most Japanese people haven’t noticed, origami skill is also used for noshi(熨斗), the decoration attached to gifts. In the above picture, the red and white decoration in upper right-hand corner of the envelope is so-called noshi. It is made with square paper by folding it into hexagonal shape and covering a thin long yellow piece of paper.

Tag: Nippon Origami Museum, Janan Origami Contest 2003, Nippon Origami Association Homepage, Origami Creator's Fantasia