折り紙

origami

The art of paper folding

It starts with one simple fold, then another and another, until a single sheet of paper is crafted into an elegant design, all without the aid of scissors or glue. Originating in religious ceremonies, the practice of origami blossomed into an art during the Edo Period (1603–1868), when written instructions were published and sturdy washi (Japanese paper) became widely available. Interest waned at the turn of the 20th century, but was reignited by the fanciful creations of origami grandmaster Akira Yoshizawa. Today, origami is a popular hobby, and there are whole museums dedicated to the art—Nippon Origami Museum in Kaga (Ishikawa Prefecture) is the world’s largest and one of the many places to take classes. Origami’s techniques have also found unexpected uses in technical applications, such as rocket solar panels that can be folded for launch, unfurled in space, and then refolded for the return journey.

One of the most iconic origami designs is that of the crane. Considered auspicious in Japan, they are associated with the belief that anyone who can fold 1,000 cranes will have their wish granted. The most famous example of this story is Hiroshima’s Sadako Sasaki, who folded more than 1,000 cranes in the hope of recovering from leukemia caused by the 1945 atomic bomb. She did not survive, but is memorialized at the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, decorated with streamers of paper cranes.

Be More Japan origami

Be More Japan origami

Be More Japan origami

D The art of creating origami designs was first formally described in the book Hiden senbazuru orikata (How to Fold a Thousand Cranes), published in 1797.