Why is origami popular

It is true that other cultures engaged in various forms of paper folding , but it was the Japanese who first discovered the possibilities associated with using paper as a medium for art. Origami was initially known as orikata folded shapes. In , however, the craft became known as origami. The term origami comes from the Japanese words oru to fold and kami paper. It is not known why this term was chosen, although scholars have speculated that the characters for this term were simply the easiest for schoolchildren to learn to write.

Today, many people are attracted to the idea of learning how to fold origami figures because paper is a cheap craft supply. When origami was first practiced, however, it was a craft only for the elite.

Japanese monks folded origami figures for religious purposes. Origami was also used in various formal ceremonies, such as the practice of folding paper butterflies to adorn sake bottles at a Japanese couple's wedding reception. Tsutsumi, folded paper gift wrappers, were used in some ceremonies to symbolize sincerity and purity. Tsuki, folded pieces of paper accompanying a valuable gift, are another example of ceremonial paper folding since these models would act as a certificate of authenticity.

As paper became more affordable, common people began making origami figures as gifts or creating folded cards and envelopes for their correspondence.

Origami also started to be used as an educational tool, since the folding process involves many concepts that are relevant to the study of mathematics. This book was more about cultural customs than a series of instructions, however. Realizing that she would never recover from her illness, she instead dedicated her beautiful cranes to world peace. Sadako managed to fold only paper cranes before she died. Family members, classmates and friends completed her origami project in her honor, and later buried her shrouded in a wreath of one thousand paper cranes.

Today, a large statue of Sadako stands prominently in the Hiroshima Peace Park as a testament to her touching story about life, death and peace. Her melancholy tale played a major role in transforming the paper crane into an important symbol of peace and Japanese culture. For example, origami celebrates the importance of minimalism in art. The washi that origami is made from also reflects another element in Japanese aesthetics.

Like life, paper is fragile and temporary, but origami artists attempt to harness it in a single, tangible form in hopes of creating something with a sense of permanence. Japanese origami craftsmen prefer to create likenesses of natural objects, such as flora and fauna, as opposed to non-living objects, which are more popular in other paper-folding cultures.

Her statue at Hiroshima peace park and the making of Origami have tangled the hearts of Japanese people creating deep respect towards this art of Origami making it a symbol of life and peace.

Why do the Japanese people make origami? Knowledge base. Previous Page Print Page. Next Page. Origami started in the 17th century in Japan. By the mids, it had become a popular art form worldwide. Today, artists everywhere enjoy making complex structures out of paper! Have you ever tried origami? Anyone can learn with a little practice and patience. The basic number of folds is small, but they can be combined in a number of ways.

With origami, you can make anything from simple boxes to complex animals. Some of the basic folds include valleys, mountains, pleats, sinks and reverse folds. The only supply needed in origami is paper. Any type of paper you have lying around will work. Some people even enjoy making origami with paper money! There are many types of origami.

Another origami technique is called wet folding. In wet folding, paper is dampened so it can be folded and sculpted more easily. This allows the artist to make curves that then stay crisp when the paper dries. So, what can you make using origami? The first thing many people make is a crane.

They start with a square piece of paper and end up with a graceful bird! Other popular designs include the origami tulip flower, candy box, and boat. Origami is a very popular craft today. It helped inspire the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, which was later turned into a movie.

The art form has even inspired the design of things like airbags and heart stents. Origami sculptures can be fascinating. Some are incredibly small, but they can also be very large! The smallest origami crane was made by Mr. Naito of Japan. He used a piece of paper that measured 0. He folded into a crane using a microscope. On the other end of the spectrum, the largest origami crane weighed 1, pounds. It was made by a Seattle organization called Wings for Peace in The sculpture was over feet wide!

Would you like to try origami? What would you make? There are plenty of patterns out there! Maybe you could make an origami sculpture of your favorite animal or insect.

Or perhaps you can come up with a new design of your own! Ready to get folding? Find a friend or family member to help you check out some of these activities!

It's awesome that you stuck with it, Fluffy! Paper was invented that year! I found it on this link! We didn't know you were such a fan, Harry! But we sure appreciate the shoutout. Did you use Wonderopolis at Hogwarts, by any chance? Wow, Awesome Ryan. Those are some pretty strong feelings for origami. We suggest that you and origami take it slow and really get to know each other first. Maybe you can hang our together with a group of friends? Good luck, Wonder Buddy! Hi, Wonder Friend! Glad you're having fun!

Thanks for your feedback. We always appreciate hearing from our Wonder Friends. Great question, dayshaliz! Also, check out the Try It Out activities! We agree, Mrs. Corriher's Art Room. We think origami is fold-tastic! Thanks for Wondering with us! That's great advice, Audra! Sounds like your students have lots of fun with origami. Thanks so much for sharing! How cool, Abby! What is your favorite formation or creature to make? We bet you have quite an origami collection! Thanks for sharing something you've learned about origami, Wonder Friend!

We bet with some practice and hard work you will be creating beautiful origami pieces! Keep up the great work and practice, MaryCutiePie! We bet you're getting better each day! Thanks for sharing your comment! Hip-hip-hooray, we're glad you enjoyed our origami Wonder today, MaryCutiePie! We Wonder if you have tried your hand at origami? What's your favorite object to create? We like to try our hands at all kinds of origami, Hannah! We think animals are lots of fun, and it takes lots of patience and practice to get it just right!

Thanks for sharing your kind comment, we hope to Wonder with you again soon! Hey Rue! Thanks for coming to Wonderopolis today! Forming origami is definitely a beautiful art form. Have you ever tried it? The action origami, like making a flapping bird, seems like a fun thing to try!

What do you think? Hi, walter! Thanks for joining the discussion! We think origami is fun, too. We hope you learned something new about it from reading this Wonder!

Thanks for sharing your comment with us, Wonder Friend! We're so lucky to have a Wonder Friend like you! How cool, Sofia! We Wonder what your favorite origami sculpture is? Have you tried your hand at origami, or do you enjoy the looking at all the different figures that have been created?

Your comment made us smile, Fitz! Thanks for summarizing what you learned from our origami Wonder! Origami is a very unique and interesting art to learn about-- and even cooler when you try it yourself!

How great, Sheyla L! We're so happy that you learned something new about the ancient tradition of origami! We Wonder if you've tried your hand at origami? What a great question, Tiyanna! We think that there are lots of ways to express yourself and your feelings, including art!

Origami is a type of art, so we bet you can show how you feel through origami! We are very impressed with your Wonder! We certainly agree with you, Yeniffer! We think that origami is very difficult to do and it takes lots of talent to accomplish! Great job, Wonder Friend! Thanks for letting us know that you enjoyed today's Wonder! It's about a girl, who is sick, with a goal of folding 1, paper cranes.

Her story is amazing, and a bit sad, too, but she is full of determination!