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What is origami?

"One square, no cuts, no glue."
Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper. The traditional method is using only one square piece of paper, without glueing or cutting. You can create various types of objects by simply folding paper in different patterns, such as the swan, the rose and the crane. Still-lifes are not the only art forms which can be created; many origami shapes are moveable, which can look quite impressive. Today, it has become internationally popular!

A Brief History
The origin of origami comes from Chinese paper folding. In the 6th century, Buddhist monks carried the new invention of paper from China to Japan - and it became a Japanese tradition. By the 700s, origami was already a significant part of Japanese history. Samurai warriors would exchange gifts which were decorated, as a symbol of good luck, with origami - much like how we have bows wrapped around presents today. Origami butterflies were also used during Shinto weddings.

The grandmaster of origami: Akira Yoshizawa
This is the man responsible for bringing origami from a simple craft to a worldwide art sensation. He created more than 50,000 models and produced many books explaining origami. He also pioneered "wet-folding" - this technique is dampening paper before folding, in order to create a more "sculpted" look.

Today, many modern artists use origami not only using paper or tissue foil, but other materials as well. They've created all sorts of sculptures beyond animals and flowers.

Paper cranes: a symbol of peace

Legend says that if you fold one thousand paper cranes, your heart's desire will come true.

A young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki was a survivor of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima in WWII. By the age of twelve, she was dying of leukemia because of this. She decided to fold 1000 origami cranes so she could live - but when she saw other patients dying, her wish was changed to world peace.

This popular story has been turned into books and novels. 1000 origami cranes held together by a string is called senbazuru. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also known as the Genbaku Dome. At the foot of the statue it says: This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of a nuclear war and is a heroine for many girls in Japan. The Japanese celebrate August 15 as the day of Sadako, an annual peace and love day.

Image Credits
Coda
Jippolito
Wikipedia
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