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CHAPTER 1

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Origami is not difficult. There is no need for specific articles or special knowledge to fold. All you need is a square piece of paper. You can buy origami paper in Asian specialty stores, arts and craft shops, and certain paperies, but these are not at all necessary for success.

As Norio explains, "I have folded origami by using anything from the finest washi — Japanese paper — to dollar bills and pages from the phone book. But do you know what turned out to be the most ideal paper for folding? Regular brown wrapping paper!"

Some origami crafters will make cuts in their square piece of paper in advance in order to create their models. But Norio Torimoto believes that the challenge lies in exploring all the possibilities of the squared piece of paper. Therefore, he only uses scissors in one traditional origami model of this book.

Although some models require more steps to complete than others, none of these models are difficult to complete!

Symbols

In order to make the instructions easier to read, Norio's drawings are accompanied by symbols. Learn to recognize the meaning of these symbols and the folding will become even easier!

The symbols also open the door to the global world of origami. Since most of the symbols are internationally known you can easily fold using Korean or Polish instructions without mastering the language, as long as you know what the symbols mean.

Basic Folds

If you have been folding for a while you are most likely familiar with the existence of multiple basic folds. For the purposes of this book Norio has chosen the folds that most commonly occur. More or less all origami models — from the most fundamental to the most advanced — are based on these six basic folds. If you master these folds it will also make it easier to create models of your own.

We set out to make the illustrations and instructions as approachable as possible. However, the more complicated the models become the more folding lines and marking creases. These may clutter the illustrations and ultimately seem confusing. In these cases text may just confuse things even more for the folder. We have therefore chosen to keep the written instructions as short and informative as possible.

Norio recommends: "If you are unsure of how to fold anything, jump a few steps ahead in the instructions. By doing so you will usually be able to figure out how you should proceed. And if you want to make absolutely sure that you are doing things the right way, you may draw the illustrated marking creases on the paper itself. This will make the folding steps more obvious. Origami is an equal balance of sleight of hand and sleight of mind."

INTRODUCTION: FISH BASE AND SQUARE BASE

Fish Base

4. Fold up backwards or away from you, see symbol introduction p. 14.

5. Fold the inner flaps down.

2. Fold a middle crease that you later use as a guide.

3. Fold the left flap backwards and the right flap forwards.

4. Fold the triangle's edges together so that you get a square.

INTRODUCTION: CRANE BASE, FROG BASE, WINDMILL BASE

Crane Base

1. First fold a square base, then follow the illustrations above.

3. Unfold the top flap.

Frog Base

1. First fold a square base. Then fold the left flap towards the middle, as the illustration shows, and unfold.

2. Insert your index finger in the left flap, as the white arrow shows. Move towards the middle and push.

3. Repeat steps 1–3 three times so that each flap is folded in the same way.

4. Fold creases.

5. Fold the top flap up, as illustrated by the drawing.

6. Repeat steps 4–6 three more times.

Windmill Base

7. Fold so that the points marked on the paper meet. This will be easy since you have already created guiding creases.

8. Repeat three times.

TRADITIONAL ORIGAMI

Nobody knows for certain when and how the art of origami began in Japan. We do know that the technique of producing paper came to Japan, from China though Korea, at the end of the 500s A.D. The paper, washi, known in the West as rice paper, has absolutely nothing to do with rice. Washi is made out of the fiber-heavy growth mitsumata, the kozo plant, or the gampi tree, and it is especially suitable for origami because it doesn't tear easily.

In the beginning the paper was a rare and luxurious commodity and would only be used for writing, but in time, they started using folded paper in temple ceremonies. The art of folding was considered so important that one had to study for years before being allowed to fold.

Nowadays this kind of ceremonial folding is most commonly used in the Japanese gift wrapping traditions. When you buy a gift for a formal occasion you would, for instance, ask the store to attach a noshi as part of the wrapping — a kind of folded decoration which is attached to a cord around the gift.

Folding of certificates was another kind of early use of folding techniques. A folded certificate could be a guarantee of the quality of a sword or the value of a tea cup. Today the only trace of this folding tradition can be found in the word origamitsuki — "equipped with origami" — which functions as a guarantee of legitimacy. It is said that these two older versions of origami have been around since the Middle Ages. The third variety of folding — the variety we today consider to be the traditional Japanese art of folding paper — was most likely formed much later.

There are certain references to practices that could be origami in some accounts from the eleventh century. Among other things it is mentioned that the emperor Abe no Seimek folded birds out of paper that later came to life. However, we cannot know for certain that this relates to the art of origami.

The oldest unequivocal written reference to what we today refer to as origami may be found in a short poem by the author Saikaku Ihara (1642–1693) where he writes: "The butterflies in/ Rosei's dream/ would be origami". He refers to an origami model called Male and Female Butterflies, which is used to decorate sake bottles in wedding ceremonies.

By the 17th century the tradesmen had obtained great economic power in Japan and the bourgeois culture was flourishing in the many cities. The art of paper folding was, presumably, a highly appreciated pastime. In the classic book Koshoku Ichidai Otoko (The Life of an Amorous Man, 1682) Saikaku Ihara writes about the protagonist Yonosuke that "one day, when he was seven years old, he distinguished himself from the other children. With a rare propriety he folded birds and flowers out of paper."

From the 1600s and onward the art of origami quickly evolved. The first books featuring folding instructions were published as early as the 1700s: Sadake Ise's book Tsutsumi no Ki (Fundamental Wrapping, 1764) and Akisato Rito's Sembazuru Orikato (How to Fold 1000 Cranes, 1797). New origami models rapidly emerged, but many were difficult to fold and were therefore soon forgotten. By the beginning of the twentieth century there were about 150 origami models left; these shapes are today considered the classic models.

The Japanese are not the only ones who have practiced origami thorough the centuries. As long as paper has been in existence so has the art of folding existed worldwide.

Certain information indicates that the Moors created advanced geometrical paper shapes as early as the 600s. Perhaps they were inspired by some variety of paper folding that had come from Asia. When the Moors later entered the Iberian Peninsula in year 711, it is believed that they brought the art of folding with them into Europe. These accounts are unfortunately too vague to warrant a definite conclusion.

During the second half of the 1400s another form of paper folding emerged in Europe. In the 1490 edition of Johannes de Sacroboscos's Tractatus de Sphaera Mundi, a folded paper boat is clearly featured in one of the illustrations. There are references to paper folding in literature even earlier than this.

By the end of the nineteenth century, it was first and foremost two European countries that had adapted a strong paper folding tradition: Spain and Germany. The German paper folding tradition later spread across Europe through the child educator Friedrich Fröbel's idea of kindergarten; a preschool where children are given the opportunity to practice their skills in order to develop into well-balanced persons.

But there are very distinct differences between the European and Japanese art of folding paper. The European tradition is mainly based on folding in patterns of squares, whereas the Japanese tradition uses both traditional folding bases as well as square patterns. This gives an infinite number of possibilities when constructing new models.

THE TRADITIONAL TULIP

When the tulip first reached Japan at the end of the 1800s it gained instant popularity. Within a short period of time the origami model of the tulip emerged. The tulip is one of the simplest origami shapes, but it may easily be transformed into other origami models and forms.

Norio felt that the traditional tulip model looked too flourished, so he made his own version, see p. 38. If you wish, you may use one of Norio's origami stalks with the traditional tulip head, see p. 39 and 40.

2. Make a crease by folding the lower half of the triangle against the upper half.

3. Fold the right corner against the crease mark on the left triangle wall.

4. Fold the left corner to the right.

7. Using your finger, open the flap, as pictured, and fold it down toward the upper point of the triangle.

8. Repeat steps 6–8 on the left side.

11. Make a hole in the bottom of the tulip head.

The stalk Norio used with this tulip may be found on p. 40.

THE CRANE

In Japan they say, "The crane lives for a thousand years, the turtle for ten thousand." Both animals are valued symbols of happiness and a long life. There's another old Japanese saying that says that the one who folds a thousand cranes will have a wish fulfilled by the crane. The wish can be for a long life or for release from disease. Therefore, people in Japan often bring garlands of folded cranes when they visit someone who is ill.

One does not only fold cranes when something bad happens, but also to make sure that one's circumstances remain favorable. In the 1600s the eloquent Haiku poet Kikaku Enomoto (1666–1707) releases a sighs of relief after a hectic New Year's bustle. He writes: "New Year's Eve/in the midst of this hustle/a silent crane folding". (On New Year's Eve the Japanese drink o-toso, spiced sake. Enomoto folds this white crane that, according to tradition, should be fastened on the bottle.)

From the Crane Base, see p. 17

1. Fold towards the middle on both sides and do the same on the backside.

2. Open the flaps that will become the head and tail feathers.

CRANE COUPLE

In the beginning of origami, people would speak about folding a thousand cranes, which usually referred to folding a complicated imoseyama. This is an old, beloved group of origami models where the paper is cut in order to fold two or more cranes that are attached to one another. One of the oldest instructional books on origami, Akisato Rito's "Sembazuru Orikata" (1797), focuses solely on this one subject of folding an advanced imoseyama out of a single squared paper.

1. You need a rectangular piece of paper. Since you are folding two cranes, you need to cut the rectangle in the middle, as illustrated. You will then end up with two squares.

Follow the instructions closely, or the cranes may end up attached in the wrong way.

2. From this point you fold two separate square bases, p. 16, followed by two crane folds, see p. 17 and p. 24.

FLAPPING CRANE

This is the traditional crane model that speared Norio Torimoto's decision to dedicate his life to origami. As a child, he witnessed an actor fold this crane, and he was absolutely amazed. And it is amazing! It is also quite easy to fold, which Norio quickly realized.

From Crane Base, step 5, see p. 17

1. Fold in towards the middle. Turn the base around and repeat on the other side.

2. Make sure you fold the tail flap in line with the abdominal. Leave a space of about 2–3 mm /1/[16.sub.-1]/8 in.

FROG

In Japanese the word for frog is kaeru. If the same word is written with a different Chinese sign the word means "coming home."

In one of the poetry collections of the famous author Fujiwara no Kiyosuke (1104–1177), he shares the background of a poem he had written: "I was outraged by a woman and told her that I never wanted to see her again. However, I realized that at the end of it all I really did care about her — if possible, I cared more about her than I had before. With a blue- and white-striped paper I folded a frog that I sent to her with the following poem: "Words that were not thought through/flew out of my large gape/I now regret in silence."

(This frog model is, however, of a significantly later date than the poet's.)

From Frog Base, see p. 17

2. Fold the top left flap upwards to reveal an even diamond-shaped flap.

4. Repeat steps 3–4 on the remaining three even diamond-shaped flaps.

6. Fold the upper flap down in the direction the circles illustrate. At the same time, fold the left flap over the middle.

9. Repeat steps 5–8 to create the left front leg.

10. Turn around to do the back leg.

11. Fold the right leg at the angle the illustration shows. At the same time, fold the top flap on the middle.

14. Repeat steps 11–14 on the left side.

LILY

In Japan there are fifteen different kinds of wild lilies. For a long time lily bulbs were used as a medicinal growth as well as in food preparations. It was not until the end of the 1800s that they started growing the flower for its beauty in their gardens; but when they did it quickly rose in popularity.

From Frog Base, see p. 17

1. Fold the flap down. You are now left with three flaps that point upwards in the exact same manner. Fold the model on its middle, flip the flaps out and fold them down as well.

2. Fold the top right flap towards the left as illustrated. Then fold the lowest right flap towards the right. Turn the model.

4. Flip the flaps like you did in step 2 and repeat steps 3–4 on the three remaining diamond-shaped flaps.

6. Flip and repeat steps 5–6 three more times. Shape as you please.

STAR BOX

This fold really seems magical. You take the almost completed model, push it out from the inside — and get a perfectly shaped box. It's a classic that has thrilled generations of children. If you do it with a slightly stiffer and more resistant paper, you can keep candy in it for children's parties.

From Square Base, see p. 16

4. Turn the model around and repeat steps 1–4 on the opposite side.

8. Turn the model around and repeat steps 6–8 on the opposite side.

SANBO 1

A sanbo is a traditional tray table consisting of wood (san) and leg (bo) that slowly became four. The table is used for ceremonial purposes. The sacrifice to God in a temple is placed on a sanbo.

3. From here you fold a square base, see p. 16.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6.

8. Fold the top right flap at the middle. Turn and repeat on the opposite side.

10. Turn around and repeat on the opposite side.

11. Fold downwards.

12. Turn around and repeat on the opposite side.

SANBO 2

You can fold sanbo a number of different ways, depending on how you want it to look. Norio uses the sanbo model as a base for many of his own creations so it might be a good idea for you to know some different varieties of sanbo.

From Sanbo 1, step 8, see p. 33

4. Repeat steps 1–3.

SANBO 3

Here's another variety of sanbo, which Norio often uses when he is creating new origami models. This model is useful to know.

From Sanbo 2, step 2, see p. 34.

1. Fold the upper flap inwards.

2. Turn around and repeat on the opposite side.

3. Fold the right flap over the middle. Turn the model around and repeat on the opposite side.

4. Fold the inner corners.

6. Turn around and repeat on the opposite side.

9. Open.

NORIO'S MODELS

Norio Torimoto has been constructing his own origami shapes since he was a teenager. Most often he will use traditional origami models as a base, and then change them into a variety of shapes.

Who would have thought that models such as the turtledove, elephant, dove, and swan family were actually all based on the same form — the fish base? Or that a simple crane base hides behind the finished armchair, city hall or bird nest models? Not to mention that the frog base can be transformed into a Tyrannosaurus rex or a Torimotosaurus with just a few manipulations? Fold and try to discover how Norio has used the classic base forms.

NORIO'S TULIP

Norio has always thought that the traditional tulip is too open and therefore looks overly flourished. He contemplated how he could create a newly sprung tulip — and came up with a simple solution.

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Excerpted from "Origami"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Norio Torimoto and Yukiko Duke.
Excerpted by permission of Skyhorse Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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