Origami on Vacation

I know two tricks of paper folding: a box and the basic “water bomb” fold. I’ve made so many boxes over the years that the pattern is imprinted on my brain. But otherwise I can be useless when it comes to folding. I mix up the orientation of the paper and the folds and easily get lost in the middle. This means I really appreciate those who can make amazing creations from paper, and seem to do it effortlessly.

The first pair of photos show a close up and a full picture of a single sheet of paper! The triangles have been folded and folded in a repetitive pattern. Then the very large sheet of paper was compressed with such beauty. Next to that is the delightful school of fish. They were folded from separate pieces of paper obviously and the overall look was great fun.

The tiny bonsai tree was a marvel…the “leaves” are dozens of tiny cranes! A classic fold but so small. There is a tradition of folding 1,000 cranes and that was to wish for a long life for oneself or a loved one. Over time, the tradition has evolved to be associated with wishing for recovery from illness or injury, for happiness and good luck in marriage, for success in one's pursuits, or for world peace. Depending on your folding skill it can take anywhere from 10 hours to several months to fold 1,000 cranes.

Finally I enjoy the serendipity of amusing folds. The fish, and flowers tickled my fancy. It was a fun visit to the Tokyo Origami Museum. In fact even with the language barrier we hit it off with the proprietor. While we were admiring the works on display he folded us a dahlia! Very special.