Why is origami called origami

The first book on origami was Tsutsumi-no-Ki , published in , which had instructions on folding noshi and tsutsumi. The first known recreational origami book was Hiden Senbazaru Orikata Secret Techniques of Thousand Crane Folding , published in , which offered basic diagrammatic instructions on 49 different forms of paper cranes. Half a world away, an independent tradition of paper folding developed in Europe after paper was introduced to the continent in the 11th or 12th century, most notably in Spain and Germany.

European folding patterns tended to use degree folds, making them more obviously geometric than Japanese folded paper, which made more use of Since paper degrades as it ages, it is hard to come up with an exact timeline for the invention of origami.

It is generally accepted that paper was invented around A. The Japanese first used paper during the sixth century. 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. Yoshizawa developed the current standard for diagraming origami instructions and designed countless patterns. He avoided the accepted cutting techniques used in traditional origami and developed a wet folding technique which rendered softer more naturalistic lines.

He published many more books thereafter and later served as a cultural ambassador for Japan. Kosho Uchiyama was a Buddhist priest and origami master from Japan. He went on to publish several more books of origami, following in the footsteps of his father Michio Uchiyama who also wrote several origami books.

Like Uchiyama, his books were translated and shared with international audiences. 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! She is a true Wonder Friend, just like you! WOW, it's so much fun to learn cool, new things with you, Minecrafter! We Wonder what your favorite thing from today's Wonder was? That's great news, Danielle! We're glad today's Wonder was right up your alley! Thanks for sharing your comment with us-- we hope you keep up with your origami! Thomas's Tigers! We're glad that all our Wonder Friends enjoyed our origami Wonder!

It's very difficult, you're right, Alyssa J! We think it's awesome that you're doing your best to try your hand at origami! It takes lots of practice and patience-- we're so proud of you, Alyssa J! Well thanks so much, Wonder Friend Allure! We really appreciate your comment, and we're glad you stopped by to Wonder with us!

Hey, hey, hey there Superman! We're oh-so-glad that you are a fan! Wonderopolis welcomes new friends-- there's a ton! So we hope you're having lots of fun! The most important thing is that you're learning something new, Kim! Some of our Wonder Friends are better at some things than others You can learn about your very own talents, too! Wonder Are You Talented? How cool, Daniel! What's your favorite part of the origami book so far? You're right, Ryleigh!

We bet it takes time and practice to create origami figures, but it's really fun to do! Nice work! How cool that our Wonder Friends in Ms. Blanchard's are reading about origami! We think the book sounds funny and interesting! Thanks for sharing your comment with us, Wonder Friends!

That's pretty cool that you enjoy reading the origami books, Jacob! It's okay if you don't enjoy making anything but you do like the books! Thanks for letting us know how you feel! WOW, how very cool Wonder Hunter! Your fly fishing origami sounds really amazing and creative!

Thanks for sharing your comment with us today! WOW, that sounds like a very cool talent to have, Wondering Student!

We bet you could get the hang of origami with some practice! Perhaps you can ask the person in your grade to help you learn? We Wonder what your talent is? It's so nice of you to say hello to your Wonder Friends, Gabrianna! Thanks for sharing your love for origami with us! We Wonder if you have created any origami creatures of your own? We're so excited that you liked today's Wonder video, Mallorie!

We Wonder if you have ever tried your hand at origami?! We Wonder what you learned from today's Wonder, Haley?! We're so excited that you joined the fun at Wonderopolis today! Thanks for letting us know that today's Wonder was one of your favorites!

We think people who create cool creations from paper are very talented! We Wonder if you have ever tried your hand at origami, Bryleigh?! We're glad you're back, Kamron! Thanks for sharing your comment about origami today-- we Wonder what your favorite part of the Wonder was?

Hey there Monkey Geek, we're so excited that you enjoyed our origami Wonder today! We bet your paper airplane is great-- have you ever tried origami on your own? It looks like a great deal of fun! Thanks for joining the fun today, Monkey Geek! Hi well I know how to do it maybe sometime I can teach you and you can teach me something I don't know. My webpage is awesome group and I will post pictures of it. We love learning cool new things from our Wonder Friends, and we hope you enjoy learning new things with us here at Wonderopolis!

What is your favorite origami figure to fold, Jimmy? It seems to take a LOT of practice to be a great origami artist, Wondergirl! So don't worry, if you keep practicing you can do it! Thanks for letting us know about the book Origami Yoda! Another Wonder Friend mentioned that book, too! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:.

Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together.