Origami is a traditional Japanese craft and artwork made from a single sheet of paper. It's like magic. Today's theme is "animals." Meet an artist from Germany who uses both sides of the paper to create realistic shapes of animals and letters, and a Japanese artist who folds various animals with people riding on their backs. Also, our origami expert "Dr. Origami" will teach you how to make an easy-to-fold "balloon rabbit." Welcome to the magical world of origami!
Starring: Kenichi Takitoh (Dr. Origami)
Ready, steady, magic!
Do you know what "origami" is?
It is magic made from a single sheet of paper.
Origami is an easy, yet profound traditional Japanese culture,
which can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, with anyone!
Today, we showcase the amazingly imaginative creations of origami artists from around the globe.
Also, stay tuned for an origami lesson with our expert, Dr. Origami!
He will teach us a few folding tricks, in a fun and easy-to-follow way.
Get ready to see the extraordinary Origami Magic!
Dr. Origami, what is our today's theme?
It's "animals!"
Oh... animals?
This is a mammoth sporting long tusks...
with a rider on its back.
This is a Tyrannosaurus rex...
with a rider on its back.
Yes, this tiny mouse also has a rider on its back!
And this penguin, too!
All the parts of these origami works, both animals and people, are made with a single sheet of paper.
They were created by Yamada Katsuhisa, a Japanese origami artist and instructor.
He has designed about 2,000 original models.
His models range from animals and flowers...
even to chopstick wrappers.
His "Riders" collection, which features people riding on the backs of animals and objects, counts 120 models.
I took up origami because I wanted to learn...
how to fold a single sheet of paper
into different animals.
After mastering most of the standard models,
I wanted to try my hand at something different.
That's when I created a man riding a horse.
This inspired me to do more.
I began folding animals and dinosaurs
I once made, but with people on their backs.
Yamada uses aluminum foil-backed paper.
It holds its shape better than the ordinary paper.
He begins by making sixteen vertical and horizontal creases.
256 squares have been made.
Yamada divides these squares between the animal part and the rider part.
He will fold a rider with the top 48 squares, and an animal with the bottom 208 squares.
He creates a three-dimensional shape according to the creases he made beforehand.
The model is getting more compact by the second.
Next, he starts working on the details of the animal part.
He continues to fold, making sure to expose the back side of the paper.
And then, an orca appears!
Next, he folds down the pleats left at the top, to form the rider.
He creates a hand, by folding one of the pleats narrowly, and bending it.
Then, he shapes the head, by opening the other pleat, and folding back the tip.
And... voila!
A man riding an orca.
Is he sailing the seas on the orca's back?
The rider happily holds his hand high up in the air.
The repertoire of the "Riders" collection is not limited to animals.
For example: These two people are sitting on high heels!
And these people are sitting randomly on musical notes.
This paper plane has a pilot!
With their hands in the air...
these people are rocking on balance toys.
They seem to behaving fun.
I thought, "why not try this?" I'm just building
and expanding on what I've already done.
We can't wait to see what kind of riders he will come up with next.
You too can make magic happen with a piece of paper!
It's time for Dr. Origami's origami lesson!
Folding time!
Doctor, what are we making today?
A balloon bunny!
This bunny is plump like a balloon!
You can play with it and make it bounce!
Let's make origami!
What do we do first?
We fold it in half.
Repeat one more time.
Spread this part open like a pouch...
and squash it!
Fold it into a triangle.
Repeat on the other side.
Squash it.
What next?
Take the side corners... and fold them up.
Once you've folded all the corners...
it'll be a square.
We'll fold these side corners inward,
toward the center.
Fold the second layer in the same direction.
- Put it in here. Tuck it inside.
- Ah... I see.
Tuck the other side in too.
What do we do with the corners?
You tuck them into this pocket here.
Tuck both corners into the pockets.
We'll flip it over and make the bunny's ears.
This will transform into a bunny?
What next, Doctor?
It'll take on a surprising shape!
We'll continue later!
This giraffe looks like it came right out of the savanna.
This beautiful zebra has distinct vertical stripes.
These lifelike animal figures look like they could move any moment.
All the parts, including the fine markings,
are made by skillfully utilizing the front and back side of a sheet of paper.
They were made by Bodo Haag, who lives in Germany.
He creates origami models in addition to studying design.
Why did he get interested in origami?
He replied in an email, as he said he was too shy to appear on camera.
"I started folding when I was 7 years old."
"I 'discovered' origami because my mother participated in an event,
where she learned how to do calligraphy and origami."
Haag has been making his original models since he was a child,
and has designed over a hundred of them so far.
Let's take a look at his creative process.
First, he designs a crease pattern, using a dedicated computer program.
Designing more complex pieces can take him up to six months.
Next, he prepares the paper.
He selects a soft paper, based on what he wants to make.
He then applies a layer of glue to it, to make it stiffer.
Haag's family is supportive of his artistic pursuits.
His mother continues to help him, for example, with pasting the paper sheets together.
Once the paper is ready, he precreases it, as a preparation step before folding.
Then, he starts collapsing the paper.
He is making an origami cow.
The cow's legs are slowly taking shape.
He starts working on the cow's spots.
He folds in the horns and ears, creating the head.
It is given a three-dimensional shape by repeatedly applying glue,
and drying the paper with a dryer.
After refining the details with a toothpick...
the cow is complete.
At the beginning of 2022, Haag took on a new challenge.
He began incorporating text into his designs, by exposing the color on the back side.
The "kanji" character on the tiger means...
tiger.
The "kanji" character folded into this model means... horse.
The letters on this cat spell the word "cat."
The same word is folded in on the other side, but in the Japanese characters.
And this... Hm? Looks like it is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
"I'm also really proud of my animals with text color changes,
because its something nobody has done before."
Haag has participated in many origami competitions.
In the past few years, he has been invited as a special guest to an international origami convention in Europe.
He also organizes origami workshops.
"While origami is mostly created alone, it can be shared and enjoyed by many people."
Haag posts his crease patterns for free on his social media.
On top of that, he's holding a video contest soliciting videos about origami.
The winner will receive, among other things, a previously unpublished crease pattern.
"I really want to explore more areas of origami, that haven't been done yet,
and continue pushing the limits of what's possible with a single paper."
What kind of paper animal will he make next?
We can't wait to see his new works!
Doctor, let's complete our balloon bunny!
We'll start from where we left off, having folded the bunny's ears.
Crease the top and bottom corners.
This corner, and this one.
Valley-fold them, and make creases in these two spots.
Like this...
This doesn't look at all like a bunny yet, does it?
Here we go! Three-dimensional bunny, transform!
Wow！What's that?
In Japan, when we do this, we transform, you see.
So, how do we make it transform?
Stretch it and blow air into the hole.
Whoa!
Here, wish with all your heart,
"Please be a bunny!"
Please be a bunny!
Oh! It ballooned into a cube!
Don't forget to make the bunny cute.
Expand the ears.
Lastly, let's draw a face!
Ta-dah! Our balloon bunny is complete!
Nice!
Hop! Hop! Hop!
Doctor seems to be having fun, hopping and bouncing bunny around.
It's ORIGAMI MAGIC!
How was it, everyone? Did you manage to make magic?
How did you like the lively animals crafted by talented origami artists?
Their creative and whimsical works continue to impress us.
What other paper creations are waiting for us to discover?
We hope you will join us again on "Origami Magic!"
Have a magical origami life, everyone! See you!
Hop! Hop! Hop!