Origami as a Hobby

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Origami is a popular hobby in Japan for both children and adults. Before the advent of television and video games, origami was a common form of indoor entertainment for Japanese children. Stationery shops carry many varieties of origami paper. In addition to traditional papers, new designs are frequently released, printed with popular cartoon characters, exciting patterns and colors, and thermal inks which change color according to the temperature. Some origami designs produce toys such as paper samurai helmets, balls, boxes, water bombs, hopping frogs, ninja stars, paper airplanes and animated faces.

Origami is used for a number of ceremonial and religious purposes, such as the ornamentation of temples and ancestral shrines, presentation of gifts and temple offerings, preparations for New Year celebrations, and the decoration of plaques commemorating special occasions. Origami is sometimes used as a means of practicing Zen Buddhism, with special attention to ritual, concentration, the internal attitude of the artist, and the meaning of the designs. Adults sometimes attend classes with origami “Masters” to learn how to fold intricate figures.