Origami

When paper first came to Japan, it was precious. So early folding was a matter of ceremony. People made formal paper wrappings and ornaments for Shinto rites and for gifts. One of them, the noshi, still decorates formal presents today. In the Edo period (1603–1868), when the shoguns ruled Japan, paper became cheaper. Folding then spread as a popular pastime and a craft for children, and books of instructions began to appear. The name itself is simple: ori, "folding," plus kami, "paper." But the tradition behind it is old and rich.

No origami shape is more loved than the crane (鶴, tsuru). In Japan this bird stands for long life and good luck. The crane gave rise to one of the most moving folk customs of all, the senbazuru (千羽鶴), a string of one thousand paper cranes. Legend says that whoever folds a thousand cranes gets a wish. People fold them as prayers for recovery from illness, for peace or for good luck. The custom became a world symbol of peace through Sadako Sasaki. This girl survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as a toddler but later fell ill with leukaemia. In hospital she folded paper cranes until she died. People from around the world still send strings of cranes to her memorial. Modern origami has also become a serious field. Mathematicians study its folding patterns, and engineers even use them to fold structures for use in space.