CONTENTS
Got kids bored by COVID-19? Feeling a little listless yourself, looking for things to do at home? Have a little fun while social distancing, folding up some uniquely Japanese crafts!
Watching a simple square of paper turn into a crane, a dragon, or a bouquet of flowers is just the kind of magic we need during the long hours of this COVID-19 quarantine, which is why we set out to find a little bit of Japanese-themed Japanese origami for everyone! Thanks to the visual nature of origami instructions, you don't even need to read Japanese to understand them. So whether you're looking for a new hobby, or you're helping the antsy little fingers of kids bored at home, we picked out some origami with VERY varying levels of difficulty.
Beginner Origami – Onigiri
Image Source
Onigiri (おにぎり) are Japanese rice balls, the ultimate grab and go snack or light meal in Japan. Rice balls themselves aren't too hard to make, since the only necessary ingredient is the rice, but it's even easier to make your onigiri out of paper! And you still get to learn a little bit about Japanese food on the way. The simple shape can be folded in just five steps, making it a fun project for kids and those new to origami. Plus, once you're done, you can draw an adorable face on your new rice ball friend!
🍙 ★ Origami Onigiri Instructions
Intermediate Origami – Momiji
Image Source
While lots of people associate Japan with springtime cherry blossoms, AKA sakura, the country actually has seasonal traditions that stretch far beyond mid-April. When summer comes to a close and the weather starts to cool, people all over Japan flock to forested areas to see the leaves turn red – especially Japanese maple leaves, which they call momiji (紅葉)! These little origami momiji maple leaves aren't too difficult to make for anyone who's done a little origami before, but they do take 24 steps. It's the kind of project you'll be able to do without looking if you practice it a few times! Make a whole pile of leaves to bring a bit of a Japanese tradition into your home, no matter what time of year it is.
🍁 ★ Momiji Origami Instructions
Advanced Origami – “Simple” Dragon
Image Source
While dragons are certainly a part of Japanese folklore, the shape of this particular dragon is less Japanese and more European. This origami pattern is, however, one of the simpler designs you'll see from Japanese origami artist Shuki Kato, who is known for insanely complicated and intricate origami.
While the dragon is clearly still complicated, the relatively (relatively) simple crease pattern and the availability of actual instructions (in English, no less) for how to fold the dragon makes it a good first step (well, first 60 steps) into the world of extremely complicated advanced Japanese origami! First stop, Shuki Kato's "Simple Dragon", next stop… moving to Japan to become a full-time origami pro? (For now, let's just start with developing this indoor hobby.)
🐉 ★ Origami Simple Dragon Instructions
(Click the link in the description to download full instructions.)
Shuki Kato: Official Website / Deviantart / Flickr
Image Source
Ready to grab some paper and start folding? The Japankuru team would love to see the results! Show us what cool things you make on the Japankuru twitter, instagram, and facebook!
Details
NAME:Origami
PROFILE
Half a lifetime ago I came to Japan for a semester abroad... and I never left. I guess I really like the place! I'd love to hear your Tokyo recommendations via the @Japankuru instagram or twitter (X).
COMMENT
FEATURED MEDIA
VIEW MORESee Kyoto Clearly With Your New Glasses #japankuru #kyoto #jins #교토여행 #진즈 #京都 #교토수족관 #가모가와 #kamogawa #kyotoaquarium
A Very Special Trip on the Ferry Sunflower #japankuru #ferrysunflower #hokkaidotrip #japanexperience #japantrip #girlstrip #oarai #tomakomai #北海道 #北海道旅行 #茨城 #홋가이도 #일본선박여행 #토마코마이 #이바라키 #북해도 #페리여행 #여행에미치다 #여자끼리 #日本渡輪 #sunflower號 #坐船旅行 #日本女子旅 #日本體驗
Japanese Makeup Shopping • A Trip to Kamakura & Enoshima With Canmake’s Cool-Toned Summer Makeup #pr #canmake #enoshima #enoden #에노시마 #캔메이크 #japanesemakeup #japanesecosmetics
⚔️The Robot Restaurant is gone, but the Samurai Restaurant is here to take its place. Check it out, and don't forget your coupon! 🍣신주쿠의 명소 로봇 레스토랑이 사무라이 레스토랑으로 부활! 절찬 쿠폰 발급중 💃18歲以上才能入場的歌舞秀,和你想的不一樣!拿好優惠券去看看~ #tokyo #shinjuku #samurairestaurant #robotrestaurant #tokyotrip #도쿄여행 #신주쿠 #사무라이레스토랑 #이색체험 #할인이벤트 #歌舞伎町 #東京景點 #武士餐廳 #日本表演 #日本文化體驗 #japankuru #japantrip #japantravel #japanlovers #japan_of_insta
Japanese appliance & electronics shopping with our KOJIMA x BicCamera coupon! 用JAPANKURU的KOJIMA x BicCamera優惠券買這些正好❤️ 코지마 x 빅 카메라 쿠폰으로 일본 가전 제품 쇼핑하기 #pr #japankuru #japanshopping #kojima #biccamera #japaneseskincare #yaman #dji #osmopocket3 #skincaredevice #日本購物 #美容儀 #相機 #雅萌 #日本家電 #일본여행 #면세 #여행꿀팁 #일본쇼핑리스트 #쿠폰 #일본쇼핑 #일본브랜드 #할인 #코지마 #빅카메라 #japankurucoupon
Odaiba's DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, and the popular shopping center has even more Gundam on the inside! Check out the Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor for shelves upon shelves of Gunpla, and the Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on the 2nd floor for cool anime merchandise. Both shops have tons of limited-edition items! #pr #odaiba #tokyo #tokyotrip #japantrip #japantravel #PR #divercity #divercitytokyoplaza #tokyoshopping #gundam #unicorngundam #gundambasetokyo #anime #otaku #gunpla #japankuru #오다이바 #다이바시티도쿄 #오다이바건담 #건담 #일본건담 #건프라 #건담베이스도쿄