Ochanomizu Origami Kaikan

At Origami Kaikan, you can enjoy the world of Japanese handmade paper called washi, including ceremonial folds called “origata” which originated in the Muromachi period among samurai families, origami for the purpose of enjoyment which became popular in the Meiji period and chigiri-e and washi crafts made of colorful washi called chiyogami.
Chigiri-e is a Japanese art form wherein traditional Japanese paper called washi is torn and pasted together to create colorful images that often resemble water color paintings.
Origami Kaikan started as “Kobayashi Dyed Paper Shop” that was established in 1858.
During the educational reform of the Meiji period, Ministry of Education adopted origami as a part of infant educational curriculum. “Kobayashi Dyed Paper Shop” started taking orders to make colorful square sheets of paper.
This is how origami became a product for the first time in the world.

Ceremonial “origata” was established among samurai families in the Muromachi period. The tradition is still visible today in some forms of paper folds like noshi. Noshi is a paper craft representing good fortune and usually attached to cerebration gifts.

Origami is enjoyed by generations of people from young children to the elderly. What is appealing about origami is that a piece of paper can transform into millions of shapes.
You can look at different origami designs from up close at the gallery in mezzanine.
Here various pieces of origami and chiyogami are on display.
Displays on the walls are ceremonial origata and origami of traditional designs such as animals and wild flowers.
(Note: Displays on the walls may change depending on the main exhibition contents.)

A wide variety of origami shapes stirs the viewers’ imagination. There are, for example, many kinds of birds including messenger pigeons, hungry crows, pheasants, fluttering cranes, peacocks and Japanese bush warblers. These pieces of origami recreate characteristics of different kinds of birds.

The theme of main exhibition changes every four weeks to six weeks. “Hina dolls enjoying washi” is currently exhibited (until March 4th, 2017).
Delicate artworks of origami creators will surely captivate visitors.

An elaborate hina doll whose kimono, hair and fan are all made of washi.

If you wish to explore further the world of origami, the workshop on the fourth floor is a great place to visit.
Artisans hand-dye each piece of washi here.
They mix pigment, dyes and metallic pigment under the natural light without using any scale to determine the amount of materials to use.
Once the dyes are carefully applied, artisans hang the paper on the ceiling ropes to air-dry using a T-shaped stick called shimoku.
After the paper has dried completely, it is stretched on a flat table, placed under a heavy stone and smoothed out by hand.

Black origami is being made. At the workshop, you can watch the artisans at work.

Flat brushes for different colors at the workshop.

Origami of iridescent color is also hand-made by applying layers of pigment.

Dyed paper made in this process is sold at the shop on the third floor.
At large piece material section, you’d find many materials for washi crafts including shibori-dyed washi, chirimen washi, lacy rakusui paper and washi with traditional designs.
At the adjacent main shop space, you’ll find more common origami products.
There are many books on origami with English translation, and many tourists buy both books and origami as a set.

Rakusui paper’s lacy texture is created by spraying water to make holes on a thin sheet of washi.

At the shop, there is a wide variety of washi with different colors, designs, production methods and materials.

You’ll also find origami instruction books with English translation which conveniently comes with origami (1,404 yen).

Famous director of Origami Kaikan, Kazuo Kobayashi, is passionate about popularizing origami.

Origami is an intricate art that everyone can easily get started with. Why don’t you display your own handmade hina dolls for this year’s Hinamatsuri?

Feb 2017　Text: Ryoko Kuraishi　Photo: Yasuo Yamaguchi