This date in 1898 was the birthdate of Lillian Oppenheimer, origami pioneer, credited with popularising the art in the US. 10 facts about origami:
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The word "origami" is a compound of "ori", meaning to fold, and "kami", meaning Paper. The Japanese word for paper “kami” is written the same as the Japanese word for spirit or god, so paper folding became a religious ritual. It was used to make religious decorations and for gifts at feasts and weddings.
Samurai used to gift each other origami models for good luck, often in the shape of Fish.
The oldest known book about origami was published in 1797 by Akisato Rito. It is called Hiden senbazuru orikata, and contains 49 origami pieces created by a Buddhist monk named Gidō.
It is traditional at Japanese weddings for a thousand origami cranes to be presented. This stems from the belief that cranes symbolise long life (they are said to live for a thousand years so it’s one for every year of a crane’s life), good fortune and the granting of wishes. The happy couple may fold all the cranes themselves, or they may be given them by the bride’s father. It’s this belief which is behind the sad story of Sadako Sasaki, a teenage Hiroshima survivor who was dying of radiation related problems and started folding cranes in the hope they would grant her wish. Sadly, it didn’t work, and she died, but her origami cranes became part of the celebration of her life and monuments to peace.
The smallest origami crane was made out of a 1mm by 1mm piece of paper using a microscope and sewing Needle. The largest (at time of writing) has a wingspan of 81.94 m (268 ft 9 in) and was created by 800 people at the Hiroshima Shudo University, on 29 August 2009. The fastest time to make 1000 origami cranes is 9 hours 31 minutes 13 seconds, achieved by Evelyne Chia in Colchester, Essex, on 22 June 2021. She did it as a fundraiser for the NHS.
There’s more to it than simply making pretty things out of paper. It has been used for quite serious scientific purposes. NASA has used it to figure out the best way to load equipment into confined spaces, and to test whether designs were actually viable. The craft also inspired doctors working to create folding stents used in the treatment of Heart problems.
Any material which can hold a crease can be used for origami, but origami paper is typically thinner than standard photocopy paper. In Japan they use washi, a tough paper usually made from wood bark, but which can be made from Bamboo, Hemp, Rice or Wheat.
Teabag folding is a thing. Dutch artist Tiny van der Plas developed the technique in 1992 to decorate greeting cards using teabag wrappers.
Akira Yoshizawa, born in 1911, became known as the Father of Origami, and its Grand Master in 1989. He taught himself, and his first creations were the signs of the zodiac in 1952. He went on to write 18 books on the subject and was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, by Emperor Hirohito of Japan.
It was proposed OrigamiUSA in 2005 to make 24 October Origami Day in honour of Lillian Oppenheimer’s birthday, but they were reminded that Japan already celebrated Origami Day on 11 November. Instead, the period between the two dates is celebrated as World Origami Days and is the season for events and competitions.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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