May the Force Be With You! Star Wars Origami Dolls

Happy (belated) Holidays everyone!  I just recently returned from Pennsylvania, and am suffering from one of those nasty post-flight colds.  Ugh.  For some strange reason, whenever I fly my immune system bottoms out...

But enough about that, I wanted to share a new project that I recently completed for my partner's nephew! He is currently on a Star Wars kick, so I modified my origami doll pattern to make some origami Star Wars characters! Here we have Princess Leia, Yoda, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo (can you guess which is which?)  Initially I thought that the project would take me forever (especially figuring out pants!) but it was actually quite enjoyable and I learned a lot about adapting my own patterns.  

These dolls are made mostly from colored washi paper with the exception being their hair which is brown crepe, the belts which are paper ribbon, and Yoda's outfit which was folded from a brown paper bag folded inside out to hide the print.  Since I made these away from home with only the limited supplied I tossed into my suitcase before leaving, I had to get a little creative with parts!  It seems no task is insurmountable as long as I have my trusted brand of glue stick!

I swear, Star Wars characters were made for this since their clothing already resembles Japanese yukata in many ways.  In researching images and movie footage of these costumes online, I came across this great essay, The Bushido of Star Wars, that goes into more depth about these varied Japanese influences on the series.  Time permitting, I would really like to try to make another set for him from the newer movies assuming that he will still be into Star Wars next year!  I definitely want to try Queen Amidala or maybe something even more esoteric like Queen Apailana's mourning outfit.  Or I could go all out and try some of Philip Schulz's awesome Star Wars origami diagrams!

Making an Origami Memory Box (aka Jungle Canopy!)

This post is totally belated!  However I finally got around to fixing and editing my photographs so I thought I would swing by and tell you about a project that I finished for my friend.  She approached me and asked me to do an awesome origami wrapping for a baby shower present and I was definitely up for the challenge!  I played with a couple of ideas, but the biggest problem that I kept coming up against was the fact that no matter how artfully I arranged the origami on the wrapping, when someone unwrapped it the composition would be destroyed and no longer useful (and who wants that!)  

I thought about making all of the origami pieces removable magnets, and I even considered velcro!  Then it dawned on me:  Why not make an origami memory box and house the gift inside?  This is ultimately what I ended up doing.  Michael's had a sale on memory photo boxes (3 for $5!) so I snagged a earthy-toned brown one and got to work.  

The theme I decied on to match the card was "Jungle Canopy"!  I pulled out some green bond paper and made a ton of leaves to create my "canopy."  The canopy itself is compromised of about 23 leaves.  I used a tutorial that I found over at Bloomize since I needed something simple that could be repeated fairly quickly.  To compliment my leaves, I then cut out some grass that I pasted on the top and all the way around the bottom part of the box.  On the one side, I even created a lake for my origami alligator.

I bought a pack of animal print origami paper from Aitoh that thankfully came with some diagrams for animals.  I settled on a big elephant, the aforementioned alligator, and an origami tiger.  Each one required two sheets of paper and I wouldn't reccomend these diagrams for any child or novice.  They required an already established knowledge of how to fold and I found that often one step was actually 3 squished into the same picture.  I have a one track mind so that never goes well!  I decorated the rest with a small folded prarie dog, pelican, and then 9 pretty butterlies that I jazzed up with a silver paint pen.  I folded a few more leaves for the name tag and wrapped the lid with some green raffia I had lying in my craft cart.

Overall, I am so pleased with how this came out and i would love to make another one in the future!  I'm not listing any in my shop since each is really a unique creation, but I would be open to custom requests for something similar or different.  I would LOVE to try a fantasy themed one! Origami unicorns anyone? 

Investigating the Origami Mecca! Origami Kaikan

Right before I left Japan, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a place called the "Origami Kaikan" in Ochanomizu, Tokyo.  Origami Kaikan is one of the six cultural treasures of the Bunkyo Ward.  It was established in during the Ansei period 1858 as a center for the dying and manufacturing washi papers.  It felt really wonderful to be there again (the last time I made the trip was back in 2006!)  The building has a variety of floors and each has a different purpose: classrooms, origami store, paper store, gallery/exhibition space, etc.  In the store I was able to pick up a few interesting kits to learn to make new things (including a cute dragon cellphone strap)!  Times like this I wish I was still living in Tokyo so that I could attend origami classes and use the resources. I was really amazed at the level of complexity of some of the models they had in their exhibition space.  The paper selection was also absolutely crazy.  I wish that I had an opportunity to be spoiled like that!

If you ever find yourself in Tokyo, the Origami Kaikan is actually pretty easy to get to.  You need to take the JR Chuo line (which connects with the Yamamote Line) to Ochanomizu Station.  From there, it is only about a 4-5 block walk and might take 7 minutes or so.  Their website has a useful map in English if you need some guidance.  Even if you do not fold origami yourself, if you have any appreciation for traditional handmade papers and papercrafts in general, this would be a rewarding experience!

Reflecting on Sapporo

The "Akarenga" in Downtown Sapporo

Stellar Place Mall and Sapporo JR Station

For the first week of my three week adventure, the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan was my "homebase."  The first thing that struck me about the city is how young its history was in comparison to other places I have visited.  It lacked those architectural elements that we have long associated with Japan--tea houses, temples, shrines.  They exist, but they do not serve the prominent role that they do in, say, Kyoto.  Instead, buildings like the Old Hokkaido Government Building (ok "akarenga" named for its red bricks) built in 1888 compete with the ultra modern city space.  

The terrifying "Jungle Crow"! Akarenga is surrounded by two gorgeous lily ponds filled with ducks and lotus... They are also filled with another animal... JUNGLE CROWS!  These things are MASSIVE.  Compared to the normal crows around here (about 29-40cm) these things can get to about 59cm.  Aside from sheer size, they are extremely aggressive as well.  Apparently, they are larger in Hokkaido than anywhere else in Japan! (Go figure...)  You can tell them from normal crows immediately by their large bill.

Aside from seeing historic buildings and running from evil "karasu" (crows), Sapporo's nightlife was quite surprising.  After having lived in Tokyo, it is hard to imagine that anything could compare to Tokyo's Ikebukuro or Shibuya after dark, but Sapporo's Susukino could compete with the best of them.  I had my fill of sushi, karaoke, and I tried a dish unique to the area called "jingiskan" (Genghis Khan) which was a hot plate on which you cooked leeks, onions, and thin slices of raw lamb, dipping them into a sauce with heavy garlic.  It was delicious (but I am pretty sure I smelled like garlic for the next few days!)  Next post we will travel to Noboribetsu!

The lights in Susukino! Can you spot the Sapporo Beer sign?

Sayonara Japan! Hello US!

So I am writing this post from inside of an “R Burger” in Haneda Airport waiting for my flight back to the United States. My three week trip was many things – enlightening, exhilarating, and even exasperating at times. But after everything it was “tanoshikatta” (fun) more than anything!

For somebody who spends a great deal of their time working on Japan-related things, it must seem surprising that flying is not really my forte. No, I don't have a psychological aversion to it, but it always makes me think of how I am always coming and going. When I leave the United States, I always think about the people I will miss during the time I am away, but when I leave Japan it is always a different kind of sadness. When I leave Japan, I never really know the next time that I will be able to get here. I always regret the things that I couldn't finish, the people I couldn't see, and the places that I couldn't visit. Sometimes I feel like I have a family on each coast – neither of them can speak to each other b/c of the language barrier, but somehow I am forming a bridge between the most unlikely of friends. When I left the United States, my mother said, “Make sure you tell Okaasan that I said hello and thank you!” and when I left Sendai, my “Nihon no Okaasan” (Japanese mother) said, “go-ryoushin yoroshiku ne (give my regards to your parents). They have never met in person but each person feels like they know the other well through me.

I accomplished a lot on this trip though, so I can only be sad for so long. I am sure I will start giving more detailed accounts as I start dumping my photographs onto the computer, but my trip started out in Sapporo, Hokkaido where I visited Ainu villages (Nibutani and Shiraoi), visited the strange landscape of Noboribetsu's Hell Valley (Jigokudani), and explored a new city. I then went south to Hakodate, Hokkaido and enjoyed the surreptitious blending of East and West in this port city. Taking Shinkansen, I crossed into Honshu and visited the infamous Konjikido at Chusonji temple in Hiraizumi and explored the natural wonder that is Geibikei Gorge. I went futher south still to spend time with loved ones in Sendai where I got a feel for how the Tohoku region was faring after the earthquake and tsunami. Finally, I said a quick “Hello!” and “Goodbye” to Tokyo – one of the places that I had the privilege of calling “home” several years ago. Three weeks and I can't believe it is over. I guess now it is time to return to the United States to start some new adventures with the material I have learned. So many stories to tell – stay tuned and see you all soon!