Source: Malachi Brown from Nashville, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Origami zoom parties help Japanese arts-and-crafts aficionados get through COVID-19

Ever since the COVID-19 virus began to spread—something that feels like a hundred years ago—the lifestyles of people worldwide have dramatically changed. Obviously, people were forced to stay home where they started to socialize more online. Hobbies such as online drinking parties, online classes, and so on grew in popularity. However, only a hand few of readers have likely ever heard of, let alone experienced, online origami parties.

Online origami parties

If your youth was anything like mine, one of the first things you learned about Japanese culture was the tendency of residents to eat raw fish—something almost unimaginable to an American six-year-old. Soon after came arts and crafts classes in elementary school wherein you tried your hand at origami. Anyone who follows the rabbit hole deeper may even come across stunning laser-cut origami paper or hanamikuji, folded paper flower fortunes.

But that's hardly satisfying when you're all but locked in your home for extended periods of time.

One day during the pandemic, Twitter user Hiru (@rashi_fuku) gathered five or six people and held an origami party on zoom. The rules were simple:

  1. One of the members, the questioner, explains a given theme.
  2. The other members make origami according to the theme and explanation.
  3. Participants cannot speak outside of asking the questioner to repeat the instructions.

Well, what kind of origami was created under such conditions? Why not see for yourself?

Topic: lily

Reproduced with permission from Hiru (@rashi_fuku)

Topic: carp streamer

Reproduced with permission from Hiru (@rashi_fuku)

Topic: horse

Reproduced with permission from Hiru (@rashi_fuku)

Topic: parakeet

Reproduced with permission from Hiru (@rashi_fuku)

Of course, origami has been a beloved craft in Japan since time immemorial, so much so that it is a major part of what is recognized as Japanese culture. Naturally, the craft is becoming modernized as time progresses.

Hiru’s followers reacted to the post:

  • “This looks fun! A creative person imagined such an interesting idea!”
  • “I want to do this with my followers”
  • “Who wants to do this with me?”
  • “This looks fun! I really respect someone who comes up with such an idea.”
  • “I laughed a lot.”
  • “I will do this tonight.”
  • “It looks like so much fun! I want to have a zoom party like this!”
  • “I will hold a zoom party from 9:00 pm tonight. Who wants to join?”

As you can tell from the pictures, some participants predictably followed their theme. Others took more creative liberties.

Other interesting origami

Unsurprisingly, there is much more interesting origami to be found online. For instance, Twitter user Kinoko (@kinokoami1) posted origami made by her daughter. The post caught on with followers:

“The animals that my youngest daughter, age four, made with great concentration after today's lunch. Don’t be worried that the raccoon dog is so thin. We don’t have a stuffed toy octopus, but for some reason, she made three of them."

These are famous characters from the well-known video game Animal Crossing. Indeed, it’s pretty amazing that a four-year-old could make them.

Followers reacted:

  • “It's too cute! It soothes my soul.”
  • “Your daughter is too talented! The raccoon dog is so cute! You’ll definitely want to keep this.”
  • “Wow. She’s much better than me! Lol.”
  • “Your daughter is amazing! She captures each animal’s features so well.”
  • “What!? A four-year-old made these! They are great! She’s a genius! I guess she’s studied these faces carefully. It's amazing that I can tell exactly who each of them are.”
  • “I can feel how much she loves them.”
  • “It would be great to make these as LINE stickers.”
  • “It’s so sweet. I think those animals become happy too.”

Origami seems to bring people together. Of course, looking at a smartphone is fun, but practicing origami can be an excellent way to spend time and even interact with others.

By - Luke Mahoney.

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