Contents
Having Fun with Japanese Karakuri and Origami
Sumo Wrestlers
Wrestling Robots
Yacht Race
Pac Pac
Maple Seed
Pinwheel
Bobbing Bird
Jumping Frog
Yajirobe Acrobats
Wally the Climber
Kotaro
Tumblers
Racers
Daruma
Lola the Ladybug
Tomkin the Turtle
Pascal the Penguin
Alphonse the Elephant
Tyrannosaurus Bob
Stegosaurus Sue
Kani the Crab
Chicken Willy
Cosmo
Roberto
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Having Fun with Japanese Karakuri and Origami
I love papercraft, and there are many kinds. I think I’ve tried my hand at most of them. And the kinds I really love are those that do something. Pictures and models and scrapbooks are great, but I really want my projects to pop up, to jump, to move on their own and seem alive.
During my long years in Japan, I came across many traditional toys like that—toys that move or have some kind of trick to them. The Japanese call these karakuri toys, because karakuri is the word for anything that uses a hidden mechanism to do unexpected and intriguing things. These toys have been favorite playthings of Japanese children since the age of the samurai. They are still popular today, even in the face of computer games and anime, because they have the power to amaze and instill wonder.
Balancing and jumping toys.
Four sumo wrestlers take to the ring.
A gaggle of ramp walker toys.
Why do horses ride across a box top when you tap it? How does the ladybug walk down a ramp? How does the yajirobe acrobat keep his balance day after day? Karakuri toys are mysterious the first time you see them. And even when you’ve looked closely and found the secret, they are still amusing.
Many of the models in this kit are based on traditional karakuri toys: the climbing wall, the ladder, the pac pac, the sumo and robot wrestlers, the horse race, the jumping frog. They’ve been built and played with and passed on for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. And there’s a reason why they have been around so long. They’re so fascinating and charming, that people want to show them to their friends.
So now, let me share them with you.
A flock of bobbing birds.
Jumping frogs ready for a race.
A flotilla of yachts.
They're out of the gate!
Can the hare win?
Adults get caught up too.
Play with me!
Tools and Techniques
toothpicks
ruler
scissors
craft knife
tweezers
nail clippers
white school glue
rubber bands