Konnichiwa students,
I am almost packed, but I wanted to honor my commitment to talk about another Japanese art, the Art of Origami, before I became involved in the actual experience of traveling there.
Origami is a combination of two words ori folding, and gami paper.
Origami arrived in Japan around the 6Th century, brought there by Buddhist monks who were sent as missionaries from China. We learned in the Reading Rainbow episode, The Paper Crane that paper was invented in China by pounding strips of bark into what would eventually become paper. Paper was expensive and was not used as a form of recreation. But the Japanese being a practical, and not wasteful people, as I mentioned yesterday, used their paper well. Samurai(remember Ota Dokan? He was one, belonging to a class of warriors who also exulted in the practice of the arts) would give and receive gifts of dried fish and meat which were cleverly folded in paper and tied artfully with cord. These were called noshi and were regarded as tokens of good luck. Wealthy people would wrap glasses of rice wine in butterfly shapes for weddings to represent the bride and groom.
Origami was passed down through the generations by one person showing another how it was done. It wasn't until 1791 that a book was published titled How to fold 1000 Cranes made many Japanese interested in pursuing this art. Translated from the original Japanese, the title read The Secret of the 1000 Cranes; the secret, or belief, is that if a person can fold 1000 cranes he, or she, will be granted one wish. However, origami did not become a popular pasttime until the appearance, in 1819, of a woodblock print called The Magician Turns Sheets of Birds.In the legend, a magician folds a flapping bird so realistic that it takes flight. This woodblock print created a renewed interest in origami among many people.
Cranes are considered sacred birds in Japan, representing long life and peace. This association with peace is believed to have been established when in 11Th century Japan, a warrior named Kakamura tied prayer strips to the legs of cranes representing all who had died in battle and then set the cranes free to fly.
But, the origami crane did not become a global symbol of peace until after the publication of Eleanor Coerr's Sadako and One Thousand Cranes. In the story, Sadako is stricken with radiation sickness due to the atomic bomb being dropped on Japan. She folds 1000 cranes in order to have her wish for health granted( Of course, I'm not going to tell you what happens, you will have to read that book for yourself---it is not long). In our day, the International Peace Movement was initiated and set a goal of receiving 1,000,000,000 cranes by the year 2000. By the close of 1999, 400 people from 18 different countries had folded 1.2 million cranes for peace. You can find more information by doing a web search for 1000 Cranes Peace Network.
And, finally, Akira Yoshizawa, considered to be the father of modern origami, created a set of symbols to represent the various folds need to create standard origami pieces, like the crane. Some of these folds are: mountain fold, valley fold,and squash fold. Some years ago I was really into origami, and enjoyed showing others(all children) how to create some of the figures. Origami can be very simple, like the directions for making a cup, or it can become as difficult as you would like to make it. I have seen examples of intricate origami creatures created by Japanese Masters that are no larger than my thumb nail. I, however, am not that good.
