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Last updated 17/7/2024

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Please note that the information on this page relating to Akira Yoshizawa has not yet been checked by a Japanese speaker.

The information on this page is taken from a copy of the work (perhaps the only remaining copy of the work) held in the library of the Museo del Origami in Colonia, Uruguay, and is used by kind permission of Laura Rozenberg. This book originally belonged to Gershon Legman. The annotations in red ink were added by him.

The work contains designs that had previously appeared in Honda's 'Origami 1' (the upper) and 'Origami 2' (the lower) as well as some new material.

A full copy of the work appears at the foot of this page.

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In his article Isao Honda - An annotated list of his books David Lister says:

'The book was published in 1944, but for some reason, Honda, himself said that it was published in 1941. It has been suggested that this was because he did not wish it to be known that the book was published during the Pacific War. Honda also tried to say that all copies of the book had been destroyed in the bombing of Tokyo and that even he did not retain a copy.' The 1941 date is in the bibliography of Honda's 'World of Origami', but apart from this I do not know what evidence Lister's assertions were based on.

Joan Sallas has suggested that Honda may have suppressed the book because of the Imperial symbols it contained. There is no external evidence either to support or deny this hypothesis.

Lister also says: 'It contains a section of folds by Akira Yoshizawa which are fully attributed to him. Yoshizawa had offered his folds to Honda. They are typical of Yoshizawa’s earlier folds, being of animals formed from two squares of paper. I understand that Honda included Yoshizawa’s folds with some reluctance because they were not traditional folds and for that reason, Honda did not consider them to fit in with the rest of the book.'

Once again Lister does not say who this information comes from, but the most probable candidate is Yoshizawa himself. It is clear that Lister had not seen a copy of the work and did not know that only one of the designs attributed to Yoshizawa is a compound animal 'formed from two squares of paper'.

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In 'A Tribute To Akira Yoshizawa', an obituary written by David Lister in 2005, talking about Honda's book 'Origami Shuko', he states 'Many of the models in the book are the traditional folds which are familiar to us from his English books, but there is a section of two-piece models (of the kind which also occupy a large proportion of his English books). Honda steadfastly claimed these as his own, but each one has the name of Yoshizawa printed by it. Honda did indeed claim Yoshizawa as his pupil, but went on to denigrate his work as employing curved lines ... and being so complicated that only Yoshizawa could fold them - and therefore not true origami. Yoshizawa countered by publicly accusing Honda of copying his models, and by claiming that he taught Honda paper-folding. The peacock with the pleated tail became a particular point of contention, but Honda steadfastly and unambiguously maintained that this was his own model.'

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The designs in the work that Honda attributes to Yoshizawa are:

The Compound Peacock (design no 51), Cock, Hens and Chicks pictured on page 5.

56. Hanabishikoubako (this design also appears in Yoshizawa's 'Origami Dukuhon')

88. Container on Legs (a very similar design appears in Yoshizawa's 'Origami Dukuhon')

120.The Wild Goose (although note that there is evidence that a wild goose design folded from an equlateral triangle was known in 1896).

121. Airplane

122. Sailboat

123. Nurse's Cap

124. Camel (compound design)

126. Ducks (two designs) (from equilateral triangles)

127. Cormorant (from an equilateral triangle)

130. Frog (from an equilateral triangle)

131. Pigeon (from an equilateral triangle)

140. Lion Dance (from an equilateral triangle)

Designs 134 / 139, which are a module (from a 120 / 60 rhombus) and various constructions for a flat hexagon and open base polyhedra are attributed to Yoshizawa in Honda's 'World of Origami' but not in this work.

Legman has marked design 152. Compound Elephant with a red circle to indicate that it is a design by Yoshizawa but I cannot find this attribution in the text.

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In his 'The World of Origami', which was published in the USA by Japan Publications Trading Company in 1965, Isao Honda makes several references to Origami Shuko. The relevant passages are:

(from the biographical notes on the dust jacket)

From p261

From p252

It seems to me that these paragraphs are a clear claim that it was Honda, not Yoshizawa, who invented the method of making compound amimals from two bird bases glued together.

The situation with the peacock is odd. On the face of it, it seems as though he is claiming that the compound peacock in 'Origami Shuko' is his own design, whereas in that earlier work he clearly attributes it to Yoshizawa. In 'Origami Shuko' Honda identifies his peacock as being shown in the color plate on the title page. This is, presumably, the page shown below, which does show a peacock, but not the famous compound one. I do not know how this contradiction should be resolved.

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Analysis

1. Katakake (Shoulder Bag)

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2. Emperor and Empress Dolls

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3. The Dove

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4. The Paper Cup

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5. The Pig

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6. The Japanese House

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7. The Organ

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8. Simple Wallet

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9. The Fox Mask

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10. Duck

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13. Mandarin Duck

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16. Swan

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11. Seal / 12. Penguin

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14 and 15. Two Fish

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17.Shrimp (Cut)

The feelers are obtained using cuts.

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18. The Cut Turtle

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19. The Kabuto

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20. Another Kabuto

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21. Rabbit Hat

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22 and 23. Two versions of The Cut Goldfish

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24 and 25. Two versions of the Nagakabuto

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26. The Carrier Pigeon / 27. Paper Plane (from a square)

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28. Another Minogame

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29. The Paper Crane

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30. The Kabuto-Base Cicada

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31. The Cut Dragonfly / 32. The Fat Sparrow

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33. The Star-Shaped Box

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34. The Hibachi

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35. The Cake Box

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36. 13 Connected Cranes

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37. The Nesting Crane

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38. The Fox Face

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39. The Cut Swallow / 40. The Woodcock

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41. Morning Glory (Cut)

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42. Tulip (multipiece)

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43. Pigeon - The Flapping Dove

There is no indication in the diagrams that this is an action design

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44. The Crow with Legs / 45. The Hen with Legs

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46. Kunukinohara tsutsumi - The Cut Mouse

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47. The Kago

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48. The Cut Bird-Base Turtle

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49. The Bird-Base Pheasant

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50. Bird-Base Pheasant variation

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51. Yoshizawa's Peacock

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52 The Cut Canary / 53 Another Cut Canary

Both these designs use cuts to release the paper that folds upwards to create the wings.

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54. Tachizuru - Standing Crane

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55. The Cut Owl

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56. The Kan No Mado Crab

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57. Yoshizawa's Hanabishikoubako

Note that this design is called Bunbuku Chagama in 'Origami Dukuhon'.

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58. The Inflatable Frog

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59. Koshin Monkey (Cut)

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60. Dog / 61. Boar / 62. Monkey - All cut designs from bird bases

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63. Seal - from a bird base

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64. Yurinohana - The Lily / 65. Kinchaku - Purse

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66. The Cut Phantom

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67. The Waterbomb / 68. The Mushikago

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69. Komori - The Cut Bat

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70. The Winnowing Box / 71. The Blintz Box

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72. Jiyuban (the undershirt)

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73. The Pull-Out Butterfly

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74. Nisobune - The Double Boat

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75. Hanamoyo - Schonheitsformen (Forms of Beauty)

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76. Shows how to blintz a square / 77. Yakko - Yakkosan

78. Momohiki - The Trousers / 79. Shojiki Chosan

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80. Chochin - The Lantern / 81. Butterfly - The Vase / 82. Kazaguruma - The Windmill / 83. The Boat with Sail

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84. Henka Fukusuke - Japanese Transformable Picture Form leading to Simple Fukusuke

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85. The Sanbo

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86. The Sanbo on Legs

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87. The Spanish Box

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88. Container on Legs

This design is attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

A very similar design appears in 'Origami Dukuhon'.

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89. Astragalus (from a doubly blintzed square)

90. Baranohana (Rose) (from a triply blintzed square) - The Lotus

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91. Ruhishizara

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92. The Inside Out Boat / 93. Motor Boat - The Sampan and The Rainy Day Sampan

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94. The Tenjin Shrine

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95. Chousenbune or Sengokobune - The Takarabune

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96. Figure (from a slit square base)

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97. Kitsune no Hanamuko (fox groom) (from a slit square base)

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98. Male and Female Hina Dolls (from slit square bases)

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99. Rokkasen (six poets) (from slit square bases)

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100. ??????

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101. The Paper Banger

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102. Cloak

(Made by ;leaving one end of a Collapsible Box unfolded.)

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103. The Collapsible Box

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104. Tatamibako - another version of The Collapsible Box

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105. Hat (decorated as an Imperial Flag) / 106. Waste Paper Basket - Le Bonnet Carre

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107. Chochin - The Long Lantern

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108. The Dove (paper plane)

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109. The Puzzle Purse

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110. Octagonal Decorations (from squares)

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111. The Novelty Purse

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112. Hexagonal Decorations (from hexagons)

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113. The Fold and One Cut Octagon / 114. The Fold and One Cut Hexagon

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115. Octagonal Decoration (from an octagon)

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116. Cut Crocodile

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117. How to make an Equilateral Triangle using a set square

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118. Kakitsubata - The Iris (from an equilateral triangle)

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119. Kakitsubata - The Lily (from a ?????)

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120.The Wild Goose / 121. Airplane

The text appears to attribute both of these designs to Akira Yoshizawa (although there is evidence that a wild goose design folded from an equlateral triangle was known in 1896).

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122. The Yacht

This design is attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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123. Nurse's Cap

Attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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124. Camel (compound design)

Attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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125. How to make a base from a right angle isosceles triangle

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126. Duck (two designs) / 127. Cormorant

All these designs are attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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128. Duck - The Albatross

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129. Swallow (Cut) (from an equilateral triangle)

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130. Frog (from equilateral triangle)

This design is attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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131. Pigeon (from an equilateral triangle)

This design is attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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132. Kangaroo (compound)

Both pieces are folded from equilateral triangles.

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133. Hexagonal Decoration (from an equilateral triangle)

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134 / 139. Module (from a 120 / 60 rhombus) and constructions for a flat hexagon and open base polyhedra.

(Note that in Honda's 'World of Origami' these constructions are attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.)

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140. Lion Dance (from an equilateral triangle)

This design is attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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141. Batta (grasshopper) (Cut) (from a 120/ 60 rhombus)

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142. Snail (from a 120 / 60 rhombus)

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143. Tobacco Pouch - The Business Card Holder

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144. The Teapot Stand

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145. The Tobacco Case

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147. The Tematebako

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148. The Hexagonal Tematebako

146. shows the Hexagonal Tematebako being used as a kusudama.

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149. Horse (compound) (from two bird bases)

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150. Hummingbird (Cut)

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151. Fox (compound) (from two bird bases)

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152. Elephant (compound) (from two bird bases)

Note: Legman has marked this as a design by Yoshizawa but I cannot find this attribution in the text.)

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153. Cat (compound) (from two bird bases)

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154. Bear (compound) (from two bird bases)

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155. Girl's Youth League figure (with Japanese flag).

(compound) (from two bird bases with inserted circular head)

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156.

Boy's Youth League figure

(compound) (from two bird bases with inserted circular head)

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157. Nurse (compound) (from two bird bases with inserted circular head)

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158. The Mystery Box

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159. How to fold a hand towel?

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160. The Kimono

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164 - 170

These pages show how to fold and free weave strips of paper together in various ways.

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171. How to weave folded strips together

172. 3-Bladed Windmill (from three woven folded strips)

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173. 8-bladed Windmill (from 8 folded strips)

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174. Baranohana (rose) - The Froebel Star

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175. Medal (multipiece)

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176. Noshi

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177. Package with Noshi

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178. Wrapper for Sesame Seeds

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179. The Crane Envelope

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180. Package with Noshi

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181.

182.

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183.

184.

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185.

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186.

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187. Ocho and Mecho

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188. How to tie Mizuhiki

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189.

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These four instructions for folding tsutsumi appear at this point without numbers.

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190. The Bishop's Crown - The Pipe Cap

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191. Fan

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192. Lunch

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193. Dahlia

194. Orchid

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The Work

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The designs shown on these pages are attributed to Akira Yoshizawa.

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Introduction

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The Index

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The Designs

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