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Last updated 22/1/2024

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This film may have been created to accompany Yoshizawa's tour of Australia and other countries as a cultural ambassador in 1966.

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The film is narrated in English. The script seems blissfully unaware that recreational paperfolding traditions exist outside Japan or that the Flapping Bird is not originally a Japanese design.

At 10:04 Akira Yoshizawa appears teaching a group of ladies (called 'mothers' in the film). Many of the designs shown in the film appear to be Yoshizawa's but it would be nice to be able to confirm this by relating them to his published books and identify them by their usual names. If anyone can help with this I will be extremely grateful.

The items of interest which appear in the film are:

00:50 Folding of paper planes from squares. These are similar to the Missile in 'How to Make Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in 1959, but with the wings folded in the alternate direction.

01:07 There is a Colour Change Windmill lying on the table. This design previously appears in 'How to Make Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in 1959.

01:37 Close up of Yoshizawa's Butterfly which appeared in 'Origami Dokuhon' by Akira Yoshizawa, which was published by Ryokuchi-Sha in 1957..

01:45 Developing the petals of a flower. Can anyone help identify the design?

01:52 The narrator says 'Neither paste nor scissors are necessary ... With only one square piece of paper almost any shape can be created ...'

02:00 onwards: Folding of a penguin. Can anyone help identify the design?

02:40 onwards: Folding of a Swan. Can anyone help identify the design? This design previously appears in 'How to Make Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in 1959.

03:20 onwards: Folding of the Flapping Bird. (Note the way the preliminary base is arrived at!)

03:41 onwards: The Jumping Frog, from 'Origami Dokuhon' by Akira Yoshizawa, which was published by Ryokuchi-Sha in 1957.

04:40 onwards: Simple compound animals. Can anyone help identify these designs?

05:14 Children carrying single colour Windmills home.

05:37 onwards: Folding Yoshizawa's Nun, from 'Origami Dokuhon' by Akira Yoshizawa, which was published by Ryokuchi-Sha in 1957..

06:39 onwards: Folding A Puppy. This is a design by Alira Yoshizawa.

07:45 onwards: Folding paper Hina Dolls for the Peach Festival, from 'Origami Dokuhon' by Akira Yoshizawa, which was published by Ryokuchi-Sha in 1957..

08:42 onwards: Folding Kabuto for the Boy's Festival (May 5th)

09:25 Paper Cranes and Waterbombs, decorations for the Kanabaka? Festival

10:04 onwards: Akira Yoshizawa teaching a group of ladies with designs on the table which are shown in close up later.

10:18 onwards: Folding a mask. This is a design by Akira Yoshizawa.

10:26 Connected Cranes.

10:34 Close up of an elephant with another in the background. These are designs by Akira Yoshizawa.

10:37 Close up of chicks. These are designs by Akira Yoshizawa from 'Origami Dokuhon' by Akira Yoshizawa, which was published by Ryokuchi-Sha in 1957.

10:44 Close up of two ducks / geese. These are designs by Akira Yoshizawa

10:46 Close up of the Honda / Yoshizawa (2-part) Peacock from 'Origami Dokuhon' by Akira Yoshizawa, which was published by Ryokuchi-Sha in 1957.

10:50 Close up of monkey on a swing. This is a design by Akira Yoshizawa.

10:56 Close up of a monkey hanging by its tail. This is a design by Akira Yoshizawa.

11:06 Close up of crabs. Can anyone help identify the design?

11:35 Close up of deer and fawn. Can anyone help identify the design? The Stag is similar to one pictured but not explained in 'How to Make Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in 1959.

11:42 Close up of Church. Can anyone help identify the design?

11:47 Two dogs in the right foreground. Can anyone help identify the designs?

11:52 Birds in the right foreground. Can anyone help identify the design?

11:57 Rabbits in the right foreground. Can anyone help identify the design?

12:02 Cockerel in the centre. Can anyone help identify the design?

12:05 Birds in the centre. Can anyone help identify the design?

13:04 Animated close up of a flapping stork against a background of hanging chains of Paper Cranes. This design, which is a variation of the Flapping Bird, appears in Yoshizawa's book 'Origami Dukuhon' published in 1957.

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