The Public Paperfolding History Project

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The paperfolding of Toyoaki Kawai
 

There is an undated article by David Lister on the British Origami Society website titled 'Kawai and Others'. The information marked (1) on this page is sourced from that article.

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Chronology

I do not know the year of Toyoaki Kawai's birth or death.

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According to David Lister (1) Kawaii was originally a pupil of Yoshizawa. However ' Kawai became a teacher of origami in his own right, taking pupils, in the old Japanese tradition of master and pupil, so that pupils were thereafter bound to him. He called himself a professor of origami.'

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1963

According to an article in 'The Origamian' Vol 7: Issue 3 of Winter 1967, see below, Kawaii pubkished a bulletin called 'Kaiho' in this year.

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1964

Vol 4: Issue 2 of 'The Origamian' for Summer 1964 contains a report of 'A Paperfolder's Trip to Japan' by Florence Temko, which describes her meeting with Kawai and mentions that an exhibition he calls the (4th?) originality origami exhibition had been held at the Mitsubishi Electric Gallery in Ginza in April and May of 1964.

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The same edition of 'The Origamian' contained an article titled 'At Long Last: Japanese Paperfolders Establish Contact With the Origami Center' which invited American paperfolders to correspond with Toyoaki Kawai, among others, which mentions that he maintains the 'Origami Design Room' and directs the 'Society for the Study of Creative Origami'.

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1965

Publication of Kawaii's book 'Origami Shu' (Origami Play).

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In the Summer of 1965 Kawai visited the World's Fair in New York and also visited Los Angeles, bringing a party of other Japanese folders with him.

Vol 6: Issue 2 of 'The Origamian' for Summer 1966 carried a profile of T Kent du Pre, written by Alice Gray, which stated, inter alia:

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This photograoh of Kawai and wife, Atsuko, taken in Los Angeles on May 4, 1965 is held in the archive of the Japanese American National Museum.

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1967

'The Origamian' Vol 7: Issue 3 of Winter 1967 contains an article by Toshie Takahama titled 'Origami in Japan Today' in which Kawai is mentioned.

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1970

Publication of Kawaii's book 'Origami' by Hoikusha.

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