The term "origami” is comprised of two Japanese words, the verb oru meaning “to bend” and the noun kami meaning “paper,” and it represents the art of paper folding, which excludes cutting, gluing, or stapling. Accuracy and precision are key to origami. Every single fold needs to be perfect in order to produce the desired outcome. Thin paper is preferred as it is typically easy to fold.
The introduction of origami in to people’s lives has been auspicious from the outset. For instance, the envelope, a paper container with a sealable flap used to enclose a letter or document, is a product of origami.
What is more, origami is an inexpensive way to engage the brain in a meaningful activity, creating paper artwork in the process. This practice can be highly beneficial to brain development, seeing as it enhances our sense of beauty, hones our skills, and helps us improve abstract thinking.
Produced by Naito Akira, the world's smallest origami crane was made by folding plastic film that measured 0.1 by 0.1 millimeters. On the other hand, the world's largest ever origami crane - created by the Peace Piece Project in Hiroshima in 2009 -
had a wingspan of over 81 meters.
