Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Froebel?: The Development of Origami in Early Childhood Education in Japan

Abstract

This study examines how origami has been implemented, practised, and developed in early childhood education in Japan from the 1870s to the present day. In Japan, kindergarten children have folded paper for more than 140 years. This is what we call origami, and as one of the most popular activities among children it is part of the early childhood curriculum in Japan. It appeals to young children as they can take a flat piece of paper and create three-dimensional objects, such as birds and flowers. Historically speaking, origami has been an important aspect of Japanese art, culture, and religious ceremonial artefacts since it was imported from China in the seventh century. However, during the 1870s, paperfolding was dramatically transformed into a pedagogical tool within Japanese kindergartens after Friedrich Froebel's (1782-1852) kindergarten system and its curriculum was transferred to Japan from the West. 'Papier-Falten' (paper-folding) was one of Froebel's 'Occupations', and an essential part of his kindergarten curriculum. Various folding techniques and models were adopted and adapted from traditional European paper-folding, along with the ideas and concepts of Froebel's kindergarten education and its associated curriculum. Particularly seen in early childhood education in Japan, what we now call origami developed as a new form of paper-folding. This gradually emerged through the marriage of Western (German) and Eastern (Japanese) paper-folding cultures.