Make an origami crane and kabuto in a fun family-friendly workshop at Japan House London.
Explore the cultures of Japan this summer holiday with a series of family-friendly workshops. During each workshop, participants can enjoy learning about Japan and unleashing their creativity while trying an activity using original Japan House London worksheets.
Orizuru (lit. ‘folded crane’) is one of the best-known designs of origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding. It represents an auspicious bird: the Japanese red-crowned crane, which, as legend has it, lives for a thousand years.
One-thousand orizuru strung together are called senbazuru (lit. ‘thousand cranes’). Senbazuru are often made in Japan to wish for good fortune, recovery from disease, long life and peace.
Make Your Own Paper Kabuto
Every year on 5 May, in celebration of Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day), many families in Japan decorate their homes with ornamental kabuto and gogatsu ningyō (‘May dolls’ typically dressed as warriors). These decorations derive from the holiday’s roots as a festival for boys known as Tango-no-sekku and represent the family’s wish for their children to grow up strong and brave.
Explore all workshops in the Japan House London Family Workshops series on the Japan House website.