A selection of freeze-frames from the video: Akira Yoshizawa in his youth; his famous Cicada; the Master during a lesson abroad in the summer of 1972 with a foreign pupil; the artist in prayer before beginning to fold an origami.
VIDEO
THE UNIVERSE OF ORIGAMI—AKIRA YOSHIZAWA:
THE HANDS WHERE GOD RESIDES
Video can be downloaded with QR Code and link:
This video is the property of KINOKUNIYA COMPANY LTD., Japan’s largest bookstore chain. The original, in VHS, was taped in 1997 in collaboration with the NIPPON ORIGAMI ASSOCIATION.
A DVD edition with various additional materials was distributed in 2007.
The documentary includes some original origami created by Akira Yoshizawa in the final years of his activity.
PHOTO/IMAGE CREDITS AND PERMISSIONS
p. 8, Robert J. Lang: photo by Steven A. Heller, ©2008.
p. 9, panel discussion, 1988: Courtesy of OrigamiUSA.
p. 10, Yoshizawa and young fan: photo diane Lang, courtesy of the photographer.
p. 11, Yoshizawa’s notebook: photo by Akira Yoshizawa, courtesy of Mrs kiyo Yoshizawa.
p. 12 center, Yoshizawa’s plan: drawing by Robert J. Lang.
p. 12 below, collapsed base: photos by Akira Yoshizawa, courtesy of Mrs kiyo Yoshizawa.
p. 13 top, Yoshizawa’s Cicada: photo by Akira Yoshizawa, courtesy of Mrs kiyo Yoshizawa.
p. 13 center, Unfolded/refolded base: drawing by Robert J. Lang.
Portions of the essay on pp. 8–13 appeared in “google’s doodle: Akira Yoshizawa”, http://www.langorigami.com/articles/yoshizawa_doodle/yoshizawa_doodle.php, by Robert J. Lang, © 2012, used here with permission.
I would like to thank Laura Rozenberg for access to Gershon Legman’s archives, Marcio Noguchi and Marcello Bertinetti for communications assistance in preparing the essay, Vanessa Gould (Green Fuse Films) and Hiroyuki Kano (Kinokuniya) for assistance in tracking down documentary reference material and, of course, Mrs Kiyo Yoshizawa for permission to use the images of Yoshizawa-sensei’s work.