Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding, where "ori" means folding and "kami" means paper. While origami began in China in the 1st or 2nd century, it later spread to Japan during the 6th century when paper was still an expensive luxury good. Over time as paper became more accessible, origami grew in popularity among more people in Japan as older generations taught the art to younger ones without formal written rules or instructions. Today one of the most well-known origami figures remains the crane, a sacred bird in Japan representing good luck and longevity.

1. ORIGAMI Paper Art José A. Alcalde López

2. What is it? Origami ( pronounced or-i-GA-me ) is the Japanese art of paperfolding . " Ori " is the Japanese word for folding and " kami " is the Japanese word for paper .

3. Its origins Origami is not from Japan . It began in China in the 1st or 2nd century and then spread to Japan sometime during the 6th century.

4. Its origins Paper was very expensive in those days and it was considered as a luxurious product.

5. Its origins Origami products represented presents , tokens , etc. Inside the paper there were different objects.

6. Development Then paper was cheaper and accesible to more people. Origami became popular to more and more people. At first, old generations taught new ones. There were no written rules or indications.

7. Popular figure One of the most popular figures is the crane . The crane is a sacred bird in Japan representing good luck and longevity .

8. ORIGAMI Paper Art José A. Alcalde López