enjoy these karakuri toys. Teens, parents, college friends, grandparents: nobody can keep their hands off them. They look great on desks, on bookshelves, on mantlepieces and in cubicles. (I enjoy playing with them in the last few minutes before a big meeting.) This may be karakuri toys’ most amazing trick: they bring out the child in everyone. Have fun! Ready, set, go!
Stalking dinosaurs.
Tell my fortune!
Down the straightaway.
Lola the Ladybug.
Wally on the way down.
Flipping down the ladder.
Robot wrestling.
Hey, watch this!
A bobbing hummingbird.
Sumo Wrestlers
Sumo is a favorite sport in Japan. It's very easy to do—you just have to knock down your opponent or push him out of the ring. And “Ton-tonzumo” is a favorite origami toy. Tap your way to championship!
1 Start with the color side up. Fold on the 1 lines.
2 Flip the paper over.
3 Fold the top layer only on the 2 lines, pulling the bottom layer up and over as you go.
4 Fold and unfold line 3.
5 Fold up the corners on the 4 lines.
6 Refold on line 3.
7 Fold the top corner down on line 5.
8 Fold up again on line 6.
9 Fold the edges in on lines 7 to 9.
10 Fold down the tip on line 10.
11 Fold the wrestler in half towards you.
12 All done!
How to Have Your Own Sumo Match
Open the wrestler slightly and stand it on an upturned box top. Tap the box with your finger, ton-ton, to make it move. Two players each use one wrestler; the first to tumble or fall off the box top loses!
Wrestling Robots
When I was a kid, there was a game with plastic robots that boxed with each other. I really wanted to play it, but none of my friends had a set. This origami toy fulfills that old desire. These robots work the same way as the sumo wrestlers. How strong is your robot?
1 Start with the color side up. Fold to the center on the 1 lines and flip the robot over.
2 Fold the top layer only on the 2 lines.
3 Fold and unfold on the 3 lines.
4 Fold down on the 4 lines and flatten the corners.
5 Fold up on line 5 and down on line 6, like an accordion.
6 Fold the sides in on the 7 lines, and flatten the corners on the 8 lines.
7 Pull out the loose edges of the arms to tuck in the accordion.
8 Fold up the top corner of the feet on line 9, and squash the inside corner.
9 Pivot the feet 90 degrees on line 10.
10 Fold the upper body in half, and crease the legs just enough that the robot stands upright. All done! Now, make another, and you’re ready to tussle on a box top, just like the sumo wrestlers on page 11.
Robots:
