In Life in Ancient Japan we read about some of the traditional Japanese customs, and from Tokyo we see how modern the city has become! We learn that the first religion practiced in Japan was called Shinto (which means the way of the gods). The ancient Japanese worshipped the spirits of their ancestors, known as kami. They believed that the kami could cause negative events to occur if they were ignored or angered. Each home had a shrine to the kami and the ancient Japanese would leave gifts of food and drink to please the kami. They also believed in gods of nature and the most important was Amaterasu, the sun goddess. Shinto shrines were built in natural settings, like in a cave or forest, and always had a worship hall as well as kami hall, for the spirits to live in. A pair of protective lion statues stood outside the shrine as well as a fountain for visitors to wash their hands and mouths before prayer.
By the middle of the 6th century monks from India and China had brought Buddhism to Japan and influenced the Shinto to adopt some of the Buddhist beliefs. During this period the art of origami also first appeared. Paper was folded into shapes that were symbolic to Shintoists and used during Shinto ceremonies. Origami butterflies, for example, were used during Shinto weddings. Later the art form was also used to make practical objects like boxes and wallets. We have an origami kit and we think it will be a fun project to try!
Before we get started on the origami, we read a really lovely book by Rosemary Wells called Yoko’s Paper Cranes. HZ is a big Max and Ruby fan so this is great choice for us and the book is a nice way for him to understand origami and the meaning behind it. We also read Yoko, a story about sushi and understanding, and the girls spot Ruby’s friend Valerie!
Now onto origami…We have a couple of origami kits from Papa and the kids pick the Animal Origami set to try tonight…
First up is the snake. Starts with a simple fold…
And then many more folds…
The snake tail is a little tricky and we end up with three different styles of snakes. AZ wants hers to be a rattlesnake!
Next they pick a fox face to try…Which only has about four steps…and yet still seems tricky!
Actually, the folds aren’t tricky but the picture directions are! After a couple of tries they all get it right.
Next is the giraffe and they are getting the hang of it. This one includes a cut out for the legs…HZ is happy to get a chance to use scissors 🙂
When all the animals are made, the kids use crayons to add in some details…
Starting to look a little more like faces now…
And there you have it! A zoo of origami…
Globe Scouts 