Hand Papermaking for the Art of Origami

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By Michael G. LaFosse, Origamido Studio Check out this step-by-step tutorial on the complex art of papermaking! [twocol_one] Materials Only the finest archival plant fibers are used for origami papermaking. Clockwise, from top left: abaca, gampi, flax, and cotton rag. Gampi and the flax shown must first be cooked in a mild alkali and then thoroughly rinsed before beating. Other dried, semi-processed fibers must first be soaked in water before beating. Beaten fibers may also be blended to impart qualities of each to the resulting paper. Each design requires a …

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Travel Tuesday: Journey to Awaji

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by Jaclyn DeMarzo, Youth & Outreach Coordinator こんにちは！(Konnichiwa!) (^_^) You may have seen some of my other blogs featured in the “Morikami Makes” series where I have introduced okonomiyaki and hanami dango. I hope you enjoyed the recipes as much as I have and if you haven’t tried them yet, give them a whirl! I have spent many years of my life studying the Japanese language and culture as well as four years total living in Japan—one year as a student in the Kanto region not far from Tokyo and three …

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Travel Tuesday: Camping in Japan

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 by Jessica Ortega, Digital Marketing Coordinator So you’ve checked the tourist traps off your list, visited a shrine (or ten!), and have spent the night in a capsule hotel—now what? There is so much to do and see in Japanese cities, that it’s easy to forget that the great Japanese outdoors is just a train ride away and well-worth your time. I lived in Hokkaido, Japan for a year while working as an English teacher through the JET Programme. There I learned that, as any Hokkaido resident will tell you, Hokkaido …

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Travel Tuesdays: Hakodate!

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 by Hayleigh Kanno, Education Programs Coordinator Hakodate Last month we took a ride on the brand-new Hokkaido Shinkansen and now that we’ve arrived in Hakodate I want to show you some of my favorite spots around the city. The following are just a few of the adventures Hakodate has to offer. [twocol_one] What a View! One of the top must-sees in Hakodate is the view from the top of Mt. Hakodate. At a height of 1,096 feet you can see a breathtaking view of the southern coast of Hokkaido, and …

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Travel Tuesdays: Japanese Fashion Hotspots

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By: Madison Ross, Volunteer Office Intern   Hi everyone! My name is Madison Ross, and I am a new volunteer at Morikami working specifically within the Volunteer/Docent Coordinating Department. With the staff and volunteers offering such kindness and the architecture and landscapes offering a visually pleasing experience, I truly feel at peace here at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. Because I am a military brat, I am very used to traveling, and I am eager to learn about new cultures and visiting their origins. After learning more about George Morikami …

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