About Kusudama Origami

  • Mostly, the origami is a folding technique that is shaped like something.
  • For example, it's flowers, animals, geometric polyhedrons...
  • And Kusudama origami is one of origami field that is shaped like a kusudama.

What is a Kusudama? --Kusudama origin

  • The kusudama is an ornament which has a meaning of a talisman against evil made with some medicinal herbs.

  • Kusudama was introduced into Japan in the Heian period from China.
  • (The Heian era is from794 a.d. to 1192 a.d. )
  • Originally it is an ornamental scented ball or an ornamental ball made of imitation flowers.
  • (The various spices such as the musk , agalloch, clove are put in the bag of brocade and it is decorated with the string.
    It is together with Japanese iris and mugwort ,etc..., and long string of five-colored are hung down it.)
  • When writing in kanji, "Kusudama" is divided into two words.
    • Kusu dama
    • ---Kusu=kusuri : ( medicine or herb medicine)
    • ---dama= t(d)ama : (globular shape)
  • puupuu
  • At the boy's festival on May 5,the Kusudama is hung on the bamboo blind and the pillar or put on body.
  • It means effects such as talisman against evil, bringing good fortune, elixir of life...and so on.
  • Custom to decorate Kusudamas in the Boy's Festival is not left in Japan now.
  • But Japanese people still believe that the Kusudamas avoids ominousness and exorcise the evil spirit.
  • It is like a charm and bringer of good luck.
  • Actually a lot of Kusudama can be seen at the hospital in Japan now.