Freshly painted origami paper of various colours hang to dry

Origami museum

I visited the Ochanomizu Origami Kaikan (お茶の水おりがみ会館) as a fun little diversion in Tōkyō. The centre is part shop, part school, and part studio. I got to take some photos of the paper-dying process and took home some supplies that might inspire me to make some more origami soon!

A closeup showing the texture and rich hue of washi dyed purple — Paper is dyed a solid colour and then flattened and compressed.

A stack of dyed washi paper is flattened and compressed — Paper is dyed a solid colour and then flattened and compressed.

Origami paper can be dyed, painted, or both depending on the intended pattern. When I visited, the artisan was using a special multi-headed brush to paint green stripes on one side of the paper; the other side had already been painted gold using a very wide, soft brush to achieve a consistent finish.

A paintbrush with many heads, used to paint stripes, sits in a pan of green paint — The tools and process for making patterned origami paper.

A large sheet of white paper with newly-painted green and gold stripes — The tools and process for making patterned origami paper.

The result is a pattern perfect for folding into snake decorations for the upcoming new year.

Large origami snakes and brushes displayed in front of a paper craftsman’s work table