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Having Fun with Japanese Karakuri and Origami

I love papercraft, and there are many kinds. I think I’ve tried my hand at most of them. And the kinds I really love are those that do something. Pictures and models and scrapbooks are great, but I really want my projects to pop up, to jump, to move on their own and seem alive.

During my long years in Japan, I came across many traditional toys like that—toys that move or have some kind of trick to them. The Japanese call these karakuri toys, because karakuri is the word for anything that uses a hidden mechanism to do unexpected and intriguing things. These toys have been favorite playthings of Japanese children since the age of the samurai. They are still popular today, even in the face of computer games and anime, because they have the power to amaze and instill wonder.

Balancing and jumping toys.

Four sumo wrestlers take to the ring.

A gaggle of ramp walker toys.

Why do horses ride across a box top when you tap it? How does the ladybug walk down a ramp? How does the yajirobe acrobat keep his balance day after day? Karakuri toys are mysterious the first time you see them. And even when you’ve looked closely and found the secret, they are still amusing.

Many of the models in this kit are based on traditional karakuri toys: the climbing wall, the ladder, the pac pac, the sumo and robot wrestlers, the horse race, the jumping frog. They’ve been built and played with and passed on for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. And there’s a reason why they have been around so long. They’re so fascinating and charming, that people want to show them to their friends.

So now, let me share them with you.

A flock of bobbing birds.

Jumping frogs ready for a race.

A flotilla of yachts.

They're out of the gate!

Can the hare win?

Adults get caught up too.

Play with me!

Tools and Techniques

toothpicks

ruler

scissors

craft knife

tweezers

nail clippers

white school glue

rubber bands

mountain fold

valley fold

guide line

Use a ruler when you fold the paper. This will give you crisp, straight creases without weakening the paper.

Where the paper is curved, gently bend it with your fingers to “train” it before gluing. This will preserve its spring and prevent buckling and creasing.

Use a toothpick to help you roll up ballast and bearings. Roll the paper tightly around the toothpick, fasten the very end with a drop of glue, and pull out the toothpick. For bearings, loosen the roll very slightly before gluing, just enough that they turn freely.

You can push out the larger parts with your fingers, but the paper will be less likely to crease or tear if you use a craft knife to cut them loose. Cut slits carefully with scissors.

Carefully trim the flash from around the edges of parts you have pushed out. This will make them look cleaner and fit together better.

Don’t worry if you accidentally cut the wrong thing. In most cases you can patch up the cut from the inside with a small scrap of paper. Butt the two edges together, and glue the patch behind it, or between two parts. If the patch is small, it won’t affect the balance.

Use a toothpick to spread a drop of glue evenly over the whole surface to be glued. Very little is needed; in fact, a transparent film sticks much better than a thick layer. A little glue will make strong, clean joints. Too much glue will warp the paper and ooze out at the edges, and make your toy look messy and grimy. I recommend that you practice with scraps of paper before gluing actual parts.

Nail clippers are great for cutting toothpicks to the right length. Snip the ends off after putting the toothpicks in place, and then seal them in place with a dab of glue.

Use tweezers to hold smallish parts and firmly press glue tabs together.

How the Origami Diagrams Work

Here’s what the arrows in the directions mean:

Fold this way

Fold and unfold

Fold around behind

Flip the whole piece over

Most pieces start with the paper color side down. The drawings show the front in color, and the back in white.

This is a mountain fold; it looks a bit like a mountain.

And this is a valley fold.

Some shapes are made with reverse folds. Start by creasing the paper along the fold lines. Open out the paper slightly, reverse each of the folds, and recrease them to make a neat corner. Above is an outside reverse fold followed by an inside one.

The directions tell you to fold on such-and-such a line, but if you use your own paper you won’t have the lines. No worry! Just remember that in origami folds are usually made so that corners and edges meet, or folds start at half-way points. The diagrams show you which edges and corners to use. And where corners and edges aren’t indicated, the placement of the fold isn’t that critical.

Playing with Your Toys

People know how to play with toys. They don’t need to be told. So I won’t give you a lot of rules. Kids, they can make up their own. In fact, it’s probably better that they do. Toys teach kids about the world and how the things in it work. Games teach them how to get along with each other and cooperate. And the toys in this kit will have them (and you) learning all sorts of important things, without even realizing it. When you play, just be careful not to hurt each other with flying toys, don’t squabble and squash them, and put everything in a safe, dry place when you’re through for the day.

It’s not just children that will 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: Rise up and Fight!

It doesn't take much to make the robots move. If they're on a slightly flexible surface, a light tap will make them move around—but anything more vigorous will send them flying.

Yacht Race

This one is a favorite with my kids. The yacht really scoots across smooth floors and tables —but vacuum a bit before you try! Volley one yacht back and forth, or sail two for a race, or even more for a regatta.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold on the 1 lines.

2 Fold to the center on the 2 lines.

3 Fold in half towards you on line 3.

4 Fold and unfold on the 4 lines, starting at the spot where the thickness changes inside.

5 Flip the yacht over. Fold and unfold on line 5.

6 Fold and unfold on line 6.

7 Fold up the sail by refolding 5 and 6 while mountain folding the center and valley folding the center of the “mast.”

8 Here’s what it looks like from above when finished. Sail it on any smooth, flat, dry surface by blowing sharply into the sail.

The Yacht Race Leaves You Breathless

Take this game a bit at a time to avoid getting dizzy. The yachts sail really well on a smooth table or floor, but don't get too caught up and overdo it!

Pac Pac

This is an old classic, and easy to make once you know the trick of opening out the finger holes. Draw eyes and it’s a puppet with a pac pac-snapping mouth. Turn it upside-down and it’ a tray. Or write numbers and messages on it to tell fortunes.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold and unfold on lines 1 and 2.

2 Fold the corners in to the center on the 3 lines.

3 Turn the pac pac over.

4 Fold the corners in to the center on the 4 lines.

5 Fold it in half on the horizontal axis. Unfold it, and fold it in half the other way.

6 Pull out the corners of the top layers to make four pockets.

7 Here it is all finished and ready to play. Put your fingers and thumb in the four pockets and snap them left and right, back and front in turn to move the pac pac mouth.

Anything Sounds Funny When a Puppet Says It

The pac pac won't be starring in any puppet shows, but how about a quick rendition of "It ain't easy being green?"

Maple Seed

It’s fascinating to watch how maple seeds fly. A strong wind blows, and hundreds of maple “helicopters” twirl away into the sky. Here’s one you can make from paper. Throw it straight up as high as you can! High in the air, it will suddenly start to spin, and then slowly flutter back to earth.

1 Start with the color side down. Fold to the center on the 1 lines.

2 Fold it in half on the center line.

3 Fold the extra flap over on line 2.

4 Fold up at 45 degrees on line 3.

5 Fold around to the back on line 4.

6 Fold the tip up on line 5.

7 Tuck the last of the tip inside the pocket at line 6.

8 Flatten the creases as much as you can, and you’re ready to fly. Throw it into the air heavy end first, and it will twirl down.

Pinwheel

Here’s a pinwheel that spins on a desktop or floor. Blow on it from above, and it will begin to whirl and skitter around. How fast can you get it going?

1 Start with the color side down. Fold and unfold on lines 1 and 2.

2 Flip the piece over. Fold and unfold on lines 3 and 4.

3 Collapse the sides on line 3 and push the top half back to make a triangle pointing up.

4 Fold one corner up on line 5.

5 Fold and unfold on line 6, and then reverse the fold.

6 Flip the flap over, and repeat steps 4 and 5 with the other three corners.

7 Blow into the hole at the bottom to inflate it like a waterbomb.

8 Accordion fold the edge of the four flaps that now stick out, on the 6 lines.

9 This is how the finished flaps will look. Ready to take it for a spin!

Bobbing Bird

There are lots of origami birds that move. This one is simple to make and looks a lot like a bobbing, hovering hummingbird. You might make it bob on your hand, or into a bowl of popcorn. It even looks good sitting still, or made into a mobile.

1 Start with the paper face down. Fold and unfold on lines 1 and 2.

2 Push the sides in and pull the corner up while folding on line 3.

3 Carefully crease the corners so the model looks like this.

4 Turn it over and fold in the corners on the 4 lines.

5 Fold in half toward you.

6 Fold and unfold on lines 5 and 6.

7 Outside reverse fold on line 5, and reverse fold on line 6. Here it is partway through.

8 Tuck in the tip of the tail on line 7.

9 Fold down the wings on the 8 lines.

10 All done! Place the bird on a table and push down on the base of the tail to make the head bob.

How the Bobbing Bird Bobs

Push down lightly on the top of the bird's tail, and it will dip forward. Lift your finger, and it will come back up. You might need to recrease the paper occasionally to keep it springy.

Jumping Frog

This frog really jumps. The thick layers of paper at the back of the body are like a spring. Push down on the frog’s back with the legs tucked under, and it will hop right across the table. Is your frog a jumping champion? There are many ways to fold jumping frogs, but this is probably the best.

1 Start with the paper face down, and fold on line 1.

2 Fold and unfold on lines 2 and 3.

3 Turn the model over, fold and unfold on line 4.

4 Turn the model over again and pull in the sides.

5 Fold up on the 5 lines to make the front legs.

6 Fold up on line 6.

7 Fold in the sides on the 7 lines.

8 Fold up and back on line 8.

9 Fold on the 9 lines while pulling out the corners.

10 Keep pulling!

11 Fold down the back legs on the 10 lines.

12 Fold the whole body up on line 11.

13 Fold the back legs down on line 12.

14 The finished frog!

Even Better Than Tiddly-Winks

These frogs really jump, so you might try games like leapfrogging, or having them jump into bowls and onto targets.

Yajirobe Acrobats

The yajirobe is a traditional Japanese balancing toy. Dragon-flies are common; magic carpets are not. But is is easy to balance all kinds of things, once you know how.

Marcel Le Nez

1 First, roll and glue parts 1 to 4 to make two ballast rolls.

2 Glue reinforcement 6 to the back of 5, color side out. Bend the arms, knees, and head as shown.

3 Make Marcel’s face 7 by folding the nose out and pulling the jaw together.

4 Glue the face to the bottom of his head.

5 Glue the ballast rolls to the inside of his hands. Glue the thumbs to the sides.

6 Glue his feet 8 and 9 to the leg tabs as shown.

7 Fold stand 10 into a tall pyramid. Fold down and glue the small triangle at the top. Glue it to base 11 at the mark.

8 Balance Marcel Le Nez on his nose.

Marvello

1 First, roll the front and back thirds of the carpet 12, and let them spring back to shape.

2 Bend Marvello 13 as shown, and glue his hands to his knees.

3 Glue Marvello to about the middle of the carpet. Note the carpet’s arch.

4 Fold and glue stand part 14.

5 Clip a half-inch of toothpick tip, and glue it inside the stand so it pokes up. From this point on, be very careful with the stand to avoid injury.

6 Glue the stand to the base 15 at the mark.

7 Place the carpet on the tip of the toothpick. You’ll have to find the balance point by trial-and-error, but after that it should be stable.

A Yajirobe is Never Still

These toys move all the time. All it takes is a nudge from the air current you make while walking around the room. It's relaxing to watch them.

Wally the Climber

This karakuri toy is usually made out of wood. The piece that clatters down from peg to peg needs a little weight to keep it going. Wally is a bit light, being made out of paper as he is, but he clatters down the pegs just fine.

1 Fold the glue tabs on wall 1, and glue it to the base 2 so the corners just cover the dots.

2 Here’s how it will look from the back.

3 Roll and glue each peg 3 separately. There will be 13 pegs.

4 Glue the pegs over the dots on the wall. You can arrange them in any order you wish.

5 Glue parts 4 to 7 together as shown to make Wally.

6 Set Wally on the top two pegs, and nudge the top arm to set him in motion. If he seems to stick, bow his arms forward slightly or smooth out the bottom edge of his arms to reduce friction a little.

Tock Tock Tock

One thing that I really love about Wally (and a lot of the other toys as well), is the sound he makes as he moves.

Kotaro

Every year in the spring, firefighters all over Japan put on a show of acrobatics on their ladders. This is a very ancient tradition; a chance to show off their skill and bravery. Kotoro, however, is neither brave nor skillful. But somehow he gets down safely. This karakuri toy is also very old, and fun to watch no matter how many times Kotaro falls.

1 Fold down the tabs on the ladder rungs of parts 1 and 2, and glue them in place. Be sure you fold them accurately.

2 Glue the bottom of part 1 inside the top of part 2 where shown. Use a ruler, or lay the ladder on its side to make sure it is straight.

3 Fold the glue tabs and glue support 3 to the front bottom of part 2.

4 Glue the ladder to base 4 at the guide line.

5 Glue brackets 5 and 6 to either side of the ladder and base. Make sure the ladder is standing up straight!

6 Carefully cut the slits in part 7.

7 Fold and glue Kotaro. Be sure he isn’t twisted!

8 Glue the two ballast parts 8 and 9 inside the front and back of the tumbler.

9 Slip the top rung of the ladder though the bottom slits in the tumbler, and let him go!

Who is Kotoro?

I was kind of stuck for a name for this toy, so I used a slightly old-fashioned Japanese name for the little man who flips down. It's the kind of name an Edo fireman would have.

Tumblers

Curly, Lance and Rod

Curly, Lance and Rod will almost always land on their feet, no matter how high you flip them or how many turns they do. Their flat bodies steady them and their heavy feet come down first. Can you design your own?

1 Start with the launch ramp.

2 Fold the sides down, using a ruler to make straight folds.

3 Glue the small disks together as shown.

4 Glue the small disk to the center of the larger one.

5 Fold the tabs on the figure’s feet, bend the knees slightly, and glue the feet to the disk where shown.

6 All done. Lance and Rod stand up straight, but are otherwise identical to Curly.

Simple Circus Tricks

Stand a tumbler on the long end of the ramp, and push down quickly on the short end. Try putting the tumblers on backwards, or off-center. What new tricks can you make them do?

Racers

This is a slightly less common karakuri toy, but very similar to the origami sumo wrestlers. As long as the toy’s legs are slanted backwards, it will move forward slowly when you tap the base it’s resting on. Try it with the box top of this kit. I modeled Peter and Paul’s horses on the untamed horses run in the thousand-year-old Noumaoi race held each spring in Soma, Japan. Tortoise and Hare are familiar Aesop characters, though you might be able to change the ending of the tale. What other animals can you make run on the box top?

Peter and Paul

1 Carefully cut the slits in the horses’ bodies 1.

2 Carefully cut the slits in the legs 2 and 3 as well.

3 Run a thin bead of glue up both sides of each slit, and slide the legs onto the body. Make sure they are at right angles.

Tortoise and Hare

4 Glue the tortoise shell 4 into a shallow cone.

5 Fold and bend the legs of the body 5. Glue the tortoise’s face in the same way as the shell.

6 Glue the tortoise’s body to the underside of the shell. The shell seam goes to the back.

7 The glue tabs should be glued over the marks on the inside of the shell.

8 Here’s how the tortoise should look from the side.

9 Bend the hare body 6, curl up its tail, and glue the rear end together as shown.

10 Glue the chest together as shown.

11 Glue the hare’s face as you did the tortoise’s face.

12 Glue the neck inside the head at the mark, as shown.

13 Here’s how the hare should look from the side. You will probably need to bend the front legs back a bit.

Putting Empty Boxes to Good Use

When the legs have dried, you can put the racers on a track (I recommend the box top of this kit) and tap it gently with your finger. The horses should move forward slowly. If not, make sure the legs are slanted backwards. The tortoise and hare can be raced the same way.

Daruma

Darumas are a kind of good luck charm in Japan. People buy them before a big challenge, like an election or an entrance examination. The Daruma is made of papier mache, and has only one pupil; you draw in the other eye when you succeed. Kids play a game called Daruma-san ga koronda, which is like our game Statues. But this Daruma is different. It uses a rubber band to pop back into shape after you collapse it. It jumps, which is why the characters on the front read “must fly” (hisshou), a pun on the traditional “must win” (hisshou).

1 Carefully cut the slits in parts 1 and 3.

2 Fold over the side flaps on part 1, and glue them in place.

3 Fold catch part 2 as shown, and glue just the middle portion.

4 Glue the catch inside the top of part 1, with the seam over the guide line.

5 Fold over the side flaps on part 3, and glue them in place.

6 Glue the latch reinforcement inside the center of part 3 as shown.

7 Glue together the tabs with slits in them. Make sure the slits line up, and check that the outside designs line up!

8 Slip a rubber band through each of the four slits. You might need to tie a knot in the middle to shorten it.

9 Here’s how you slip the rubber bands into place.

10 Glue the remaining two tabs together. You can squash Daruma if you want, to help press the tabs together.

11 To squash Daruma, push it straight down from the top.

12 Hook the corner of the latch in the catch to hold Daruma flat. Don’t store it this way, though, or the rubber band will lose its stretch.

Paper and Rubberbands

The Daruma will pop up if you hold it down without the latch and let go. With the latch, you can drop it on the ground, and it will jump up and snap back into shape. Paper is much stronger than we expect, and it can stand up to a lot of pulling. Just don't try to collapse the Daruma sideways!

Lola the Ladybug

Japanese people love ladybugs, and put pictures of them on all kinds of things. In Japanese, ladybugs are called tento mushi, which means “sun bug,” because they always climb upward toward the sun. Well, this ladybug only goes downhill. But I think you’ll like Lola, all the same.

1 Fold down the trianguar tabs on part 1. Glue part 2 to the tabs, flush with the edge of 1. Be sure to line up the two black areas.

2 Glue the side part 3 to the tabs on 1 and 2. The black line on 3 should line up with the black line on 1.

3 Glue 4 and 5 together to make the head. The eyes are closest to the top.

4 Glue the head to the bottom center of part 2, at the marks.

5 Add a bead of glue to the inside. The top should bulge up a little, as shown.

6 Fold and glue parts 6 to 7, and 8 to 9 to make two legs.

7 Carefully cut the slits in the legs. The slit should be as narrow as possible, but made with two cuts.

8 Roll ballast part 10 around a toothpick and glue the end. Attach, roll, and glue 11, to make the ballast roll.

9 Here’s how it will look.

10 Glue the two legs and the ballast roll inside the body, at the places shown. Make sure the longer leg is in front!

11 Curl the antennae 12 and 13 slightly, and glue them to the top of the head at the marks.

Walking Lola

Place Lola the Ladybug at the top of an eight degree slope, and touch one side gently. Lola should rock from side to side and move slowly downhill. If not, check that her legs are straight and even, or increase the slope a bit.

Tomkin the Turtle

This kind of ramp walker moves very slowly, so a turtle seemed to be quite a natural subject. I was tempted to try making a cockroach model, but who ever saw a slow-moving cockroach? What else could you try?

1 Carefully glue all of the tabs around the edge of the shell part 1.

2 Fold and glue the tabs on the head part 2.

3 Here’s how it will look from behind.

4 Glue the head to the front of the shell as shown.

5 Glue the front and back decorative legs 3–6 inside the shell at the marks.

6 Make the ballast roll (7 and 8) and the walking legs (9–12) as you did for the ladybug (pages 36–37), and glue them inside the shell at the marks. The longer leg goes in front!

Not in a Hurry

Place Tomkin the Turtle at the top of a ten degree slope, and touch one side gently. Tomkin should rock from side to side and move slowly downhill. If not, check that his legs are straight and even, or increase the slope a bit.

Pascal the Penguin

When I decided to try making a paper ramp walker, the first thing I thought of was this penguin. Penguins always look charming, but never more than when walking! Take care that the sides of Pascal’s body and moving foot are straight, and that the foot moves freely. Set Pascal at the top of a slight slope, tip him back a bit, and let him go. He’ll waddle steadily to the bottom with a clacking noise, wings moving back and forth.

1 Fold the tabs on leg part 1. Glue part 2 to the leg, with the edge flush with the corners of part 1. Be sure the arrows on both parts face the same direction.

2 Glue part 3 to the leg the same way.

3 Fold the tabs on body part 4, and glue the front bottom at both sides.

4 Bend the top and back of the body, and carefully glue it to the tabs. Make sure the body isn’t twisted.

5 Glue the two ballast parts 5 and 6 inside the front and back of the body.

6 Glue the front foot bottom 7 in place. Make sure the arrow goes at the front, and that the sides are flush with the edges of 7.

7 Slip the moving foot inside the body. Make sure the arrow is at the front. Slide a toothpick peg through the holes.

8 Cut the peg carefully with your nail clipper, and fasten it in place with a dab of glue. Make sure the foot moves freely!

9 Use another peg to hold the two wings 8 and 9 in place. Glue the peg to the wings, but not the body.

10 Here’s how it will look from the front.

11 Fold and glue the beak 10.

12 Glue the beak to the body where shown. The seam goes to the bottom.

If Pascal (or the dinosaurs, crab, or elephant) slide down the slope without walking, you might try gluing strips of rubber band to the bottom of the feet. Only try this as a last resort. Better to find a less slippery slope.

Waddling

Pascal the Penguin walks best on a slope of eight to ten degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle.

How the Ramp Walkers Walk

At one time ramp walkers were very popular toys. I had several when I was a kid. They disappeared at some point, and I always wanted to see them again. So I set out to make my own. In order to do that, I had to learn how they walked. Once I had the secret, I could make all kinds of fun toys. Now I’m going to teach you.

Ramp walkers work on the principle of the pendulum. Think of them as being like a piano metronome. But a pendulum eventually slows down and stops, like a swing when you stop pumping. To keep the pump moving you have to swing your legs and shift your weight. Metronomes use springs to keep moving. Ramp walkers have no power of their own, but use a slope and gravity to do this. With each step they fall downward slightly, which adds the energy they need to keep moving steadily.

Put the penguin on a slope of about nine degrees, pull his head back slightly, and let him go. He’ll keep waddling back and forth until he gets to the bottom. Other toys might need a slightly different angle.

When the penguin leans back, all his weight shifts onto the back leg. But because that leg is behind the balance point, the front leg and body are pulled forward and down by gravity.

This makes the front heavier, so the penguin shifts onto his front leg. The rear leg is now free, and gravity pulls it forward until it hits the front leg. But then the penguin/pendulum swings back onto the back leg again, and the cycle repeats.

This is the basic structure of a ramp walker with one moving foot. The bottom of each foot is part of the circumference of a different circle. As long as the model is balanced just above the axle of the moving foot, almost any shape will walk. Try long thin walkers and tall walkers, and see how they differ.

1: center of gravity (balance point)

2: center of the moving foot circle

3: center of the front foot circle

4: moving foot axle

5: moving foot stopper

This is the basic structure of a ramp walker with two moving feet. The bottom of each foot is part of the circumference of two different circles, one front-to-back with the same radius as the leg, and one side-to-side centered above the head. As long as the center of gravity is kept low, almost any body shape will walk.

1: center of gravity

2: center of front-to-back movement

3: center of side-to-side movement

4: moving foot axle

The walker swings from side to side as it walks. This takes the weight off one foot at a time. The free foot falls forward, and the extra energy picked up by following it keeps the pendulum motion going.

Alphonse the Elephant

I’m not quite sure what inspired Alphonse the Elephant, but he turned out to be a lot of fun. He has a square body just because that seemed easier to make. But I think he looks chic this way, and has a whole trunkful of character.

1 Fold and glue parts 1, 2 and 3 to make the moving foot. Make sure the arrows all face to the front. The sides should be flush and straight.

2 Fold the body 4, and glue the back bottom flap to the tabs. Bend it carefully and follow the line of the corner.

3 Bend part 5 and glue it to the top of the body as shown, starting at the edge of the color on the back tab and carefully following the corners. Don’t glue down the tail.

4 Keep gluing 5 to the front and bottom of the body, ending at the edge of the front feet. Follow the corners carefully.

5 Glue ballast part 6 inside the back of the body as shown.

6 Fold and glue the bottom of the front foot 7 in place. Make sure the arrow is in front, and the foot isn’t twisted.

7 Glue the ears 8 and 9 in place on either side of the body at the places marked.

8 Fold and glue together the trunk 10. The top and bottom curve to follow the edges of the sides.

9 Glue the trunk to the front of the body at the place shown.

10 Slip the rear leg inside the body with the arrow forward. Push a toothpick peg through, clip it, and hold it in place with a dab of glue. Make sure the leg moves freely.

11 Here’s how Alphonse will look.

Lumbering Smoothly

Alphonse the Elephant walks best on a slope of about seven degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle.

Tyrannosaurus Bob

When I was a kid I knew all about dinosaurs. But then scientists found out more about them, and everything I knew became wrong. Now I know they ran along quite gracefully, head down and tail out. But here comes Bob, trudging like Godzilla. Oh well.

1 Fold the tabs on leg part 1. Glue part 2 to the leg, with the edge flush with the corners of part 1. Be sure the arrows on both parts face the same direction.

2 Glue part 3 to the leg the same way.

3 Fold the tabs on body part 4, and glue the sides to the center portion. Make sure the body isn’t twisted.

4 Glue the front foot bottom 5 in place. Make sure the arrow goes at the front, and that the sides are flush with the edges of 5.

5 Roll and glue ballast part 6. Attach part 7, and roll and glue it the same way.

6 Glue the ballast roll inside the tail. Make sure there is room to cover it with part 8.

7 Glue the bottom of the tail 8 inside the body, flush with the edges of the paper.

8 Glue the chest 9 to the inside of the body as shown, flush with the edges of the paper.

9 Fold the jaw 10 and glue it together as shown.

10 Slide the jaw inside the head, and hold it in place with a toothpick peg.

11 Cut the peg carefully with your nail clipper, and fasten it in place with a dab of glue. Make sure the jaw moves freely!

12 Slip the moving foot over the body. Make sure the arrow is at the front. Slide a toothpick peg through the holes, cut it, and glue it in place. Make sure the foot moves freely!

13 Glue the arms 11 and 12 in place at the marks on the side of the chest, and you’re ready to go.

Watch Out, Here He Comes!

Tyrannosaurus Bob walks best on a slope of about 12 degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle.

Stegosaurus Sue

The stegosaurus seems to make a set with the tyrannosaurus; where there’s one, you’ll probably find the other. Besides, the stegosaurus looks like it should be waddling down a slope. Stegosaurus Sue is surprisingly easy to put together, and steady on her feet.

1 Fold and glue parts 1, 2 and 3 to make the moving foot. Make sure the arrows all face to the front. The sides should be flush and straight.

2 Carefully fold the glue tabs on the body sides 4 and 6. Fold part 5, and begin gluing it to the body sides at the corner of the front foot. Make sure the sides are flush with the edge of 5.

3 Keep gluing 5 to the body, working around the head and over the back. Take your time and work carefully.

4 Finish off by gluing the tip of the tail to the sides.

5 Fold and glue the bottom of the front foot 7 in place. Make sure the arrow is in front. Fold the bottom of the tail 8 and glue it in place.

6 Fold the thagomizer 9 (named, according to The Far Side’s Gary Larson, for the late Thag Simmons) to the tip of the tail.

7 Glue the back plates to the numbered marks on the back, starting with 1 and working toward 10.

8 Slip the moving foot over the body. Make sure the arrow is at the front. Slide a toothpick peg through the holes, cut it, and glue it in place. Make sure the foot moves freely!

Stegosaurus on the Move

Stegosaurus Sue walks best on a slope of about 10 to 12 degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle.

Kani the Crab

Apart from the fact that crabs have eight feet instead of two, they seem ideal for a ramp walker project. I thought about hinging the claws so they would wave back and forth as Kani walked. But that seemed a bit much, like adding feet to a snake, as the Japanese say. Kani the Crab is fun to watch just as she is.

1 Fold and glue parts 1, 2 and 3 to make the moving foot. Make sure the arrows all face to the front. The sides should be flush and straight.

2 Fold the triangular tabs on part 5. Glue the sides 4 and 6 to it, starting at the tabs on the bottom.

3 Work carefully and take your time, making sure the sides are flush with the edge. Finish at the corner of the front foot.

4 Glue ballast part 7 inside the front of the body as shown.

5 Fold and glue the bottom of the front foot 8 in place. Make sure the arrow is in front.

6 Slip the moving foot into the body. Make sure the arrow is at the front. Slide a toothpick peg through the holes, cut it, and glue it in place. Make sure the foot moves freely!

7 Fold parts 9 and 10, and glue them back to back to make claw a.

8 Do the same with parts 11 and 12 to make claw b.

9 Glue claws a and b to the top of the crab at the spots marked.

10 Fold parts 13 and 14, and glue them back to back. Do the same for parts 15 and 16.

11 Bend the top part of each eye stalk and glue the white bits together.

12 Glue parts 17 and 18 face-out to either side of one eye stalk. Note where the pupil is facing. Repeat with parts 19 and 20.

13 Here’s how the finished eye stalks will look.

14 Glue the eye stalks to the top of the crab at the spots marked.

Walking Downhill Sideways

Kani the Crab walks best on a slope of about 6 degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle.

Chicken Willy

Why did the chicken walk down the ramp? Why do chickens do anything? I wanted to make a chicken because chickens look funny doing just about everything they do. Add to that a strange walk, and voila, a brilliant toy!

1 Glue together parts 1 through 5 as shown, flush at the back.

2 Glue together the second foot the same way. Curve them slightly along the long axis. Use the gauge to check the curvature.

3 Fold leg 6 and carefully glue it to the first foot at the marks. Do the same with the second leg.

4 Roll spacer part 7 around a toothpick, loosen it very slightly so it turns freely, and glue the loose end in place. Do the same for part 15.

5 Push spacer 7 through the first leg so that the dotted line is just hidden by the inside edge of the leg.

6 Do the same for spacer 15. Here’s how it should look from the front.

7 Roll the leg ballast parts 8 and 16 and glue them shut.

8 Glue the ballast inside the bottom of the legs, in the outer corners.

9 Fold body 17, and glue the side tab as shown.

10 Glue the top of the body to the three tabs. Be sure the corners are all right angles.

11 Fold the inside body weight part 18, and glue it inside the body flush with the bottom.

12 Slip the legs inside the body with the toes pointing to the front. Pass a toothpick peg through everything, clip it, and glue it in place. Make sure the legs swing freely!

13 Glue left wing parts 19 through 22 together as shown. Do the same for right wing parts 23 through 26.

14 Bend the wings outward slightly before the glue completely dries.

15 Glue the top part of the wings to the body at the marks. Fold the tabs on the coxcomb 27 as shown and glue it to the center of Willy’s head.

16 Gently curve beak parts 28 and 29. Glue half of 29 inside 28, and then use it as a tab to glue the beak into a cone shape.

17 Glue the beak to Willy’s face, with the seam side down.

18 Here’s how the finished face will look.

Keeping the Chicken Walking

Chicken Willy walks best on a slope of about eight degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle. Place Willy at the top of the slope, and push him gently to one side to get him going. If he stops after a few steps or pivots on one foot, the feet may not be the same length, or are too strongly curved on the bottom. If so, add scraps of paper to his feet to even them out.

These feet were made for walking!

These feet turned out too curved, and the chicken kept falling over sideways. A couple of strips of scrap paper added to the outside filled in some of the extra curve, and the chicken learned to walk.

This monkey somehow got one foot shorter than the other. An extra layer, made from a couple of scraps and added to the short leg, evened things out and got the monkey back on his feet.

Two-Legged Ramp Walkers

1 The first ramp walker was made in 1888 by G.T. Farris from two pieces of wire twisted together at the shoulder. Opposite arms and legs moved together. 2 John E. Wilson patented his penguin in 1938, and started a fad. 3 Most models needed four legs or a wheel for stability, because their motion was more waddle than walk. 4 But around 1990, robotics professor Tad McGeer saw past that, to how technology could make a robot’s gait more natural. Adding knees did the trick. McGeer named it passive-dynamic walking, which means the toy or robot moved by gravity without needing outside control. He was inspired by the Wright brothers, who learned to fly by gliding before adding power. McGeer: “Passive-dynamic ramp walkers are the gliders of walking robots.” Robots like the Honda Asimo use 16 times the energy ramp walkers (and humans) do. 5 The walker bends and kicks out its knees naturally as part of the gait. On a ramp, no power is needed. The walking record with power inputs is 40.5 miles. McGeer thinks this is the way prosthetics and robotics should go. 6 An experiment with this simple model proved that even walkers which cannot stand still are able to stride naturally.

Cosmo

Strictly speaking, monkeys aren’t really bipeds. But when they do stand up and walk on two legs, they kind of swagger along—just perfect for a ramp walker.

1 Assemble the body with parts 1–18 by following the first 12 steps for the chicken model (pages 52 and 53).

2 Fold, curve, and glue together arm parts 19 and 20, color sides out.

3 Roll and glue parts 21 and 22 to make a ballast roll.

4 Glue the ballast roll to the inside of the hand. Make another arm with parts 23–26.

5 Glue the arms to the sides of the body at the marks. Thumbs go to the front!

6 Curl the tail and glue the white bit to the back of the body at the mark. All finished!

Getting Cosmo to Walk

Cosmo walks best on a slope of about eight degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle. Place Cosmo at the top of the slope, and push him gently to one side to get him going. If he stops after a few steps or pivots on one foot, the feet may not be the same length, or are too strongly curved on the bottom. If so, add scraps of paper to his feet to even them out.

Roberto

It’s amazing that modern robots can walk at all. They need lots of power, lots of sensors, and lots of programming. But ramp walkers are now demonstrating a much more natural way for machines to walk. So this little paper toy is striding along at the leading edge of technology.

1 Assemble the body with parts 1–17 by following the first 12 steps for the chicken model (pages 52 and 53), less step 11.

2 Fold and glue part 18 to make the head. Make sure it’s square.

3 Glue the head to the top of the body at the mark. Look at the photo to see which sides go to the front.

4 Pleat fold arm part 19, bend it along its length, and then bend down and recrease each segment a little while pinching the pleat.

5 Roll and glue parts 20 and 21 to make a ballast roll. Glue it inside the arm, just above the claw.

6 Make another arm with parts 22–24, and glue one to each side of the body at the marks. All done!

Making Roberto Walk

Roberto walks best on a slope of about eight degrees. Raise or lower the ramp a bit at a time to find the best angle. Place Roberto at the top of the slope, and push him gently to one side to get him going. If he stops after a few steps or pivots on one foot, the feet may not be the same length, or are too strongly curved on the bottom. If so, add scraps of paper to his feet to even them out.

Japanese Karakuri

“Karakuri” is the Japanese word for a device that uses a hidden mechanism to do something unexpected and intriguing. Many of Japan’s traditional toys are karakuri. Most are very simple and can be made in an afternoon with basic materials, but can entertain for hours. It’s hard to put some of them down.

Garigari propeller

When you rub a stick back and forth over the bumpy stick, the vibrations make the propeller spin. It takes some practice to do.

Kami tsubame

The tail of the paper swallow swivels, so when you whirl the toy around at the end of its string, the tail twirls with a rustling noise.

Take tombo

Twirl the stick between your palms, and this bamboo propeller will fly high into the air and across the room. You can make one of thick paper too.

Denden daiko

Twirl the stick between your fingers, and the weights on the end of the strings hit the front and back of the tiny drum in turn. This is a good toy for very small children, but noisy!

Zubombo

This toy not only has a great name, but it helps keep the house clean. It’s just a box, open on the bottom and made of very light japanese or tissue paper, with weights at the end of its feet. Put it in a corner, fan it, and watch it jump.

Bunbun goma

A loop of string goes through two holes in a disk (a big button will do). Wind up the disk a bit and pull the string rhythmically from either end to make it spin, unwinding and rewinding. Once you get the timing right, the top will spin very fast with a “voom voom” sound.

Okiagari koboshi and Akabeko

These are toys from Fukushima, where I used to live. The left one stands up no matter how many times it is pushed over, and the right one’s head is balanced to nod when touched. Like Fukushima people, they always bounce back.

Neko to nezumi

The mouse is attached to the inside of the lid by a hinge. Push the cat toward the mouse and the mouse disappears. Pull the cat back, and the mouse pops up again.

Okesa ningyo

These dolls are twirled by the strings wrapped around their sticks, so they seem to dance.

Koi no takinobori

Turn the knob, and the fish on the string “climbs the waterfall” and then reappears at the bottom.

Tondari hanetari

A frog sits on a piece of bamboo. Underneath is a stick in a twist of string. The string flicks the stick, the stick flips the bamboo, and the poor frog goes flying.

Tatebanko

A picture divided into layers of paper and pasted inside a box makes a simple diorama. These were very popular in Edo Japan, and could be bought as kits.

Kawari byobu

This “folding screen” is made of slats of wood held together by strips of paper. The strips are glued in such a way that they can move one at a time. Twist the top one, and they cascade down until the last slat falls.

Nobori ningyo

Pass a string through two angled tubes on the back of the doll, and hang it over a hook. Then pull each end in turn, and the doll will climb the string.

Here are some models I have made. The car flips over and reverses as it tumbles down the ramps. Two birds whose wings go around like the kami tsubame when twirled at the end of a thread. The rokuro kubi is a Japanese monster, who looks like a beautiful girl but whose neck stretches while she looks for victims. This paper version uses a rubber band; pull the lantern in front of her and her head pops up.

Further Ideas

Here are some other ideas I’ve tried. Because I’m working with paper, trying lots of different things is easy and inexpensive. I keep a number of notebooks of ideas; as you can see, they don’t need to be neat. Can you see the climbing wall?

This flipping frog was inspired by a traditional Japanese toy, the Tondari hanetari. The original uses a twisted string and a stick to flip the toy. My version has a hinged hind leg that adds tension to a rubber band inside the body. Push the leg forward, set it on a table, and let go. The rubber band snaps the foot back into place, which makes the frog jump into the air and do a back flip. It lands on its feet every time!

1, 2 This is another rubber band toy. Pull the latch on the coffin lid, and the vampire jumps up!

3 This toy turns a yajirobe into a pinwheel. A light breeze will make the clouds go round.

4 A fish mobile. Each fish can turn only so far, so the whole group undulates as the air moves.

5 A very simple animal made from a cut-out New Year card I drew for the Year of the Tiger.

6 This segmented fish wiggles its tail in a strong breeze as if swimming.

Once you understand how each karakuri works, you can design your own versions. All it takes is some paper, a few tools, an idea, and a free evening. I believe everyone has a masterpiece in them. Can you find yours?

The Tuttle Story: “Books to Span the East and West”

Most people are surprised to learn that the world’s largest publisher of books on Asia had its humble beginnings in the tiny American state of Vermont. The company’s founder, Charles E. Tuttle, belonged to a New England family steeped in publishing. And his first love was naturally books—especially old and rare editions.

Immediately after WW II, serving in Tokyo under General Douglas MacArthur, Tuttle was tasked with reviving the Japanese publishing industry. He later founded the Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Company, which thrives today as one of the world’s leading independent publishers.

Though a westerner, Tuttle was hugely instrumental in bringing a knowledge of Japan and Asia to a world hungry for information about the East. By the time of his death in 1993, Tuttle had published over 6,000 books on Asian culture, history and art—a legacy honored by the Japanese emperor with the “Order of the Sacred Treasure,” the highest tribute Japan can bestow upon a non-Japanese.

With a backlist of 1,500 titles, Tuttle Publishing is more active today than at any time in its past—inspired by Charles Tuttle’s core mission to publish fine books to span the East and West and provide a greater understanding of each.

Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

www.tuttlepublishing.com

Copyright © 2012 Andrew Dewar

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

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ISBN 978-1-4629-1579-8 (ebook)

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