2008 Woodie Awards
Origami workshops available at UWF
Garrett Chelico / Staff Writer
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The University of West Florida's Jikei/Japan House's goal is to promote U.S. and Japan interactions through cultural arts, business and education, and one way the Japan House is fostering this mutual understanding is with origami.
"The purpose of the UWF Japan House origami workshop is to have socialism between the American and Japanese cultures by teaching origami to Americans," Coordinating Director Shigeko Honda said.
Honda said the word origami dates back to the seventh century and means "folding paper with square objects."
The UWF Japan House has been offering origami workshops since the new building has opened in spring 2004 when Jikei in Japan, the Japan Colleges Partner, sent the center money to build it.
Origami workshops cost $3 per person, per session, including all materials for UWF nonstudents and $2 for full-time UWF students, Honda said.
"Although we are funded by Jikei, when it comes to buying supplies, we use the fees we charge for the workshops to replenish supplies used in the workshops," Honda said.
Honda said local volunteer and teacher Yachivo Gunn teaches the workshops.
"Yachivo Gunn spends all of her time volunteering and teaching origami to people of all ages who want to learn the craft of making things with paper," Honda said.
Gunn said she can make just about anything.
"There are tons of animals that I can make such as, frogs, zebras, turtles, spiders and other things like candy boxes and ornaments for holidays like Christmas," Gunn said.
At the Jikei/Japan Center, Honda also offers workshops on how to prepare tea.
"We teach people the proper way to prepare tea as guests are seated in a chair at a special table and then taught how to prepare the tea for $5 a person, per session and $3 for full-time UWF students," Honda said.
Gunn said origami is going to be a regular event at UWF.
For more information regarding UWF Origami Workshops visit the Web site at uwf.edu/japan or call 850-474-3363 to attend a workshop.