Cochae, our favourite modern origami unit, has been on Ping briefly before. However, this time, we can’t resist introducing you to their best graphic origami made out of photocopied collages in greater length. And it’s not only because we always recommend their folded creations as ideal souvenirs to foreign friends before they try to spend a fortune at Tokyu Hands… (Next time, try our very own shopPingMag!) PingMag visited their studio in Mishuku, Tokyo, to talk to Yosuke Jikuhara and Miki Takeda, and show you some of their loveliest origami pop art.
Written by Chiemi
Translated by Natsumi Yamane
First of all, how did Cochae as an origami unit start?
Yosuke: Origami expert Yasuo Mitsumori — an ex-member of Cochae — was our friend from high school and it all started when Miki, Yasuo and myself wanted to do something with his origami and made a ‘free paper’ in 2003. Origami is fun, but it can end up in the rubbish in a very short time. Back then, we wanted to make an almost magical kind of object that would never be thrown away.
What was this ‘free paper’ like?
Yosuke: It was printed on coarse paper because it was made on a very low budget, and it featured a bird origami devised by Yasuo with instructions on how to make it, and a folk tale to go with it. That came in the days before we called ourselves Cochae.
For your first attempt, the graphic looks really accomplished…
Miki: Actually, it’s not all that different from what we do now. Back then, we didn’t have computer access so we made it analogue-style by cutting out bits of magazines, photocopying them, and sticking the copied bits on to another piece of paper with glue.
We’ve been wondering about this before, but do you usually start with how to fold the origami first?
Yosuke: At the time, Yasuo came up with how to fold them first and we unfolded the original origami step by step to fill in the photos. We were so immersed in making this ‘free paper’ that we stayed up all night and finished it in one day! Then we were contacted by a fashion magazine called “Soen” and we inadvertently blurted out that we also had several other pieces, which wasn’t true at all! Back then, we were all badly off for money, so we picked up old magazines from the garbage and made the next piece of work… And this is it!
Wow, the way they’re folded is so intricate!
Yosuke: The harder ones would take around 20 minutes to fold, I think. Actually, I used to be really useless at origami and that led to this next piece of work called “Ore Orenai” (I Can’t Fold,) which turns into a face with only three folds!
Yosuke: From around that time, we discovered that the impact of an instant result is really fun and gradually shifted to easier works. Then we found documents on traditional origami with illustrations from the Taisho period at Miki’s parents’ house. We thought we had to have them reprinted, and arranging them all led to our next “Koten” (Classics) series. We wanted to distribute them in a different form, so that more people would get to know these great designs by anonymous amateurs.
After that, you created several more works — and discovered a minor problem in the process…
Miki: Graphic origami is fun but we realised that it had lost the diversity of actual origami, where you can fold so many things from a single piece of paper. Then we came up with the idea for the “Funny Face Card,” which allows you to make numerous different faces depending on how you fold the sheet.
What has made your self-published origami so popular? We saw you can buy it in many places.
Yosuke: That’s because we appeared in a TV drama as ourselves. (Laughs) Also, Cochae was featured in the media including a major info TV program called Hanamaru Market on TBS.
Wow, being featured on Hanamaru Market probably brought you tons of enquiries!
Miki: Exactly! We were flooded by requests from housewives! (Laughs) Our stance hasn’t changed much since then, but our products have increased a lot.
We guess your clients sometimes ask you to make origami of something specific, but do you provide them with just the instructions on how to make one?
Yosuke: No, we make everything for them. For example, in the case of the “Hello Kitty” exhibition in Hong Kong, our client simply told us that anything would do as long as the finished product is Hello Kitty. But sometimes, we have requests for characters to be made round like the original, but that just ends up in a kind of disclaimer argument, where we defend it saying “But it’s origami in the first place so we can’t make it perfectly round!” (laughs)
That’s impossible! Incidentally, your works all seem to have a uniform kind of atmosphere. Are you interested in folk art?
Yosuke: Yes, we are greatly influenced by folk arts and folk toys. I think folk toys are great and affordable art objects created by anonymous craftsmen. There are so many fantastic designs in folk toys, you know! Every time I go to different places in Japan, I can’t resist looking for what’s available in the area. I first started with kites and Daruma dolls by wood workers and recently, I’m into collecting Kokeshi dolls.
Also, your works often feature animals…
Yosuke: Yes, we love animals! And things like folk toys give us those feelings vividly. We would like to inherit that and take it further…
Wonderful! In the future, would you like to make something that incorporates the traditions of folk toys?
Yosuke: We’ve been thinking about it for a long time and beside folk toys, we also hope to spread other such ephemeral and fading arts created by common people.
Cochae’s Miki Takeda (right) and Yosuke Jikuhara (left.)
Finally, what’s the appeal of origami?
Yosuke: We’d say that it’s the diversity and the fact that it’s fun to play with origami! Our name Cochae means, “First-timers welcome.” We hope to keep on making things that everyone can enjoy, things for amateurs in a good sense!
Miki and Yosuke of Cochae, thanks very much for giving us such a enjoyable time today!
Recommendation:
Our very own sweet shopPingMag is opening a Cochae shop for one month only! Go, people, and grab some quickly! May the fun origami graphics reach everybody across the world!
13 Comments
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As of December 31, 2008, PingMag and sister site PingMag MAKE are both on extended hiatus, and will not be updated for the foreseeable future. We are eternally grateful for your fantastic support over the years.
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I WANT THE HELLO KITTY SHIRT! where to buy =O
Posted by: Roku on October 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
wow
taking origami to another level!
Posted by: sel on October 8th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
The Funny Face Card looks fun!
Posted by: Tisu Girl on October 9th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Uff that looks really impressing! Much respect for the artists!
Posted by: Corinna TheJunction on October 9th, 2008 at 2:14 am
[...] ผลลัพธ์ที่ออกมา = ????? Pingmag : Cochae : The Graphic Origami Unit [...]
Posted by: – Anpanpon :P blog not bread – » Blog Archive » Origami Collage ! on October 9th, 2008 at 2:19 am
hello kitty should sue them for infringement.
Posted by: hitormi on October 9th, 2008 at 3:17 am
This was an awesome article! I really enjoyed it! Thanks so much!
Posted by: Provi on October 9th, 2008 at 4:19 am
The Hello Kitty stuff was done in collaboration with Sanrio for the Hide&Seek exhibit.
Posted by: Ragnheidur on October 9th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
entertained
am in love with the folded face (’^`)
thanks for sharing..
Posted by: chinger liefde on October 13th, 2008 at 2:49 am
[...] Check out their work along with an interview here. [...]
Posted by: cubeelog » Blog Archive » Cochae origami on October 15th, 2008 at 12:40 am
The mask Yosuke is wearing on the last pic was traditionally used in Fukuoka and is now a popular souvenir in its cookie form.
Posted by: ale/pepino on October 26th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Love this, so simple and endlessly inventive.
Posted by: Sophie on November 24th, 2008 at 5:55 am
[...] Mehr unter: http://pingmag.jp/2008/10/08/cochae/ [...]
Posted by: Origami trifft auf Grafik-Design : JAPANMARKT on January 9th, 2010 at 12:15 pm