Japanese culture seems quite interesting, especially when it comes to its emphasis on art. Having tried my hand at Origami in my childhood and been endlessly fascinated by how simple but strategic folds can result in something magical, the broader notion of Japanese art has had a profound impact on my life. It’s quite a pity that I didn’t take it up more seriously in later stages of development and never got around to advanced versions like wet-folding and box pleating; I even got to meet my childhood idol Tomoko Fuse at an exhibition in Mumbai and show her some of my folded models.

But alas, things look much clearer in hindsight and all “should’ve”s seem amplified. Nevertheless I’d still argue that it’s never too late to restart such hobbies and maybe 2020 is a prompt for me to get back to Origami! Another thing on the list.

In general, Japanese art does seem to have more depth to it than meets the eye. The idea of Kintsugi really fascinated me and I think there’s a strange sense of beauty in it - the traditional sense of “oh, it’s broken, so it needs fixing” being replaced by something that attempts to make the broken item more beautiful than the original - it’s just so oddly appealing. That the history of the object is embedded in its cracks - it personifies the object in a way in which one can almost feel what it’s like to be it.

Japanese art is certainly a blanket term and I’m quite sure there are lots of intricacies in its various forms - maybe it’s a bias but something about it is really gripping. But Origami is specific, and a good point from which to jump into it.

Now I know what my next hobby is. Time to start folding again.