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Last updated 8/1/2025

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The information on this page is mainly drawn from an article by Satoshi Takagi, 'A Bibliographical Introduction to the Works of Nakajima Taneji', which was published in Tanteidan magazine 65 of March 2001. I am grateful to Nobuko Okabe for explaining to me what it says. Unfortunately this article does not give any biographical information about Nakajima and I have not succeeded in finding any elsewhere. It is, however, clear, from the information that Takagi does give, that Nakashima was a prolific author and paperfolding designer, and that his work deserves to be much better known.

The cover of a set of '24 sheets of Kawaii Origami paper featuring the enduring designs of creative origami artist, Nakajima Taneji and reprinted by Cochae, a contemporary origami artist duo', on sale on the internet, gives Nakajima's dates of birth and death as 1894 and 1954. I have not been able to verify this information from other sources.

Kunihiko Kasahara has said that Nakajima never married and did not have children (information from Nobuko Okabe).

Nakajima's published books are listed in the Chronology below. Takagi says that Nakajima stated that the 'new origami models' in books authored by Soichi Yokoi and Setsuzo Otake were also his creations. (I do not know the titles or publication dates of these books.)

Takagi also says that articles by Nakajima appeared in various newspapers and magazines: i.e. Shojo Sekai (a magazine for girls) (published by Hakubunkan), Fujin Sekai (a magazine for women) (published by Jitsugyo no Nippon-sha), Shufu no Tomo (a magazine for housewives) (Shufu no Tomo-sha), Asahi Graph (Tokyo Asahi Shimbun-sha), Kodomo Asahi (Osaka Asahi Shimbun-sha, Kodomo Tekisuto (Text for children) (Nippon Hoso Kyokai), and Kodomo no Kuni (Tokyo-sha), but does not provide information about which issues these articles appeared in.

At present, the majority of the links on this page lead to Source Pages that only contain the briefest of outline information. If you want to get a feel for Nakajima's work you should look at Shin origami-zaiku sanko-sho (middle). The information on this page is taken from a copy of the work held in the library of the Museo del Origami in Colonia, Uruguay, and is used by kind permission of Laura Rozenberg.

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Chronology

1930

Publication of 'Sosaku Ori-bina-shu' (Creative Origami Hina dolls).

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1931

Publication of 'Origami Zaiku Sankosho' (Reference book of Origami Craft)

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1932

Publication of 'Shin origami-zaiku sanko-sho' (New Origami Crafts Reference Book) in three volumes, upper, middle and lower. Each volume contains 20-22 pages, with 11-12 models per volume.

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Publication of 'Origami Zaiku Tehodoki’ (Origami Craft Instruction). This book contains just 16 pages.

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Publication of 'Saishoku Origami Zaiku no Kyouju-yo Kakejiku' (24 pieces Colored Hanging Scrolls of Origami Craft for Teaching)

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1935

Publication of 'Atarashii Origami Zaiku' (New Origami Crafts) in 3 volumes, upper, middle and lower. Each volume has 20 pages.

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Publication of 'Jido Origami-sho' (Origami book for Children) in 3 volumes, upper, middle and lower.

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1938

Publication of 'Origami Zaiku' (Origami Craft). This work was mentioned in Gershon Legman's 'Bibliography of Paperfolding', published in 1952, where the date of publication is given as 1936.

Three designs abstracted from the work were subsequently published in Issue 4 of Volume 38 of 'School Arts' for December 1938.

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1939 / 1940

Publication of 'Sosaku Origami Jitsubutsu-shu' (Creative Origami Actual Designs) in 6 volumes.

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1943

Publication of 'Shuko Kyozai Origami Zaiku' (Teaching Material for Origami Hand Crafts). Note that Takagi says this is Nakajima's major work ie the culmination of his origami design work and research.

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1952

Publication of Origami no Tsukurikata. This book is not mentioned in Takagi's article but a copy can be found in the National Diet Library. (Information from Nobuko Okabe.)

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