How did Froebelian paper-folding lessons reach Japanese schools?

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Red origami crane with outstretched wings and pointed beak, displayed against a solid black background. — origami An origami crane.

Froebelian paper-folding lessons were introduced into Japan and its school system around 1880. These lessons were based on the educational methods of German educator Friedrich Froebel, the inventor of the kindergarten, who championed paper folding for its pedagogical benefits, including the teaching of geometric principles.1

It was around this same time that the term origami began to be used to describe the practice of recreational paper folding. Some theories suggest that the adoption of the word origami—replacing earlier terms like orikata—may have been linked to the kindergarten movement, as it was potentially easier for schoolchildren to spell.12