What earlier Japanese names were used for the art of paper folding?
Before the term origami became the standard name for the art of paper folding in the 20th century, several other names were used in Japan. These earlier terms included orikata, orisue, and orimono.1
It is important to note that the word origami itself was used in Japan prior to its modern association with recreational paper folding; historically, it referred to a folded certificate or document of authentication. The transition to using origami for the art form is often linked to the late-19th-century kindergarten movement in Japan, as the term may have been easier for schoolchildren to write, or it may have been adopted to align with descriptive names used in other languages, such as the English "paper folding" or the German "Papierfalten".1