Origami Palooza 2025 & 2026

Origami Palooza is annual one day event organized by community in San Francisco Japantown, which includes Paper Tree. Despite living in the nearby city since 2018, I've only heard about it from other EBOC participants back in 2025. The event takes place in Hotel Kabuki in Japantown. There would be classes, some free and some require payment. In the adjacent building, there is a mall where volunteers open tables to teach origami to the public. There are also competitions with prizes.

I actually went to there in 2025, but didn't have the chance to write it up. I went there again in 2026, so this post will cover both events.

2025

After closely following Paper Tree's instagram, I got the announcement about the event's details. The special guest would be Robert Lang and John Collins, where they would offer free and paid classes. There will also be two categories of competition:

1. Robert Lang: submit models designed by him
2. Open: submit anything

We would need to fill in form and ship or drop off our model before the event. I prefer not to ship model, but also hate to drive all the way there. Actually that week I had just replaced my bicycle's brake pad, and that got me thinking, why not bike to nearest train station, bring the bike along the ride, then bike around SF. Sounds like "I'm going on an adventure!".

I have used up my competitive spirit in the younger days, so it's rare for me to have any competitive spirit, and including this occasion. I feel like the nature of origami competition is unpredictable. What kind of piece is actually favored? Could it be the one that tells a story with composition? Or the one that breaks the limit of origami by cramming as most details as possible? Or abstract piece with elegant curved folds? Or standard model that is executed flawlessly with the right paper? Nobody knows!

So I would not create new work for this event. Instead, the submission would be my frigatebird which were folded out of the papers from Paper Tree few months ago. There would be zero expectations for winning, I am just participating out of the moral obligation as local origami designer.

Transport preparation

On the way to SF via Caltrain

While waiting for Paper Tree to open, I biked from train station to Golden Gate Park using random path. Somehow stumbled upon a bison enclosure, didn't know they have bison in this region. Very nice ride along the often protected bike lane or bike trail.

Early morning in Golden Gate Park

Bison padlock

Couple weeks later I went to SF again for the event. The frigatebird was exhibited but not properly mounted in the stand I provided, so it kind of looked unrecognizable when laid down. Not salty, but it is understandable to not be able to set the competition model exhibit neatly when it is the staff who does it. Typically it takes plenty of time for me to set up exhibit in convention. So the lesson for future is, bring a permanently mounted model that can be displayed instantly, or just bring model that can stand on its own.

There were the folks from Berkeley, and many others whom I didn't recognize. They did seem like experienced complex origami folder, as they spoke about work by Hideo Komatsu, Shuki Kato, etc. I hung out around the mall and stayed for the free class by Robert Lang about origami's state of the art.

Common folding area

John Collins's area

Lang's lecture

The event concluded at 16.00, with the competition winner announced. I did not win, but as there's zero expectation, I was not disappointed or anything. Just enjoy the event for the social aspect and discount for Paper Tree merchandise. I also get to see the legendary Kirigami Lang by Maple Syrup in Paper Tree.

Eventually in PCOC 2026 I met these guys again, and we properly introduced ourselves. Turns out we work in the same industry.

2026

I saw the Origami Palooza flyer in San Jose Nikkei Matsuri, with Boice and John Collins as the special guest. The competition category was similar, there was Boice model, and open model. The difference was this time we're allowed to drop off the model before 9 at the day of the event. Great, just a single trip to SF.

Also somehow, someway, the origami scene in this city has become lively. I think it can be broken down into several things happened at once:

1. The surge of incoming experienced folders into the area like Chris, Brandon, and Malcom
2. The kids regularly attending EBOC grew up and their skills rapidly mature
3. Events like PCOC and EBOC have attracted folders who have been folding on their own to connect with the community. With two consecutive PCOC and four consecutive years of EBOC, the community has grown large enough.

So this year's Origami Palooza was an exciting one. Bunch of us arrived before 9 to drop off the competition model and we hung out in the event lobby. Many more came around 11 and we could use the mall area as the committee kindly gave free folding space. We had lunch which doubled as "networking event" where whenever someone talked about what they were up to, the other be like "have you talked to X? That person is doing something similar".

After lunch I went to the exhibition room. That year there was dedicated room for exhibit instead of in the corner of the class room. The table surrounding walls were filled with competition entries, and in the center of the room there were Boice's exhibit. The visitors engaged me with conversation and it's always nice to share them the complex origami scene and explain how a model was designed and folded.

Boice's exhibit

Boice competition entries

Open competition entry (1)

Open competition entry (2)

Some submissions that caught my attention.

That day I planned to visit Chinatown, because apparently the calligraphy store which carries wenzhou I found couple years ago had disappeared from Google Maps. The store is called "New Unique Co". Worst scenario is they went out of business, in which case I have to scour Chinatown for another store. Other participant joined me despite my warning that there's no guarantee that we'd find the paper.

We walked to Chinatown and began entering every single shop that is full of random merchandise, showed them wenzhou paper tube, and asked whether they sell it. Eventually we arrived to the street where New Unique Co was, and surprisingly, it was still there. The same aunty was still there along with tubes of wenzhou. I told her that her business disappeared from Google Maps, and she explained it might be because she refused to provide some data to Google. Then she asked if I could help put it back, which I agreed to. She gave us 25% discount and we walked back to Japantown carrying couple of 1 m and 70 cm wenzhou tubes like wandering samurai.

The prized stash

Google maps links: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Go7xKJsykPnfrVgT9

Back in Japantown, we spent the short amount of time before the event concluded with competition winner. As with last year I had zero expectation to win, but surprisingly my trapdoor spider won the 1st place for Open category. The award came with certificate, tons of lokta paper, and origami books that fortunately I haven't bought.

John Collin's signature is cool

The spoils of war

We moved to Japantown plaza to hang out and chat while waiting for Boice's book signing to finish. It took long time as there were plenty of "fan-Boice" lining up. It was quite late already so I went back before it got too dark. Took some time to load the unexpected cargo to the bike.

Return trips' haul

As usual once arrived home, I had ice cold Clausthaler. Drinking it late night after long day of convention and bike ride was great way to wind down. It has became my post origami convention ritual.

Couple weeks later I went back to SF to grab the competition certificate, and pay a visit to New Unique Co to take pictures of the stores for Google Maps entry. Unexpectedly on same address in Google Maps, there is already a business called 'Hoang Jewelry Co", and I asked the store owner about it. Turns out they changed name. So all I had to do was to update the business details like website, opening hours, more pictures, etc.