Origami. A Japanese word, huh? It's history? Well, origami goes back to when the Chinese invented paper hundreds of years ago. The Chinese most likely folded paper. Now, how did origami get a Japanese word, not a Chinese word, you ask? One of the most famous origami creations ever (the crane) came from Japan. For many years the crane was considered the most advanced model ever. After origami spread to the rest of the world, people were wondering about a name for this art. We looked to Japan, the creator of the origami crane. They gave us origami, which came from Japanese ori, to fold, and kami, paper. Origami has developed beyond the crane, and there are many models now that some say surpass its advance, yet it is almost inarguably the most elegant model around.