"JAL Origami Airplane Class" - a project for children and seniors, sponsored by the Hokuryu Town Board of Education

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

On Saturday, June 29th, the "JAL Origami Airplane Class," a children and elderly interaction event sponsored by the Hokuryu Town Board of Education, was held at the Hokuryu Town Rural Environment Improvement Center (gymnasium).

Interaction project between children and the elderly

Twenty-two children who volunteered to participate and 11 members of the Senior Citizens Interaction Promotion Committee had a great time making origami airplanes.

JAL Origami Airplane Class

The "JAL Origami Airplane Class" is a project that began in May 2022 as part of the JAL Group's next-generation development program, Sky Education®.

There will be instruction on how to fold and fly origami airplanes, test throws, and a mini competition.

JAL instructors

The instructors gave us detailed instructions.

• Tomo-chan(Tomoko Mori, Director of JAL Asahikawa Airport)
• Chinoken(Kenichi Chino, Assistant Manager, JAL Asahikawa Airport Maintenance Office)
• Seo-chan(Hiroshi Seo, Assistant Manager, Asahikawa Branch, Hokkaido Branch of JAL)
• Mari-chan(JAL Asahikawa Airport Operations)

Kenichi Chino, instructor at the Origami Airplane Association (Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture)

"I am running this origami airplane class with the hope that it will help get people interested in airplanes, and that through origami airplanes we can have fun together with the children of the future, and that it will also be a learning experience for the children," says Chiken.

22 children participated

11 participating members of the Fureai Promotion Committee

Three ways to fold an origami airplane

1. Navel Airplane JALL Type
2. Sky King
3. Squid Plane

Tips on how to fold

1. Fold carefully and evenly from left to right. After folding, try not to touch it too much to avoid getting oils from your hands on it.
2. Leave a gap of 1-2 mm between the folds
3. The ideal finished airplane should have wings that form a Y shape when you hold it in your hand and fly it, and a T shape when you let it go!

free flight

Everyone can take free flight with their completed paper airplanes!
Paper airplanes are surprisingly difficult to make and don't fly straight!

"Try to throw it by gently pushing it forward," advises Chinoken.

Mini competition for seniors and children

A competition where children and seniors fly drones together and measure the distance they fly!
The children were divided into groups based on their grade level and flew alongside the older members.

Who flew the farthest?
Measure the distance flown!

Competition Results

The top five winners will be presented with a certificate and a prize: an original Chinoken paper airplane.

🌻 Winner:Congratulations to Amo Fukuda, a second-grader at Shinryu Elementary School, who ran 10m 20cm!

Commemorative photo

souvenir

Original Big Paper Plane Flight

Chinoken launched JAL's original big paper airplane from the second floor.

"It's made of paper, so please be gentle when you hold it so it doesn't break!" says Tochinken.

With boundless love, gratitude, and prayers, we offer our heartfelt thanks to the Origami Airplane Class, where participants can experience new discoveries and learning about the sky through paper airplanes, and where elderly people and children can enjoy and experience an unknown world together.

YouTube videos

Other photos

Click here for 92 photos from the "JAL Origami Airplane Class," an event for children and seniors to interact with each other.

Related Sites

◇ Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi (Photography and editing assistance: Noboru Terauchi)