You Have to Squeeze, Drop, and Tap These Handmade Paper Toys for Fun Surprises

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Japanese designer Haruki Nakamura brings his artwork to life through the time-honored tradition of paper crafting. Using his masterful understanding of paper engineering, he constructs whimsical creatures and dolls that move in surprising ways. By the simple act of tipping, poking, or dropping them on a table, they reveal their true selves. Sometimes, they become something brand new, expose several more legs, or retreat to the comfort of their protective shells. You don’t know how they’ll react until you play with them, which is all part of the fun.

Nakamura is a self-taught paper crafter whose primary goal is to entertain people with his work. He has been doing so since 2000, just a few years after he first picked up a book called Paper Craft Techniques Encyclopedia. He used that text to hone his skills, but he really began pursuing the field in earnest after he saw the joy that his paper toys brought people. Nakamura continues to keep this in mind when he builds his recent creations, coupling the engineering with witty character design to add an even more playful edge to his work.

In keeping with his desire to make others happy, Nakamura sells his paper engineering as kits on his website. Unfortunately, the designer only sells in Japan, but there is hope for those abroad—his popular Penguin Bomb toy is available on Amazon.