Stuff contributed by AaronCK

Nikkei Uncovered: a poetry column

Half-empty/half-full

Aaron Caycedo-Kimuratraci kato-kiriyama

As we welcome 2024, we welcome another new writer to the Nikkei Uncovered space. We have three pieces of prose and poetry from Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, a Bloomfield CT based writer. The pieces here remind us of the transition through the in-between, what is at once behind and in front of …

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Reinventing Yourself: An Origami Lesson

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

Want or need to reinvent yourself? Unfold, examine the real you, refold accordingly.

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Swim at Your Own Risk

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

I wholeheartedly believe in taking risks, but it’s always a good idea to assess your limitations first.

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Origami Facts of Life

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

I’m amazed at how origami designers conceive complicated, intricate figures, and I love a good origami diagram that documents this process. An accurate diagram is a work of art in itself.

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Be Yourself

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

To quote Sting, “be yourself no matter what they say.” – from “Englishman in New York”

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Off to College

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

It’s back to school, and for some, it’s off to college for the first time. My friend, who got a tattoo when she went away to college, admonished her undergrad niece not to do drugs but, to my knowledge, didn’t say anything about anything else.

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Way Too Much Time on My Hands?

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

Sometimes when I do something playfully creative, someone will say that I have “way too much time” on my hands. First of all, it doesn’t always take a lot of time to implement creative ideas, and if it does, what better way to spend my time!

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Paper Fortune Teller

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

Although it may not be a traditional figure like the tsuru (crane), the paper fortune teller we used to make as kids is technically origami (“folded paper”). So, apologies to everyone I ever told that it wasn’t (most recently my friend, Angela). Apparently it appeared in the book Fun with …

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Dare to Dream

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

I wish I could fold an origami crane that can actually fly.

The Real Lives of Origami Figures

Complex Personalities

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura

When my co-worker Cherie left for another gig, I made her an origami zebra that she named Erin. The figure is a beautiful and complex one-paper design originally created by John Montroll and can be found in his book African Animals in Origami.

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About

I'm a visual artist, poet, and sansei born in Santa Rosa, CA. I now live in Connecticut with my wife Luisa and work as a graphic designer. Although I'm primarily a painter, I love drawing cartoons. Cartoons: www.infjoe.wordpress.com, Paintings: www.aaroncaycedokimura.com.

Nikkei interests

  • community history
  • family stories
  • festival/matsuri
  • Japanese/Nikkei food
  • Japantowns
  • taiko

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