Pepakura is a loanword and comes from an English word papercraft. So it is not a Japanese traditional paper art like the well-known origami, but more of a "japanizing ray" hitting the traditional cut-and-glue craft that has been known since childhood years ago.
Pepakura can be used to make really impressive figures, depending on what is placed in the model taitoabout the number of ks - the more meticulously you have to fold, the more difficult it is to get the crafting done successfully. Success, on the other hand, is of course a relative concept, because every craftsman has his own approach and goals - there is no wrong way to tinker with pepakura, having fun is the main thing in the hobby.
The easiest way to get started is to simply download and print your favorite templates and start bustling! Of course, Otaku is most interested in the characters from their own favorite series, and these can be found most as files created with Tama Software's Pepakura-Designer. Designer includes both Pepakura Editor and Viewer. The editor's software license is subject to a fee, but printing the Viewer and ready-made characters with the included Pepakura Viewer is free.
We will focus mainly on the Viewer here, as using the editor in practice also requires some knowledge in the field of 3D models and files, and this is not intended to be discussed here.
Pepakura Designer 4 is available for free download on the Tama Software website:
https://tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/download/index.html
In the meantime, it may be appropriate to put the word about access rights and user responsibility again - This article is intended to be informative and not to advertise or encourage readers to install any programs. Pepakura editor and viewer are programs developed and maintained by third parties, each of which is used at its sole discretion and responsibility. Always read and abide by the terms of use and agreements of the software providers. Finanime is not affiliated in any way with Tama Software ltd and shall not be liable or liable for any damages that may result from the use of third party software.
Viewer is extremely user-friendly, after installation, open the downloaded character model file with the program and select "print". The use of the viewer is not necessarily limited to printing, but it also serves as a great help in crafting, you can click on any part of the 3D iron wire model of the character and the program will highlight it in the print form - and vice versa, the part clicked on the form will be highlighted in the model. This way you can quickly check what belongs to what.
A few words about copyright and more; figures and other registered products are of course still the property of the respective trademark owners, so pepakura models and files made by hobbyists are invariably shared among hobbyists for free. In Pepakura, the purpose is not to make money with an unlicensed "product", but to show respect and simply be a fan. So everyone too Finanimen pages (in our online store, digital products) Pepakura templates are always free to download - with author information and origin marked whenever possible. If the author later denies distribution, we will respect this and permanently delete the character from the server, so you should always retrieve your favorites immediately. Our intention is not to start collecting a huge file bank, but rather to help you experiment with pepakura - as a rule, the creators of the models hope that they will be downloaded from their own pages.
There is also a lot on the Internet, e.g. If possible, we will try to put together Japanese enthusiasts' sites that inspire you to work on pepakura on our site - if you have found something you liked, would you like to share it with us?
That's really all you need to know about pepakura to get started - comfortable craft moments!