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 Four Conventions in a Week: Prof Jun Mitani Visits Israel and the West BankPaul Jackson In December 2014, the Japanese paper folder Prof Jun Mitani visited Israel as the guest of the Israeli Origami Center. In the space of just a week, Prof Mitani participated in four conventions! We thought this was such an unusual occurrence – crazy, even – that we should report on it. Here then, is our diary of this hectic schedule. Wednesday 17th : At 09:30 Miitani-san arrives at Ben Gurion airport, At 12:00 he gives an interview about his work to the Ha´aretz newspaper, the premier quality newspaper in Israel, and then we all relax for the rest of the day. Convention One – the 7th Israeli Origami Center Convention.   We leave home at 07:30 for the convention venue in the forest west of Jerusalem, arriving at 09:00. Volunteers are already hard at work readying the venue, a purpose-built conference center and hotel, which we have to ourselves. Mitani-san gives 2 workshops during the day. Friday 19th and Saturday 20th Days 2 and 3 of the convention. More workshops. And more! About ninety people come. We leave at 18:00 on Saturday evening and journey to Tel Aviv, where we live.
Sunday 21st Convention Two – Origami day for teachers of Math.  At 08:30 we arrive at the Pisga (Teacher Centre) in Herzliyya, to be met by 130 teachers from Elementary Schools and kindergartens, having breakfast. Mitani-san has an exhibition of his work at the Pisga, which will remain for a year. Touchingly, the Pisga have named the day an ´Origametria Conference´ in deference to Miri´s educational programme which uses origami to teach geometry. The Supervisor for all Elementary Math in Israel is present, and to our intense relief, is pleased with the workshops we all give and captivated by the charm of our special guest. Later, we travel to Jerusalem for a well-earned break. Monday 22nd We have a free day, showing Mitani san many of the Holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem and later taking him to the Dead Sea, where he floats and folds …and later rides a camel! In the evening we return home.
Tuesday 23rd Conference Three – Origami and Design. n the morning Mitani-san gives two presentations to a total of 230 students of Design at Shenkar College of Design  In the morning Mitani-san gives two presentations to a total of 230 students of Design at Shenkar College of Design
Tuesday 23rd Conference Four – Origami and Design. In the evening to 270 students of Design and professional designers at the Holon Institute of Technology.         At 09:00 Mitani san is collected by the Deputy Cultural Attaché from the Japanese Embassy and driven in a diplomatic car through checkpoints into the West Bank, where he lectures to 75 students of Computer Science at the Palestinian University of Al Quds. He returns to us the same evening. at 12:00, apparently catching site of Santa Claus at 30,000 feet!  We are grateful to Prof Mitani for his cooperation and good spirit throughout the week. Although all the events in which he participated were a great success, we felt we asked too much of him and perhaps also of ourselves. Still, it was great to see the months of planning and the overcoming of many obstacles end with such positive results and such a large number of participants. Thank you Jun-san. You are a star!
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