Our story
MATOI makes place card holders, favors and small table pieces from Japanese washi paper. Everything is folded to order — which is slower than it could be, and the reason each order still passes through one pair of hands before it is packed.
The paper
Washi is made from long plant fibers, so it folds without cracking and holds a crease the way ordinary paper cannot. Yuzen papers add the patterns — small florals, waves, seasonal motifs — printed in a tradition that predates the weddings we make them for.
Because these papers are produced in limited runs, our colors change with what we can source. It is the one part of this work we do not fully control.
The folding
Every crane is folded by hand. No crane is die-cut or machine-pressed, which is why the wings sit at slightly different angles and why a set of one hundred takes the time it takes. The papers, the printed cards and the glass come from Japanese makers we buy from — the folding, the finishing and the packing are ours.
In Japan the crane — tsuru — stands for happiness, longevity, peace and good fortune. It is a quiet thing to place at each seat, and it is the reason we started with this shape rather than another.
From the way you went out of your way to get special patterns to match her wedding theme colors, to making sure we had them on time (all the way from Japan!!), to the quality of the packing and the cranes themselves - flawless!!
Wendy · Etsy review, September 2026
The order
Most orders begin with a question — a color to match, a guest count that keeps changing, a date that is closer than anyone would like. We answer those before anything is folded.
What people tell us afterwards tends to come back to the same two things: the care in the packing, and the back-and-forth beforehand. That is the part of this work we are most careful about.
Grouped in bags before they are boxed
About MATOI
MATOI began after a spell of studying in Canada. Seeing Japanese paper from the outside — washi, yuzen, the quiet paper art most of us grow up beside — made it obvious how beautiful it is, and how rarely it reaches a table abroad.
Origami had been there all along. Folding is something I have done since I was small, long before it was work.
Today we fold from a studio in Chiba, Japan, as a team of four.
The part we will not compromise on is the paper. Whatever the table is for — a wedding, a party, a restaurant — we go looking for the washi that belongs with it, and we keep looking until we find one that does.
Folding in the studio, Chiba
Long-fibered Japanese paper. Folds cleanly, holds its shape, and ages well.
Folded by hand, one piece at a time, in the studio.
Cord tied in knots that traditionally carry a wish for the person receiving it.
What people say
A wedding at the Japanese gardens
★★★★★“Thank you so much for helping to make my daughter's wedding absolutely perfect!! The paper cranes were a huge hit, and the perfect compliment to her celebration at the Japanese gardens. You were truly a pleasure to work with, and I could not be more pleased with our cranes!! From the way you went out of your way to get special patterns to match her wedding theme colors, to making sure we had them on time (all the way from Japan!!), to the quality of the packing and the cranes themselves - flawless!! Thanks again for everything.”
“I love the minimal use of plastic in packaging, opting to wrap in recycled fabric. The little gifts were definitely icing on the cake. Thank you so very much Rui! I love everything!”
“the item was shipped in time from Japan. We experiences big delays with the USPS delivery system, but the seller was extremely helpful and communicative throughout the entire process. Would buy from her again!”
The MATOI range
Place card holders, favors, table pieces and small gifts — all folded from the same papers.
