Inazuma Inc. today announced the worldwide release of ePaperCraft SHIRYU on Steam, a digital papercraft design software that allows users to create 3D models on a PC, automatically unfold them into printable templates, and build them with paper, scissors, and glue. The software, developed by Takahiro Yonemura, Ph.D. (Engineering), is now available following its earlier release on the Microsoft Store.
SHIRYU ships with over 70 ready-to-build models and grants users the right to commercially use their original creations. The software's original version, known in Japan as "Paper Dragon," was selected as a Jury Recommended Work at the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival hosted by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, with underlying research published in the NICOGRAPH technical journal. The Steam release represents an expanded successor refined over more than two decades of development, suitable for elementary school students while offering depth for hobbyists, educators, makers, and artists.
Notably, no generative AI was used to create the included models or program code, emphasizing the hands-on design process. Yonemura, the developer, is also the author of U.S.-published manga "Beast Code" and "Recycled Brain," and holds a Ph.D. in Engineering, lecturing at a university of science and technology in Japan.
The software is available on Steam at https://store.steampowered.com/app/4912480/ePaperCraft_SHIRYU/ and more information can be found on the official website at https://craft.inazuma7.co.jp/index_en.html.
This launch is significant as it brings a unique, non-AI-driven creative tool to a global audience, bridging digital design and physical crafting, and offering an alternative to instant generation in an era dominated by AI.
