Inazuma Inc. has announced the worldwide release of ePaperCraft SHIRYU on Steam, following its initial availability on the Microsoft Store. The software, developed by Takahiro Yonemura, Ph.D. (Engineering), enables users to design 3D models on a PC, automatically unfold them into printable templates, and construct the physical object using paper, scissors, and glue. SHIRYU includes over 70 ready-to-build models and allows users to retain commercial rights to their original creations.
The original version of the software, 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. Its underlying research was published in the NICOGRAPH technical journal. The Steam release represents an expanded successor refined over more than two decades of continuous development. The software has been used successfully by 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. SHIRYU emphasizes the hands-on process of designing, printing, and assembling physical objects. Yonemura, the developer, is the author of the sci-fi manga 'Beast Code' (eigoMANGA, 2022) and 'Recycled Brain' (eigoMANGA, 2025-2026), both published in the United States and covered by Anime News Network. His English-language book 'The Metal Brain' was distributed to 12 countries under a Japanese government support program in 2019. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and lectures at a university of science and technology in Japan.
'People ask why an engineering PhD writes manga and folds paper. I say: a scientist's job is to turn imagination into something real. SHIRYU turns a screen into scissors, glue, and a creature on your desk,' Yonemura said. 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.
