ePaperCraft SHIRYU, Award-Winning Japanese Papercraft Software, Launches on Steam

Inazuma Inc. today announced the global launch of ePaperCraft SHIRYU on Steam, following its earlier release on the Microsoft Store. The software, created by Takahiro Yonemura, Ph.D. (Engineering), allows users to design 3D models on a PC, automatically unfold them into printable templates, and build the physical objects using paper, scissors, and glue. It includes over 70 ready-to-build models, and users retain commercial rights to their original creations.

SHIRYU's roots trace back to the original "Paper Dragon" software, which was selected as a Jury Recommended Work at the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival, hosted by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The underlying research was published in the NICOGRAPH technical journal. The Steam release is an expanded successor refined over more than two decades. It 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. The software emphasizes the hands-on pleasure of designing, printing, and assembling papercrafts. Yonemura, also a published manga author in the United States with titles like "Beast Code" (eigoMANGA, 2022) and "Recycled Brain" (eigoMANGA, 2025-2026), holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and lectures at a Japanese university. He stated, "A scientist's job is to turn imagination into something real. SHIRYU turns a screen into scissors, glue, and a creature on your desk."

ePaperCraft SHIRYU is available on Steam and the Microsoft Store. More information can be found on the official website.