Inazuma Inc. announced today that ePaperCraft SHIRYU, the digital papercraft design software created by Takahiro Yonemura, Ph.D. (Engineering), is now available worldwide on Steam, following its release on the Microsoft Store. The software lets anyone design 3D models on a PC, automatically unfold them into printable templates, and build the finished object in the real world with paper, scissors, and glue. It ships with more than 70 ready-to-build models, and users retain the right to use their original creations commercially.
The software is the expanded successor to the original version, known in Japan as "Paper Dragon," which 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. SHIRYU has been refined over more than two decades of continuous development and has been used successfully by elementary school students while leaving room for careful manual work and inventive model design by hobbyists, educators, makers, and artists.
Notably, no generative AI was used to create the included models or the program code. In an era of instant generation, SHIRYU is built around the opposite pleasure: designing something yourself, printing it, and holding it in your hands. This emphasis on manual craftsmanship and individual creativity sets it apart from many modern design tools.
SHIRYU's developer is no newcomer to the American market. Yonemura is the author of the sci-fi manga "Beast Code" (eigoMANGA, 2022) and "Recycled Brain" (eigoMANGA, 2025-2026), both published commercially 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," said Yonemura.
The implications of this release are significant for educators, hobbyists, and creators. In an educational context, SHIRYU offers a tangible way to teach 3D design principles without expensive equipment or specialized software. For hobbyists and makers, it provides a low-cost entry point into physical model creation, with the added benefit of commercial rights for original designs. The software's availability on Steam, a major digital distribution platform, makes it accessible to a global audience, potentially spurring a resurgence of interest in physical papercraft as a complement to digital design.
ePaperCraft SHIRYU is now available on Steam and the Microsoft Store. More information can be found on the official website.
