折 - FOLD Paper by Hand

Readings & Meanings:

お（る）

せつ

to break, to fold

Common Usage:

折りたたむ

折り紙

左折

折り目

Examples:

折りたたみ式の傘を持って出かけた。

折り紙は大人の間でも流行っている。

次の信号を左折してください。

彼は普段から折り目の正しい人だ。

Translations:

I went out carrying a compact (folded-up) umbrella.

Origami is even popular among adults.

At the next light, make a left.

He is a polite, straight-laced person, even in his daily life.

Radical:

Hand radical 手 on the left.

斤 on the right, which is a pictograph of an axe approaching an object. We've seen 斤 before.

Seems pretty straightforward.

Actually, the original kanji (1000 BC or so) had two trees on the left, emphasizing cutting wood into two even pieces. Later this kanji became "to fold."

Bonus:

There are many videos on incredibly detailed origami and the masters who can create such things. Here's a Japan Probe post on one such video: http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1116.

But I had to actually embed this one; it's hilarious.

References:

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/ka.htm
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/node/kanji/o.htm