Inazuma Inc. said ePaperCraft SHIRYU, a digital papercraft design tool created by Takahiro Yonemura, Ph.D. in Engineering, is now available worldwide on Steam after its earlier release on the Microsoft Store. The launch places the niche papercraft tool on one of the largest PC software distribution platforms, which has steadily broadened its catalog beyond games to include creative and educational applications.

The Windows software lets users create 3D models on a PC, automatically unfold those models into printable templates, and then assemble the completed objects using paper, scissors, and glue. On Steam, ePaperCraft SHIRYU is listed in the Design & Illustration, Education, and Utilities categories.

SHIRYU includes more than 70 ready-to-build models. Inazuma said users also retain the right to commercially use original creations they make with the software.

The software traces its roots to an original version known in Japan as “Paper Dragon,” which was selected as a Jury Recommended Work at the 10th Japan Media Arts Festival, an event hosted by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. Research underlying the software was published in the NICOGRAPH technical journal.

According to the announcement, the Steam version is an expanded successor that has been refined through more than two decades of continuous development. The software has been used successfully by elementary school students, while still allowing room for detailed manual work and inventive model design by hobbyists, educators, makers, and artists. Its positioning across both education and maker-oriented categories reflects growing interest in hands-on STEAM tools that bridge digital design and physical craft.

Inazuma also said no generative AI was used to create either the included models or the program code. The company described SHIRYU as being built around the process of designing an object, printing it, and physically holding the finished work.

Yonemura has previously published work in the United States. He is the author of the sci-fi manga “Beast Code” (eigoMANGA, 2022) and “Recycled Brain” (eigoMANGA, 2025-2026), both of which were published commercially in the U.S. and covered by Anime News Network. His English-language book “The Metal Brain” was distributed to 12 countries in 2019 under a Japanese government support program.

Yonemura 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 and through its official website.