The origin of the Sonobe module is unknown. Two possible creators are Toshie Takahama and Mitsunobu Sonobe, who published several books together and both members of Sōsaku Origami Gurūpu '67.
The earliest appearance of a Sonobe module was in a cube attributed to Mitsunobu Sonobe in a Sosaku the Sōsaku Origami Gurūpu '67's magazine Origami in Issue 2 (1968)