Traditional Japanese Paper Lanterns

Chochin lanterns are an established part of Japanese culture. They are paper lanterns, often brightly colored, and handcrafted using traditional equipment and techniques that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Most lanterns are about a foot in diameter, although larger ones can be produced for particularly special occasions. These can reach sizes of up to five or six feet are truly spectacular.

A traditional chochin, crafted by hand, will take about half a day to make. It will be painted with delicate designs and will last for up to a year, especially if it is well cared for and any minor damage such as small tears or broken ribs are repaired.

The chochin makers are highly skilled, and have often been trained to their craft by a parent who was also a lantern maker. Some of the most ancient lines of chochin craftsmen go back five or more generations in the trade, and often work with the same tools that have been passed down from father to son. They have been selling lanterns in the same stores for hundreds of years, and their workshops are filled with well worn tools, their handles smoothed with use. Stacks of lanterns and of paper waiting to be turned into new lanterns fill the workroom with rainbows of color, while the craftsman sits, head bowed over his work, creating a new masterpiece every time.

These traditional craftsmen are continuing a practice that has been performed in Japan since at least the tenth century, when temples are known to have used chochin. At this time they were of more practical use than they are today, being a useful means of moving light around. They were often displayed at the entrances of buildings, particularly stores and temples. When there was need of a light to help someone home through the night, the chochin would be taken on the end of a pole and carried before them. At this time there were probably thousands of stores across Japan that were dedicated to making and selling chochin. There are far fewer chochin makers today, and many of their customers have been deserting them in order to buy cheap plastic lanterns instead.

These plastic alternatives are far more durable than the paper lanterns, although much less care has been put into their production. They are often rather garish, but customers still favor them because of their low prices. They no longer care about getting a product that has been crafted to the highest standards and produced using traditional methods.

Creating the beautiful paper lanterns is a difficult and delicate task, and the few chochin makers who still know how to do this may be among the last of their kind. Few young people today are willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to make chochin when they know that it will be increasingly difficult to run a profitable business. The concentration and patience that is required to learn this trade are not attractive to the young people of Japan. Being a true craftsman requires absolute dedication and the determination to create something perfect.