Lanterns (choochin)

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Lanterns with Daruma, Daruma Choochin
だるま提灯



This one is from Hakone.

This type of lantern with Daruma is a common souvenir found in many tourist areas. I have some from Kamakura, Miyajima and other famous places.

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On this page, you can click on the arrow and see the whole process of making a paper lantern. It takes a while to upload.

だるま提灯の作成行程
提灯が仕上がるまでの作業工程を説明しています。
骨組みの作成から紙貼りまでを紹介しています。
http://www14.plala.or.jp/chouchin/koutei/koutei.htm

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From a collector of lanterns, here is one from Tsumagome/Magome, Nagano.
妻籠・馬籠（長野）　だるま型提灯



http://www.lcv.ne.jp/~surgek/tyoutinmagome.htm

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Two modern lanterns, with electrical fixtures for indoors.



　『招福だるま提灯』, 有限会社　　三好商店
Good Luck Daruma From Miyoshi Store, Takamatsu, Shikoku
http://www.netwave.or.jp/~cyouchin/interior.htm


His homepage about lanterns in English
http://www.netwave.or.jp/~cyouchin/paperlantern2.htm

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During the Winter Festival in Nakashibetsu, Hokkaido, lanterns of Snowman Daruma were used.
なかしべつ冬まつり



http://www.nakamap.or.jp/tiikikanko/kanko/fuyumaturi/27th.htm

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During the winter festival of Takasaki town, the town of origin of the modern Daruma dolls, there are also Daruma lanterns made every year by the children.
町の通りの街灯にも子供たちが作っただるま提灯が飾られ、祭囃子の練習も始まっています。



http://www.pref.gunma.jp/g/02/nigiwai/genki-news-15.htm

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Here is a Japanese Daruma Lantern in the city of Seoul, Korea.
http://www.pusannavi.com/daynews/daily_photo.html?id=234

I also found some simple lanterns, made in China, for many modern events in Japan.

In the story about the Blowfish (fugu, Japan) you find a lantern made out of a dead fish!

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Quote from
Japanese Interiors, Paper Lanterns -- chochin

A "chochin" is a hand crafted paper lantern made of bamboo and Japanese washi paper. Well, at least it used to be. Now, of course, you can find factory-made plastic ones that look exactly like the real thing. Chochin cast a serene glow, simple and elegant.

Chochin lanterns are very common throughout Japan. Restaurants hang them near their entrance, indicating that they are open for business. They are generally less formal, and more utilitarian, than other traditional decorations like hanging scrolls.

To a western eye, they are perhaps one of the most widely recognizable Japanese decorations, next to, perhaps, woodblock prints or folding screens.

Chochin containing a candle were widely used during the Edo period (1603-1869) as a portable light source. During the Edo period the night-time was darker than it is today and people had to travel on foot. Odawara Chochin was both useful and psychologically reassuring because of the belief that it protected people against evil spirits. For these reasons, it was widely used, particularly by travelers from the beginning of the 18th century.

The Odawara chochin is perhaps the most well-known. Named after a person who was living in Odawara, now a city in Kanagawa, the prefecture just south of Tokyo, the Odawara chochin have three distinguishing features.

They are collapsible, small and light enough to fit in the bosom of a kimono.
They are durable and can be used in inclement weather.
It is believed that they are able to protect people against evil spirits, especially when constructed of materials gathered from sacred locations.

http://www.japanese-interiors.com/japanese-lanterns.htm

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"Chochin" was a kind of lantern at Japan in the olden times. At those days, "Chochin" served as a flash light when people went out at night. Japanese Lantern-"Chochin" made of a bamboo frame with paper covering. A candle burns inside. Today, "Chochin" is mainly used in festival at various Japanese towns. The design, pinted picture of Geisha makes it suitable for home decor.
http://www.existenz.co.jp/fu2.htm


About Lanterns from Odawara, Odawara Chochin
Chochin (Japanese lantern) widely used during the Edo period (1603-1869) is portable light that use candle as a light source. Japanese paper is applied to a spiral-shaped coil of finely split bamboo, and rings are fitted to the top and bottom of the Chochin so it can be collapsed and folded flat.
http://web-japan.org/atlas/crafts/cra10.html


Odawara Lantern

In the pun-language of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters, this was also an expression for an old man's penis.

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Big Lantern Festival . Oochoochin Matsuri
at Suwa Shrine and other places
大提灯（おおちょうちん）諏訪神社

. . . CLICK here for Photos !



Gifu Choochin, Gifu Chochin, Lanterns from Gifu
岐阜提灯
With delicate handpainted patterns. Almost like Bon Choochin.

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Sanuki Choochin, Sanuki Chochin, Lanterns from Sanuki
讃岐提灯
With three layers, innermost with dragon, middle with sutras, outside with pattern



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Lanterns for O-Bon, bonchoochin 盆提灯

There are two types, to hang and to stand. Usually they are made to turn around and around, producing nice shadows on the paper screens of the walls and windows of a typical Japanese home.
They serve the same purpose as the fires at the entrance, to welcome and later to send off the souls of the ancestors.

Standing Lanterns

http://www.butsudanya.co.jp/shop_chochin2.html

Hanging Lanterns

http://www.butsudanya.co.jp/goods_chochin1.html

Link in Japanese
盆提灯はなぜ飾るのですか？ nadonado
http://www.butsudanya.co.jp/bon_chochin5.html

Preparing bamboo lanterns for o-bon
This time they use halfcut bamboo pieces with candles to produce a natural light.
Look at the photos here:
http://pictures.nicolas.delerue.org/japan/200408_Nara_Obon/Nara_Obon_5352.html

Read more about O-Bon as a kigo for early autumn for a haiku.
Bon Festival (o-bon) お盆

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ANDON, lanterns of old

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To the Daruma Museum Index
.. Daruma Museum

World Kigo Database

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