Oshimaya Onda

Chōchin are traditional Japanese lanterns that were originally used as lighting devices powered by candle flames. They illuminated paths at night, served as landmarks at shrines and temples, and functioned as signboards for shops and eateries.
Chōchin are made with washi paper, which has long been believed to absorb negative energy. The lantern’s body—called the hibukuro—is made in an accordion-like structure, allowing it to be folded. The accordion-like form is called jabara. There are various interpretations of the word’s origin, but it has long been associated with harau, or warding off negative energy—linked by sound to ja (negative) and bara (to dispel). For this reason, jabara has traditionally been understood as carrying an auspicious meaning. When a place is purified and good energy circulates, good people naturally gather. Such auspicious beliefs are also embedded in the chōchin.

Asakusa is often closely associated with chōchin, largely because of the iconic giant lantern at Kaminarimon Gate. During festivals, tall takahari chōchin, bow-shaped yumihari chōchin, and lanterns bearing the names of individual neighborhoods are hung throughout the area. These lanterns have long formed part of the everyday scenery of Asakusa.
In the past, Asakusa was home to many theaters, including kabuki playhouses. Rows of chōchin lining their entrances remain an enduring image of the area.
From the Edo period onward, chōchin making developed through a system of specialization. The work of pasting the paper hibukuro was carried out in the Mito area of present-day Ibaraki Prefecture, while lettering and finishing were done in Edo, Tokyo. Asakusa, located along the main routes connecting Edo to the north, was well positioned within this network.
By making use of regional strengths and dividing roles among skilled artisans, chōchin culture took root in Asakusa. In that sense, the close relationship between Asakusa and lanterns was not accidental, but a natural result of geography, craftsmanship, and the rhythms of the city itself.

Our role has traditionally been to hand-paint the lettering on chōchin.
In reality, chōchin making is almost entirely a collaborative craft. The hibukuro is made by specialists; the internal components are produced by others; the top and bottom frames are crafted elsewhere. Each lantern brings together the work of many hands, and each role requires its own successor.
This division of labor developed largely because Edo was a densely populated city. Chōchin were daily necessities, used as lighting before electricity. Demand was so high that no single workshop could handle every step alone.
What is remarkable is that, although each part is made by different hands, everything comes together seamlessly in the end.
The harmony—the way separate work unites into a single lantern—is something we find genuinely appealing.