At night, just before bed, I turn off the room light and light the small lantern on the table beside my bed.
The light filtering through the washi paper spreads softly through the room. As I look at the small glow and the lantern’s gently rounded form, something in me loosens, and I begin to feel warm. It sometimes feels as though the fatigue that has gathered in my body is melting away.
I first came across the lantern at Chochindo, a shop in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, that specializes in Yame lanterns. Inside were round lanterns, egg-shaped ones, tree-shaped ones and square ones. Some were plain; others had floral or modern patterns. All were small, only a little larger than the palm of a hand.
The one that caught my eye had a rounded, gourd-like shape.
I light it during a quiet moment before bed. I also light it after work or when I return home around dusk. Once it is lit, I find myself watching it for a long time.
During the day, I run my fingers over the unlit surface to feel its texture. When I lean closer, I can see the fibers in the washi paper.
I am often so pressed for time that I forget to stop or even take a breath. Since I began lighting this lantern, however, my evenings have gained a few minutes in which I do nothing but gaze at its glow.
Yame lanterns are made in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture. Built around a bamboo framework, their shades may be covered with washi paper or silk, depending on the lantern.
Their beginnings are generally traced to around 1816. From the Taishō period (1912–1926) onward, they became widely known as Obon lanterns, displayed at household altars to welcome ancestors and see them off again during the festival.
Shiraki Kougei continues to make Yame lanterns today. Alongside the Obon lanterns its young artisans produce each year, the maker also creates lanterns intended for everyday use in contemporary homes.
Chochindo is Shiraki Kougei’s directly operated shop in Yame. It carries cocolan, the maker’s compact line of modern lanterns designed for everyday use.
The lantern I chose from the many shapes lined up at Chōchindō now lights the quiet moments before bed in my bedroom.
An ordinary evening can hold time spent simply watching a small light. In its soft glow, you could reflect on the day, listen quietly to music, or burn some incense.
Living with this lantern has made me realize that these ordinary moments give me valuable time to settle my mind.
You can light a single small lantern and spend a few minutes simply watching its glow, doing nothing else. Nothing has to change. Just a moment to feel that you are here.