Chochin, Japanese traditional lighting equipment

Among the traditions which survived in Japan over the years, the Japanese traditional lighting is probably the most... visible. In temples or shrines, in front of the restaurants or simply on the streets, the traditional lighting equipments are still a part of the daily life.

Probably the most common and at the same time the most famous of them is the chōchin, a lantern made of Japanese paper fixed on a frame of spiraled bamboo. Used in Japan ever since the old times, the chōchin was intensively used during the Edo period as a portable light. Of course, today it was modernized with electric bulbs, but it still maintains its charm...

Travel tip: A red chōchin (aka-chōchin) placed in front of a restaurant indicates an izakaya, the traditional sake drinking restaurant which also serves food - a very popular after-work place for the Japanese salary men.