GIFU -- Gifu paper lanterns with elaborate designs that offer a soothing glow have been on display at an old townhouse in this central Japan city, as part of an exhibit aiming to spread the charms of traditional chochin lanterns.

       The exhibit "Akari no Ie," or "House of Light," began on Nov. 11 at the Matsui-tei residence in Gifu's Kawaramachi area. The townhouse, which is over 100-years-old, housed a paper wholesaling business founded in 1817. Nine companies belonging to the Gifu Chochin Cooperative have provided various types of paper lanterns, including traditional ones that are set up during the Obon summer holiday to guide ancestral spirits, as well as modern-style lanterns used as interior furniture.

       It is the first time for such an exhibit to be held in a traditional townhouse, and the Gifu paper lanterns blend well with the old townhouse's atmosphere.

       Craftspeople are seen demonstrating how chochin lanterns are made at an exhibit in the Tamaicho district of the central Japan city of Gifu on Nov. 11, 2021. (Mainichi/Tatsuya Michinaga)

       At the venue, in addition to the paper lantern displays, there are traditional craftspeople engaging in the creation of lanterns, and visitors can watch them demonstrate skills passed down from the Edo period (1603-1867). The craftspeople who partake in the performances change daily. On Nov. 11, Shigetake Inami, 86, a craftsman who attaches designs onto Japanese washi paper using a brush and traditional stencil, and Hideyo Matsumoto, 60, who wraps the paper around bamboo frames to form the lighting's casing, were hard at work.

       Morihiro Ozeki, director of the Gifu Chochin Cooperative, commented, "I'd like for visitors to enjoy the elegance of townhouses and the soothing light of chochin lanterns."

       The exhibit will continue through Nov. 17, and is open from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. It is possible to gain entry by showing up on the day, but priority will be given to visitors with online reservations, which can be made at https://www.gifu-chochin.or.jp/info2021/ (in Japanese). For more information, please call the nonprofit group Organ at 058-269-3858.

       (Japanese original by Tatsuya Michinaga, Nagoya News Center)

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